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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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Song of the Day #1,472: ‘Wild Horses’ – The Rolling Stones

I’ve bought nine new albums so far this year and they’re split pretty evenly between mild disappointment and happy surprise.

Over the next nine days, I’ll feature a song from each of those albums and write a mini review of each. To satisfy my pathological urge to make lists, I’ll feature them in order from worst to best.

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Song of the Day #1,471: ‘Hablemos El Mismo Idioma’ – Gloria Estefan

Gloria Estefan’s 1993 solo album (her third) is one of the only Spanish-language albums I own that isn’t by Shakira. Technically, it belongs to my wife (who can actually understand the lyrics).

This is a great example of an album — and a kind of music — that I’m perfectly happy to listen to live but I have no patience for over my speakers.

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