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Song of the Day #1,477: ‘The King Must Die’ – Elton John

I’d like to be a bigger Elton John fan. Silly thing to say, I know, because there’s certainly nothing holding me back from further exploring his catalog — nothing but the lack of time and the presence of hundreds of other artists vying for it.

John is one of those artists, like Prince, who has released so many albums that I can’t fathom being the kind of fan who owns everything he’s done. Bob Dylan and Elvis Costello are similarly prolific, but I started following them long ago and added many of their albums as they were released. With John I’d be starting almost from scratch.

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Song of the Day #1,476: ‘Beloved Freak’ – Garbage

It’s been seven years since Garbage’s last album — 2005’s Bleed Like Me — and for most of that time it was unclear whether the band would ever record together again. So the announcement of this year’s Not Your Kind of People was a pleasant surprise.

The sound of this album is similar to that of the band’s self-titled debut — hard-edged grunge with a splash of techno. On subsequent albums, Garbage dabbled in genre flourishes such as 50s pop and punk, but they’ve always been most comfortable in this mode.

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Song of the Day #1,475: ‘The Girl With the Holiday Smile’ – Lyle Lovett

I’m more than a little fed up with Lyle Lovett.

Since his 1996 masterpiece, The Road to Ensenada, he has released seven albums, and he doesn’t appear to be trying on any of them. That group includes a soundtrack, a live album and three records dedicated almost exclusively to covers.

The other two albums — My Baby Don’t Tolerate and It’s Not Big It’s Large — have their moments but mostly sound like Lovett is going through the motions, coasting on the reputation he established over his amazing first six records.

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Song of the Day #1,474: ‘Disconnected’ – Keane

Over their first four albums (if you count the 2010 EP Night Train), Keane managed to tread new ground with each new release.

Their first record, Hopes and Fears, put them solidly in Coldplay territory, featuring smart piano pop with earnest lyrics and soaring choruses. On Under the Iron Sea, they hardened and deepened that sound and delivered their best album yet.

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Song of the Day #1,473: ‘Run Daddy Run’ – Pistol Annies

News of the soundtrack to The Hunger Games came out months before the movie was released, and the lineup suggested the album might be a greater artistic achievement than the film.

Produced by T Bone Burnett, who worked his magic a decade ago on the Grammy-winning O Brother Where Art Thou? soundtrack, the record features contributions from Taylor Swift, Miranda Lambert, Arcade Fire, The Decemberists, Glen Hansard, Neko Case, The Civil Wars and Maroon 5, among others.

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