Top tunes: James Blunt, Gwyneth, Norah Jones, TI

Albums

Rascal Flatts: ‘Nothing like this’
Anyone who wondered what affect a label change might have on Rascal Flatts' particular blend of country and pop: Rest assured, the impact was practically nil. The genre-straddling virtues that have delivered five No. 1 albums and two dozen top 10 singles on the country charts are still intact throughout the group's new set, “Nothing Like This.” The trio's harmonies remain as crisp as a fresh pair of Wranglers. There's a ringing pluck in the elopement proposition on “Why Wait” and the live-it-up anthem “Play,” while “They Try” strikes a soulful chord.  And “Summer Young” reincarnates vintage '80s MTV pop. The song “Sunday Afternoon” offers a reminder to recent crossover faves like Lady Antebellum that Flatts was there first, and “Red Camaro” is practically revving its engines for a ride up the singles charts next summer. Elsewhere, British pop diva Natasha Bedingfield provides counterpoint in the breakup-celebrating “Easy.” Polished, deceptively effortless and relentlessly tuneful, “Nothing Like This” is everything we've come to expect from Rascal Flatts.

Norah Jones: ‘… Featuring’
Throughout the course of her four studio albums, Norah Jones has honed in on a remarkably well-defined jazz-folk sound; even last year's relatively dark “The Fall” was instantly identifiable as the work of the woman who gave brunch spots everywhere the gift of a lifetime with “Don't Know Why.” As a series of off-the-cuff side projects have shown, though, Jones' musical interests are more varied than they might appear, a fact that's demonstrated neatly on “. . . Featuring,” which collects more than a dozen of her collaborations with a wide range of other acts, including Willie Nelson, Belle & Sebastian, OutKast and Foo Fighters. (There's also a song each by the Little Willies and El Madmo, two of Jones' side projects.) The singer is especially good on “Life Is Better,” a sexy soul-rap track from Q-Tip's 2008 “The Renaissance,” and on “Dear John,” a bleary duet with Ryan Adams that reminds listeners that even multiplatinum prodigies can get the blues.

Underoath: ‘0 (Disambiguation)’
The word “Disambiguation” – the title of Underoath's seventh album – refers to the clarity that occurs after a source of ambiguity is removed. It would be wrong to interpret the title as a jab at departed drummer/co-vocalist Aaron Gillespie, for the metalcore band's earnest mash-up of shouted and cleanly sung vocals (of which Gillespie provided the latter) never lacked perspective or style. But by using the lineup shift as a chance to explore different terrain – namely, eschewing pop choruses and traditional vocals – Underoath's sprawling, at-times disquieting music is newly realized. (New member Daniel Davidson sticks just to the drums.) Flashes of U2, Thrice and Dillinger Escape Plan are evident throughout the album, whose free-flowing grace is apparent even during throbbing, slightly off-kilter cuts like “In Division,” “Illuminator” and “A Divine Eradication.” That ambience becomes more striking when the sextet lets itself completely unfurl during the gentler “Paper Lung” and prog-jam closer “In Completion.”

Daft Punk: ‘Tron: Legacy’
A-list superstars in their native electronic-music realm, the robot-masked men of France's Daft Punk have established a foothold among more mainstream listeners thanks to glittery disco-house jams like “Around the World,” “One More Time” and “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger,” the last of which travelled farther still after Kanye West sampled it for his 2007 hit “Stronger.” So for their highest-profile project to date, you might've expected Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo to flex that party-starting flair. No dice. This soundtrack to Walt Disney Pictures' upcoming “Tron” sequel is a determinedly moody affair, longer on minor-key strings and hushed synth burbles than on Daft Punk's revered throbbing beats. That's movie-music business as usual, of course, yet the duo still surprises with the austere beauty of cuts like “Adagio for Tron” and its seamless fusion of organic and electronic elements. The artists' masks are designed precisely to keep us guessing about what's going on in their heads, but who knew it was this?   

Atomic Tom: ‘The moment’
Atomic Tom scored a hit in the viral video world when the band used its iPhones to perform the song “Take Me Out” on a New York subway car. For its full-length debut, “The Moment,” the group fuses electro-pop with classic British rock, revealing that it can be equally as captivating when holding actual instruments. The beginning of the track “This Is How We Like to End” features a timid guitar melody, but with the help of lead singer Luke White's husky, Chris Martin-esque vocals it later explodes with crunchy echoing guitars and a cinematic string arrangement. Elsewhere, the tune “I'm Coming After You” takes a vintage-punk route, centring on repetitive guitar rhythm in contrast to White's drawling lyrical flow. Although Atomic Tom made a name for itself with a stripped-down performance, “The Moment” showcases the band developing a full-bodied sound bound to carry it to venues that far exceed the confines of a subway car.

Singles

Chris Brown: ‘Yeah 3X’
Chris Brown perfected his brand of R& B-flavoured pop music with singles like “Forever” and “I Can Transform Ya,” although his most recent hit, “Deuces,” presented a more thoughtful pose. “Yeah 3x,” his latest single from fourth album “F.A.M.E.,” finds the singer returning to dance music without missing a step.  The song is peppered with beats that sound as if they came straight from a “Super Mario Bros.” videogame, and the track makes the most of its thick bassline. As kinetic as the backing beat is, Brown steps gracefully over the rhythm and forcefully advises the listener to “throw away all your problems/'Cause right now it's party time.” Brown's career has had its share of twists and turns, but “Yeah 3x” proves he can still turn out a speaker-bumping track.

Gwyneth Paltrow: ‘Country strong’
At the recent Country Music Association Awards, Gwyneth Paltrow was given the chance to prove she could hold her own sharing the stage with the genre's elite. “Country Strong,” the song Paltrow performed from the forthcoming film of the same name, allowed the Oscar-winning actress to demonstrate a lovely voice and impressive command of the spotlight. Paltrow might not have soared if she was paired with a weaker debut track, but songwriters Jennifer Hanson, Mark Nesler and Tony Martin have provided her with an excellent vehicle about strength in the face of adversity.

James Blunt: ‘Stay the night’
James Blunt is done singing about heartbreak for now: The Englishman who held the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2006 with his tender single “You're Beautiful” is simply ready to have some fun on “Stay the Night.” Written alongside OneRepublic's Ryan Tedder and producer Steve Robson, Blunt's latest single is loose, upbeat and propelled by catchy acoustic guitar riffs. The soft-rock tune hinges on its light lyrical content, a genial toast to the simple things. “Stay the Night” is a great new sound for Blunt, who'll return with new album “Some Kind of Trouble” in January.

T.I.: ‘Get back up’
As his legal troubles have forced him to release his next album from prison, T.I. offers a plea for public forgiveness on “Get Back Up,” the first single from forthcoming set “No Mercy.” The rapper adopts a disarmingly earnest tone for the song, which uses a mellow beat and rhythmic hook provided by another artist formerly steeped in controversy, Chris Brown. Unfortunately, the usually agile wordsmith flows awkwardly on the track, with his lines often sounding like talking points scripted by a publicist.  “I admit it/Yeah, I done some dumb shit/Disappointed everybody, I know/ Try not to hold that against me, though,” T.I. raps. Instead of previewing his new album by dwelling on his problems, T.I. should have used “Get Back Up” to move past his mistakes.

John Mellencamp: ‘Save some time to dream’
For all of his studied recalcitrance – he did dub himself the Little Bastard, after all – John Mellencamp is at heart an optimist whose songwriting yearns for a better world. That hopeful sentiment kicks off his 25th album, “No Better Than This,” as “Save Some Time to Dream” concludes that “your dream might save us all” amid a three-chord guitar pattern and gentle groove. Mellencamp works with a rustic sound that manipulates his vocals in a manner that is both lo-fi and immediate.

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