Dig These Discs :: Duran Duran, Ben Folds, Leona Lewis, Jess Glynne, Coeur De Pirate

The '80s rocks gods Duran Duran are back with their new album "Paper Gods," which they say is "the best thing we've done in a long time." Ben Folds mixes pop musical with classical stylings in his new record, "So There." Qu�b�coise songwriter B�atrice Martin, aka Coeur de Pirate, releases her third full-length solo album, a follow-up to 2012's "Blonde." Honey-voiced British singer Leona Lewis is back with her fifth studio album, after severing ties with Simon Cowell's Syco label. And the British recording artist Jess Glynne makes her debut with "I Cry When I Laugh," a collection of 11 songs following up on the success of her singles "Right Here" and "Real Love." Dig Brit rock? You'll dig Dig These Discs!

"Paper Gods" (Duran Duran)

The '80s rocks gods Duran Duran are back with their new album "Paper Gods," which they say is "the best thing we've done in a long time." Singer Simon Le Bon said it represents a more experimental side of the 37-year-old band, noting they couldn't have done it without having first made the Timbaland-helmed releases "Red Carpet Massacre" and "All You Need Is Now." This 14th studio album relies on a lot of other artists, like Mark Ronson, Mr. Hudson, Nile Rodgers, Janelle Mon�e, and even Lindsay Lohan. "Bow to the paper gods in a world that is paper thin," they sing in the slow, moody first cut, "Paper Gods." Kiesza brings her 'fuck yeah' insouciance to the track "Last Night in the City." She's not going to sleep tonight; she's just going to "live it like it's our last night." Le Bon sings "Truth or lies, things are hotting up in here/ If I had a knife, you could cut the atmosphere," in "You Kill Me With Silence." Monae and Rodgers make "Pressure Off" something special; you'll be transported back to those good old "Planet Earth" days of the mid-'80s. They jazz up "Face for Today" with synthesizers, and rock you right back to Danceteria with "Danceophobia," with a smoky-voiced Lohan adding her expert medical opinion on your diagnosis. They slow things down in "What Are the Chances?" and ease into the delicious "Sunset Garage." Jonas Bjerre helps move along the intense, pounding "Change the Skyline." You'll love the '90s feel of "Butterfly Girl" and the louche, lazy feel of "Only in Dreams," with lyrics like, "There's a vampire in the limousine, sun's going down like a symphony/ She keeps her guard up while her nails are wet/ I don't wanna wake up." It sure is good to have the boys back!
(Warner Bros.)

"I Am" (Leona Lewis)

Honey-voiced Leona Lewis is back with her fifth studio album, taking a new direction with her music that suits her very well. The British chanteuse said 'no more covers,' and severed ties with Simon Cowell's Syco label to produce her original new album. And it's a winner. "I was kinda worried," she remembered. "I didn't know if I was going to get signed again." Lewis said she was concerned that her music was no longer true to herself, and left Cowell to find a better match. "I won't wait any longer, when you let me down I got stronger," sings Lewis in the first track, "Thunder." She is defiant in "Fire Under My Feet," the first song she wrote after leaving, with Madonna and Beyonce collaborator Toby Gad. If you really want to be empowered, check out the video, which features a runner without lower legs, a dancer with a birthmark on her face, a drag queen, a boxer and an albino model facing their challenges. Her open letter to fans inspired Diana Warren to write Lewis the song, "You Knew Me When," with the lyrics, "you knew me when I was on the edge and my confidence was shattered/ You knew me when I didn't know my worth, didn't know how much I mattered." She repeats the message in her title cut, singing, "I Am" someone without you/ free without you/ stronger without you. "The Essence of Me" has the same message, as Lewis sings, "there's no stopping me." She plays with scales in the 'be brave' track "Ladders," and rocks out in the excellent pop tune, "I Got You." She claims her own "Power," singing, "I am the one I've been waiting for." Her voice is so high here, it could cut glass. "Never thought I'd write 'Another Love Song,'" she admits, before finishing the album with "Thank You." Right back at you, Leona girl!
(Island Def Jam)

"So There" (Ben Folds)

Singer/songwriter Ben Folds released his new record "So There" on Sept. 11, performing alongside yMusic, a New York-based sextet. "When I was introduced to yMusic, it was like, 'Oh, these are my brothers and sisters. We're done,'" Folds said. "I didn't look back. I had a new rock band, basically. I didn't expect to end up in a new band but that's what happened." From the very beginning strains of "Capable of Anything" with its playful flute scales, you'll see that this is not your everyday pop album, from the hook to lyrics like, "I stopped caring what you think about me; I gave up," he sings. Songs like "Long Way To Go" and the ebullient "So There," where he sings about getting back to basics, are marked by forward-thinking studio craft and creative spontaneity, combining Folds' vaunted knack for hook and harmony with yMusic's talent for exciting interpretation. And you'll chuckle over lyrics like "Not a Fan's" humorous intro, "You and your friends you're so well read/ I grew up on sugar cereal and TV/ I'm starting to wonder what you see in me." He starts "Yes Man" with the quip, "Why didn't you tell me I got fat?" Produced by Folds with yMusic's Rob Moose and CJ Camerieri, the album flourishes in the overlap between the pop and classical worlds, with eight brand new pop songs written, arranged, and recorded by Folds & yMusic. He also includes the 21-minute "Concerto For Piano and Orchestra," a three-movement concerto he premieres in March 2014, with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra. "Every so often it occurs to me how much freedom I have," Folds said. "In this case, it was, 'Oh. I can write pop songs for what's in essence a small orchestra.'" Folds also found adaptive material among his other recently written songs. Originally written for Al Pacino to sing in the 2015 film, "Danny Collins," the self-deprecating "I'm Not the Man" was co-written at the suggestion of actress Alicia Witt, who had previously worked with the legendary star. With simple piano and basic percussion, Folds shines in "Phone in A Pool," the album's lead single. It was a surprise addition to "So There," having not even been born of the initial sessions, but instead was part of a 'drunken pub record' in Dublin with members of his old touring band. Folds performed at this year's Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, and plans to spend much of 2016 on the road.
(New West Records)

"Roses" (Coeur de Pirate)

Qu�b�coise songwriter B�atrice Martin, aka Coeur de Pirate, releases her third full-length solo album, a follow-up to 2012's "Blonde." She's spent the years in between recording soundtracks for "Trauma" and the video game "Child of Light." On this album, the 25-year old Martin sings in French and English, and plays piano, which she's been studying since she was three years old. It's no wonder, then, that she's become the poster child for the resurgence of torch songs among Canadian youth. Her single, "Carry On," a love song to herself, was released in April. It's an instantly likeable song, with the moody vibe of a '90s pop tune. The album looks at a breakup from several years ago, from the viewpoint of a woman now married and raising a baby. "I think to understand what being hurt feels like you need to find true happiness," said Martin. "And that same goes to actually be happy -- you have to go through something really horrible." She prefers silence in the French-language cut "Crier tour bas," and gets intense in "Drapeau blanc." She sounds like any other sprightly pop star as she sings, "I Don't Want to Break Your Heart," with Allan Kingdom rapping, "Told my babe it's her life and she the freshest for getting me/ Told her goodbye, because this ride could get dirty." She leaves the land she knows, but won't face her fears alone in "Undone." Intense piano ramps up the lost love tune "Oceans Brawl," where Martin sings, "Pierced your arrow through my heart/wanted me, now you want me gone." She keeps the imagery of the sea afloat, comparing a breaking wave to "Our Love," and casting away the shadows of the heart in "Cast Away." She finishes strong with "Tu oublieras mon nom," the French-language version of "Carry On," "Oublie-moi" and the excellent "The Way Back Home." Bonjour, Martin! You're the best Qu�b�coise we've seen since Celine Dion!
(Cherrytree Records/Interscope Records)

"I Cry When I Laugh" (Jess Glynne)

British recording artist Jess Glynne makes her debut with "I Cry When I Laugh," a collection of 11 songs following up on the success of her singles "Right Here" and "Real Love." The album looks at heartbreak with the promise of hope for a better future. Glynne's got optimism on her side in cuts like her hit single "Hold My Hand." This is evident from the beginning, as she starts the album off with the R&B cut "Gave Me Something, singing, "you gave me hope and you let me time that if I gave you time, it would all be mine." She rocks the stutter-song technique in the catchy "Aint' Got Far to Go" and admits, "I know there's a better place, because you take me there," in "Take Me Home." "Don't Be So Hard On Yourself," she sings in another R&B winner, and goes through hell looking for heaven in "No Rights No Wrongs." Her cut "You Can Find Me" has a gospel-like intro that resonates. Glynne goes acoustic in the touching track "My Love," and employs a strings intro that gives her single "Rather Be" a unique sound. Emeli Sande joins in on "Saddest Vanilla," and Glynne caps a winning debut with "Why Me." Glynne kicked off a North American tour on September 14 in DC, and will play through the end of the month, before she returns to the UK for dates through November 11.
(Atlantic Records)