Sheryl Crow, Lenny Kravitz have new CDs

Jack Johnson, “Sleep Through the Static”
Saying that Jack Johnson’s fourth record is languid and breezy is a little like saying the Cubs probably won’t win it all this year, but “Sleep Through the Static” takes Johnson’s uber-chill, barefoot-in-a-hammock vibe to new heights — or mediums, depending on how you look at such things. Recorded purely with solar energy, “Static” traffics more in earnest, welterweight rock than his usual island-flavored vibe, which owes a lot to the subtle rhythms of his native Hawaii, and its pervasively midtempo skeleton is probably slow-rolling enough to completely alienate anyone not already in his camp. (This record will be a mighty tough sell at Coachella.) But fans who stick with it will find rewards like the sweet melody of “Angel,” the hard-biting politics of the title track, the unlikely hook of first single “If I Had Eyes” and the jaunty saloon rhythms of “Monsoon.”

Hot Chip, “Made in the Dark”
From Casiotone swells, a drummer-killing time signature and a guitar-and-tambourine hook that could prompt hand-jiving, this set’s first two minutes prime your pump like an action sequence before the opening credits. What follows is a proper blockbuster from the nerdy Brit quintet that continues where 2006 breakout “The Warning” left off. This is the same pop-wise Hot Chip, only wilier and with a more dastardly sonic arsenal. Check out “Shake a Fist,” which uses a 1972 spoken-word Todd Rundgren sample to introduce the indie children to the glorious squelch of acid house. “One Pure Thought” laments not having one, over blissed-out reggae, while “Hold On” writes off the notion entirely (”I’m only going to heaven/If it feels like hell”). Mashed-up comparisons aside (the Sea & Cake meets Tom Tom Club while listening to Weezer?), this stuff is singular, and flat-out great.

Speak in Tones, “Subaro”
This double CD is, in a manner of speaking, the logical conclusion of a two-year series of concerts led by Daniel Moreno and Mike Ellis at 56 Walker St. in New York. The album was recorded in Salvador do Bahia, Brazil, and features a mix of jazz, Latin and world music players from the Big Apple, Mali and Bahia. The tunes are a provocative intermingling of jazz and world styles. A perfect example of what’s going on here is “Douson Foly (Take 2).” The song has a pronounced Malian rhythmic feel, deepened by Lansine Kouyate’s balafon (a tuned percussion instrument from West Africa) and Cheick Tidiane Seck’s vocal. The hypnotic rhythm percolates beneath jazz horn riffs and a nimble balafon solo, building a monster groove. Elsewhere, “Subaro, Part 1” gets a major funk-jazz vibe going, fueled by a low-riding saxophone and a flurry of vocalizations.

Nada Surf, “Lucky”
“I only wanna make you happy,” Matthew Caws sings on “I Like What You Say,” a cut from this Brooklyn trio’s new album. As with most of the tunes on “Lucky” — and like most of the guys in his indie-pop cohort — Caws is singing about a relationship. But he might also be addressing Nada Surf’s audience. Caws’ great trick as a songwriter is devising tunes that start out in melancholy minor-key mode but end up as hopeful-sounding odes to the human spirit, and “Lucky” is full of jangly little gems that could put a skip in the step of even the saddest of sacks. The finest among them might be opener “See These Bones,” during which Caws makes a visit to an ancient crypt in Rome seem like a perfectly cheery way to spend a Saturday.

Bullet for My Valentine, “Scream Aim Fire”
Determined treatise “Scream Aim Fire” is a joy ride of sleek, “Guitar Hero”-ready metal that’s indoctrinating both genders into the fold. The record exhibits fierce intent to prove that Bullet for My Valentine’s music shouldn’t be painted “pretty boy” because of the group’s good looks. But the foursome doesn’t completely abandon the sensitive interludes that gave it the emo tag it’s trying to shake. Finale “Forever and for Always,” the band’s Queen-inspired valentine to fans on the communal experience of playing live, climactically builds and then strips away one hook-laden riff at a time to end on a revelatory note that will crack the coldest doubter’s heart.

Ronnie Freeman, “God Speaking”
During a recent Nashville showcase for this record, nearly every key player in the Christian music community was in attendance to lend support. One listen to this collection and it’s easy to see why Ronnie Freeman commands such a devoted following. He has a warm, accessible voice and a gift for penning engaging songs that explore faith from a unique, insightful perspective. This finely crafted project should propel Freeman from Christian music’s best-kept secret to highly successful artist.

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