This Week’s New Music: March 17, 2017

It’s another week of great new music with releases from Pitbull, Spoon, Rick Ross, Depeche Mode and more. 

Pitbull, Climate Change

Pitbull’s talent for musical genre mashups continues with Climate Change. The rock themed “Bad Man,” featuring Robin Thicke, is loaded with electric guitar riffs from Aerosmith’s Joe Perry and fast rolling drums from blink-182’s Travis Barker while “Greenlight” (with Enrique Iglesias) references REO Speedwagon’s “Take It on Run.” Each track also boasts plenty of booty-shaking club beats, but this time out Pitbull adds more flavor by stepping into rock, pop, R&B, and reggae with a diverse bevy of contributors such as Ty Dolla $ign, R. Kelly, Jennifer Lopez, and Stephen Marley. —Jazmyn Pratt

Rick Ross, Rather You Than Me

Rick Ross returns with his familiar blend of orchestral hammers and smooth yacht club beats. A key track is “Idols Become Rivals,” which begins with a manic cameo from Chris Rock and concludes with Ross criticizing Cash Money Records owner Birdman for his treatment of Lil Wayne and DJ Khaled. “How the f*ck you touch half a billion… and your team starvin’?,” he asks. Meanwhile, he joins forces with Future, Jeezy and Yo Gotti on “Dead Presidents,” and claims that he’s “Michael Jackson to the rich n*gg*s” on “Santorini Greece.” –Mosi Reeves

Spoon, Hot Thoughts

Spoon return to the Matador label with an album at once luminous and opus-worthy. Unexpected instrumental swells emerge throughout in welcome experimental throes without heavy-handed production or overwrought musicianship. The tight “First Caress” is a single-worthy number marrying driving disco rock bass and drums with cascading keys. The haunting “Pink Up” meanders from a slow intro to key and violin flourishes that dissipate to silence, while “Shotgun” ricochets with guitar salvos reminiscent of Andy Gill in Entertainment-era Gang of Four. –-Sara Jayne Crow

Real Estate, In Mind

When Real Estate started making music in the late ’00s, their scruffy simplicity placed them squarely in the lo-fi camp. In Mind, however, is proof the New Jersey outfit have grown so refined they now share more in common with maestro tunesmiths like The Sneetches or The Chills. Listen to the way the jangly guitars and soft, breezy harmonies dance around each other on “Stained Glass” and “Same Sun”; it’s like watching sunlight reflect off a quietly rippling pond. And if you seek proof that Real Estate could pull off a Byrds-style country-rock album, check out the gently shuffling “Diamond Eyes.” –Justin Farrar

Depeche Mode, Spirit

Depeche Mode typified adolescent recalcitrance, acerbic earnestness, and spare electronic programming with their debut Speak & Spell. Now, 36 years later, the stalwart Brits have managed to harness pubescent discontent of yore without seeming puerile with Spirit. Lyrics are often incendiary, imploring the audience to mobilize in a time of political turmoil. Producer James Ford (Arctic Monkeys) merges stark synthesis and instrumentation in his freshman effort with Depeche Mode, especially in the dark dance floor number “You Move” with hip-gyrating, chunky synth underpinnings. –-Sara Jayne Crow

Milky Chance, Blossom

Milky Chance are smart enough to know you never mess with a good thing — which is why their sophomore effort, Blossom, contains even more of the subtle, laidback charms that made their 2013 debut an unexpected smash. Not unlike Beck, the trio cultivates a stunningly simple formula of minimal, uncluttered alt-rock that features patiently rippling beats and Clemens Rehbein’s sleepy drawl. The title track was tapped as one of the lead singles, and for good reason; it glides into the sweet spot between haunted and intoxicated. But don’t sleep on “Firebird,” where the trio add delicious hints of Latin swing to their groove. –Justin Farrar

Conor Oberst, Salutations

Just as remanufactured sequels often travel familiar terrain, Salutations is a reissue of the stellar 2016 Ruminations solo release. While Ruminations was an insular and solitary affair borne of raw emotion following difficult health issues and a fan’s false rape accusation, Salutations re-imagines the original songs with added musicians including Gillian Welch, Blake Mills, and members from the band The Felice Brothers. While the stark and raw emotion of the original tracks are often overshadowed, the opener track “Too Late to Fixate” is a folky accordion-laden jam. –-Sara Jayne Crow

SoMo, The Answers

SoMo’s signature hit remains “Ride,” the 2012 single that catapulted him out of relative Texas anonymity. He makes reference to it on “Control” when he sings, “I can even make you love it with the light on/If you wanna, we can turn on some of my songs.” Much of The Answers is drenched in sex –- there’s even “First,” where he competes with a lover to see who can reach climax –- and the hazy, opiate-like sound of current R&B stars like Partynextdoor is a noticeable influence. But he also experiments with his bedroom sound: “Over” has the propulsion of EDM, while “Just a Man” broadens out into adult pop balladry. –Mosi Reeves

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