’90s indie-rock slacker extraordinaire Stephen Malkmus continues to create a legacy beyond his seminal Pavement, but can new unit the Jicks ever be more than an “&”? A first listen to their second release reveals a band that has time-slipped, back-to-the-future style, past ’90s low fi to ’60s classic rock. On songs that run to ten minutes, the Jicks evoke the extendo-jams of bands like the Allman Brothers, with Malkmus deploying wa-wa pedals and twin guitar leads to nostalgic effect. But listen closer, and his oblique lyrics still exude a ’90s indie-rock ethos, peopled by dodgy, ill-defined characters like the murder suspect in “Hopscotch Willie.” On an album that shows Malkmus’ post-Pavement legacy still in a healthy phase of creation, fans can also rest assured that he still hasn’t taken any singing lessons. DG

Before you put on this album and slag its creators for shamelessly using famous artists’ hits to bring them some much-needed attention, keep in mind that reggae bands have been elevating cover songs (they call them “versions”) to an art form for decades. And don’t read the tracklisting: the surprise of realizing that the heavy, hypnotic bass line you’re grooving to is in fact from the White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army,” the Rolling Stones’ “Miss You” or Madonna’s “Music” is just too delicious. An international quintet including American, British, French and African members based in the French city of Lyon, The Dynamics have perfected a timeless dub sound that, when applied to contemporary pop hits, produces a pleasantly disquieting effect. DG

Warp Records have long since strayed from the chin-stroking electronica that made the label’s name, but this must be the first thing they’ve released that I can imagine my mum liking. That’s not a criticism as such, more a testament to the universal appeal of Jamie Lidell’s third album. Continuing in the vein of 2005’s Multiply, this is soul and R&B in the classic tradition, evoking Stevie Wonder, Sly & The Family Stone and Prince, among others. Though it forever threatens to descend into Jamiroquai territory, Lidell’s vocal chops and inventive songwriting pull things back from the brink. The birdsong-laced gospel opener “Another Day” may be too cheesy for some, but the taut funk of “Little Bit of Feel Good” and frenzied hoedown of “Where D’You Go” take some licking. James Hadfield

REM never really went away, but with its last three albums delivering diminishing returns, much is being made of Accelerate’s brevity and rawness as a return to form. While it’s a joy to hear the group pushed to the limits—Michael Stipe’s lyrics are as incisive and pointed as ever (“Horse To Water”), Peter Buck’s guitar riffs are driving (“Living Well...”) and Mike Mills is in full voice (“Man-Sized Wreath”)—such praise would slightly flatter to deceive. Accelerate is a breath of fresh air from a band reconnecting with its legacy, but the disc is not likely to be a long-term fan favorite. Instead, it feels like a stepping-stone back in the right direction, reminding us what REM is capable of—and might yet deliver again. Robert Poole

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