Harlequin (or LG 6.5), Rack and more

In What We're Listening To, Engadget writers and editors discuss some of the recent music releases we've been covering regularly. This episode features everything from jazz standards to The Jesus Lizard.

Lady Gaga – harlequin

I hadn't even been in there a minute harlequin before I had the realization Oh, I'm going to be so annoying in my love for this. Unfortunately for everyone in my life (and especially because I sing along), I've had a blast all weekend since Friday's surprise drop. Gaga is a powerhouse, and as much as I adore her take on pop, I'm always blown away when I hear her play jazz. And harlequin is full of it.

harlequin is a companion album to an upcoming film (Joker: Folie à Deux) and consists almost entirely of cover songs – a combination that would normally put me off. But Gaga's breezy versions of classics like “World on a String” and “Smile” are almost creepy. Her energy on tracks like “Gonna Build a Mountain” is through the roof. I could have done without “Oh, When the Saints,” but now I’m really just doing a little something. There are only two original songs on the album and they are completely different beasts, each effective in their own way. “Happy Mistake” is a clear highlight and I’ll be quietly crying over it for years to come.

Babe Haven – harassment

On the exact opposite end of the spectrum, I was really interested in the latest album from punk band Babe Haven. Harassment, lately. It's about 25 minutes of queer femme fury and I can't get enough of it. Check it out on Bandcamp.

— Cheyenne MacDonald, weekend editor

The Jesus Lizard – frame

Even laudatory reviews of comeback albums rely on expectations tempered by preemptive apologies or sympathetic praise. A comparison to more exciting days of musical urgency is inevitable; It hurts for the same reasons as hearing, “You look great.” for your age.” I wish there was a way to take inventory frame without this baggage, because The Jesus Lizard not only sounds better than a band that has taken three decades has the right to It just doesn't sound like any time has passed at all.

frame broods with astonishing inconspicuousness in the midst of her oeuvre. Sure, “What If?” doesn't reach the slashes of earlier turns like “Rodeo in Joliet,” but “Lord Godiva” glides on the Duane Denison riffs, lightning and crude oil that are most Duane Denison. The manic physicality of David Yow's voice is unchanged – neither more stressed after more than 60 years of battling ghosts, nor dulled by the strain.

So many ribbons that seemed frozen in amber emerge exposed, as if covering themselves. They would frantically recapture their glory days if they still had the energy to do anything hectic. frameInstead, through sheer ferocity, they're a band that continues to do exactly what they've always done, just as well as ever, and sound really damn cool doing it.

— Avery Ellis, Associate Editor, Reports

Sabrina Carpenter – Short and sweet

There's a part of me that hates keeping up with pop music, and that's the part of me that cringe when I realize that the last few albums I've heard are by pop princesses Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift and others were . This is also the part of me that resisted listening to Sabrina Carpenter's latest album for months (and probably the part of me that refused to watch the Incredible Schitt's Creek until this year).

I say all this just to explain why I'm so late to appreciating the goodness that this is Short and sweet. And the non-judgmental part of me unashamedly loved Carpenter's new music and asked all my friends if they'd heard her songs. As I talked about them with my different circles of friends, I realized that there is something for everyone, regardless of the diversity of our tastes.

I'm a fan of R&B, hip hop and basically anything that I can dance or sing to. The tracks “bet u wanna,” “Taste,” and “Feather” have become recurring items on my playlist, and yes, I did go back to their older discography for some of these tracks. However, my current absolute favorite is “Espresso”. It has a catchy hook, clever lyrics and a groovy beat that gently straddles the line between upbeat and reserved. I love the wordplay and how, when interwoven with rhythm and melody, it initially sounded to me like Carpenter was singing in another language. And as someone who works in tech and is also an occasional gamer, I particularly liked the words “up, down, left, right,” “Switch,” and “Nintendo.” I really didn't expect rhyming “espresso” with “Nintendo” to work, but it did.

But back to the point I made earlier: Even if that kind of laid-back dance club vibe isn't your thing, there's a lot of it there Short and sweet this might appeal to you. For example, I wasn't a huge fan of “Please, Please, Please,” but I know friends who love it. And while “Bed Chem” and “Good Graces” don’t hit me like “Espresso,” these two are some of her most played songs on Spotify. I'm also starting to warm up to “Juno.”

That means we all have different tastes. Maybe you're more of a fan of Chappell Roan. I also like some of their latest tracks, just not as much as Carpenter's. I also really enjoy the brilliance of Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga's “Die With a Smile,” something I'll be adding to my karaoke duet repertoire but have started playing less often. If you have a love for music from artists like Ariana Grande, NewJeans, and Doja Cat, you'll probably have a good time with Sabrina Carpenter. And since I'm so late to the party, you probably already have.

— Cherlynn Low, Deputy Editor, Reviews