Pitbull, "Globalization"

Over the Rhine

“BLOOD ORANGES IN THE SNOW”

GSD

The Ohio-based husband-wife Americana duo of Linford Detweiler and Karin Bergquist examine memories, loss and reunions both joyful and melancholy in these nine songs, six of which Detweiler wrote or co-wrote, plus Merle Haggard’s aching country classic “If We Make It Through December” and two others. The really savvy part is the way they inject snippets of other seasonal songs into the originals, underscoring how much music itself is an integral part of the holiday season and spirit. If every musician brought this much inspiration and imagination to the task of recording holiday songs, what a wonderful world it truly would be.

— Randy Lewis, Los Angeles Times

AC/DC

“ROCK OR BUST”

Albert Productions/Columbia Records

AC/DC’s “Rock or Bust” is sports bar music of the gods, the top shelf of cheap beer. There’s not a thing you haven’t heard before in its 11 new songs. What’s important is that they have the band’s traceable fingerprints all over them. Whatever this record may be missing, it’s not the band. The band is present.

Its lyrics run in basic celebration mode — rocking in bars (“Rock the Blues Away”), rocking on the road (“Got Some Rock ‘n’ Roll Thunder”), rocking onstage (“Rock or Bust”), rocking in bed (“Miss Adventure”). They aren’t witty, even when their double entendres look in the direction of wit. There is a great sameness to it all: the medium-tempo rhythm section grooves, the limited range and phrasing in Brian Johnson’s screeching vocals, the guitar riffs of Angus Young and his nephew Stevie. No putting on airs here. This is stock made with good ingredients, functional, a record to be listened to in isolated segments to accompany male bonding.

In 35 minutes, it quickens the hearing. Not only because its production, by Brendan O’Brien, protects AC/DC’s handmade sound: Its respect for space also allows you to hear the separated particulars of the band in a room, the sound of Angus Young’s fingers on the strings, the blast and decay of the riff, the tuning of the bass drum and the quality of the metal on the high-hat cymbal. But also because in this music there is nothing else to hear — no big ideas, no interruptions, no provocations. This record is content alone.

Only the news media can make it more than that, and from those quarters, you know that Stevie Young has replaced Malcolm Young, Angus’ brother, who dropped out of the band last spring, citing the onset of dementia; this is the first AC/DC record made without him. (It doesn’t sound any different.) And that the band’s drummer, Phil Rudd, has recently been charged in New Zealand with threatening murder and possession of drugs.

Anyway, “Rock or Bust” is a record so sure in its method across its 11 tracks that when you leave it, you might quickly and reflexively write a 12th and a 13th in your head, just as looking at the work of a great photographer for 35 minutes can make you turn a corner and see an image as the photographer would have captured it.

Beyond that, it wants no part of your life. The record isn’t paced or framed as a statement or an emotional experience. The album ends with “Emission Control,” a sex ode by the numbers. It doesn’t tie up any loose ends. It’s there as if to prove that the sound of the band is the whole story; nothing else matters.

— Ben Ratliff, New York Times

Pitbull

“GLOBALIZATION”

RCA Records

Like a bright yellow Hummer in a sea of gray Priuses, there’s nothing subtle about Pitbull.

Propelled by raw talent and a whole lot of moxie, the former reggaeton artist has emerged as one of the most successful crossover stars around — selling more than 5 million albums and 60 million singles worldwide — despite a seemingly bottomless collection of shiny dress shirts and bad suits. (Poor Marc Anthony.)

His eighth album, “Globalization,” continues the Cuban American rapper’s successful formula of mixing salsa with hip-hop, hip-hop with EDM, EDM with pop, and all of it with a cocky sense of humor and some of the worst pickup lines ever.

On “Globalization” — not to be confused with his previous worldly themed efforts “Global Warming: Meltdown” and “Planet Pit” — Pitbull includes more club-minded songs and a wide cast of characters. For “Ah Leke,” he teams up with everyone’s favorite sidekick, Sean Paul, on an infectious, dance hall-meets-EDM number that finds Pitbull once again offering himself up via a 2 a.m. bar-is-closing mantra: “All the ladies, when you’re ready let me know.”

Chris Brown joins Pitbull for “Fun,” a more straight-ahead upbeat R&B dance tune fueled by Latin beats and instrumentation. It’s places like this where a crack production team and insane energy levels pay off, making what could sound tired and familiar (how many times can we hear Brown’s voice against sappy slow jams) sharp and lively.

Though tempos shift and guests add up (Jason Derulo, Ne-Yo), every song is connected by the rapper’s gravelly voice, so-stupid-they’re-great lyrics and banshee howls.

Songs like “Sexy Beaches” and “Day Drinking” are the weakest. But they will be played by vacationers worldwide thanks to universal idiot-in-paradise refrains such as “Day drinkin’, sun goes up and drink goes down, ooh, ooh.”

There are 11 songs in all, not as many songs here as you’d think from someone as prolific and ever-present as Pitbull, but when you figure he’s out there on a billion more tracks by himself and other artists, does he really need to pack his own album with his A1 work?

Besides, he’s likely holding onto his best mojito-slugging material for the next round, waiting for some other club artist to disappoint so he can catch you on the rebound.

— Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times