PopMatters.com
(MCT)

Nas: "Untitled" (Def Jam)
Rating: 9

When Def Jam inevitably caved in to the backlash from media and retail outlets and prohibited Nas from naming his ninth official studio album after what is arguably the most taboo word in U.S. English, he made a brilliant move by simply changing the name to "Untitled" _ a title that ironically gives more power to the album's intended message. If there is a central theme running throughout "Untitled," it's the continuous, almost subconscious negligence among certain factions of mainstream America to accept contributions of non-whites into its culture _ most notably African-Americans and hip-hop. The accomplishment of the new title is that it provides a symbol for the relative anonymity of some of the greatest minds of our generation, particularly among those who don't have any reservations about including the original title in their vocabulary. Contrary to what many might have expected, and diverging from what has become the standard for racially charged hip-hop, there is nothing militant about "Untitled." There's not a single line in any of these songs that would lead one to believe that Nas blames any particular sect of people outright for the racial inequality that exists in America _ he blames money and greed. His beliefs come across as more MLK than Malcolm X, which is ironic, given the outrage over its original title, because "Untitled" promotes peace more than anything else. This is Nas' "Blood on the Tracks." "Illmatic" was stylistically brilliant and incalculably influential, but "Untitled" is a more mature, emotionally driven and philosophically complex piece of work.  Anthony Henriques

The Hold Steady: "Stay Positive" (Vagrant)
Rating: 8

And you thought The Hold Steady were just living on E Street? Littered with early Springsteen analogies ever since they broke through with the bar room tales of "Boys and Girls in America," Craig Finn has constantly referred to the debt his band owes to the likes of the Ramones, Husker Du and the Replacements, only for critics to remain defiant of their origins in favour of references to the New Jersey Godfather. If there's a nagging conviction behind "Stay Positive," the Hold Steady's fourth album, it's a constant refusal to be pinned down on E Street, revealing a toxic indulgence to revel in the spit and swagger of the punk side of town. The first crashing notes of "Constructive Summer," the record's charged opener, are a "White Riot"-style riff that Mick Jones would be proud of. The tingling piano and made-for-arena drums that follow may be pure Springsteen, but only after he's been dragged through a dozen chaotic bars by Finn, all the time regaling the Boss with the genius of Bob Mould. And while the song may break down into classic early Springsteen territory, all "Born to Run" piano and Finn's recounting of disappointing encounters with school and church, it's the lethal bark in Finn's voice as he croaks out "Raise a toast to Saint Joe Strummer" that is the moment The Hold Steady step back and reclaim their punk mantle. Yet while "Stay Positive" might find Finn in existential contemplation of his past, present and future, thankfully it doesn't keep him away from his observational wisdom in recounting tales of hedonism, naivety, drugs and alcohol in small town America. "Joke About America" may not be their finest five minutes, although it's an absorbing song based around a sweet Hammond groove, a telling, slow beat and a dark narrative of splintering music scenes and friendship.  Kai Jones

John Mellencamp: "Life Death Love and Freedom" (Hear Music)
Rating: 8

John Mellencamp begins his latest album, "Life Death Love and Freedom" by giving a brutally frank assessment of his life and livelihood. Looking back over his extensive career, he can't help but long for more successful days. This is certainly a different tact than Mellencamp took with the release of his last album, 2007's "Freedom's Road." That album's first single, "Our Country," was featured in a series of Chevy ads that shamelessly pillaged the American mythos to sell automobiles. It was all part of a failed attempt to resurrect the slumping automaker's sales _ as well as the slumping state of Mellencamp's career. But flash forward a year, and Mellencamp is over hit singles. Not only has he realized that the pop charts are so fickle that "there's nothing waiting for (him) anyway," he's also realized that there's more important stuff to be concerned with than pop success. There are no deals with corporate devils here, nor are there any songs that sound like they were crafted with airplay in mind. Instead, there are just 14 solid songs that share the themes of, well, life, death, love and freedom. Of these four themes (which are inextricably linked throughout the album) death seems the most prominent on Mellencamp's mind. Roughly the same age as Dylan when he recorded the similarly preoccupied-with-death "Time Out of Mind," Mellencamp no doubt feels the menacing stare of death off in the distance, and it has caused him to reassess not only his life, but also his art.  Michael Franco

Hacienda Brothers: "Arizona Motel" (Proper)
Rating: 8

When an artist passes from the world far too soon, cultural enthusiasts, fans and even colleagues often dissect their final work for clues, for another glimpse into the soul of the departed. Sometimes overreaching, sometimes bittersweet and insightful, it's natural to take the opportunity and try to apply some last splashes of color to the picture of a life the artist will never complete. Chris Gaffney would have been 58 in October; the Hacienda Brothers' frontman lost his life to liver cancer back in April. If an analysis of the band's last album is to be believed, Gaffney lived a life full of color, spirit and heart. Not only is "Arizona Motel" an album full of beauty and a postscript worthy of the man who helped create it, it is one of the best country albums of the year. The intense beauty of "Arizona Motel" exists on many levels. The majority of the album was crafted at Cavern Recording Studios in Tucson and the band does a remarkable job of portraying the landscape of its birth. A trip through the Grand Canyon State can, in a matter of hours, take travelers from untamed, bone-dry desert to untamed, cool mountains. That refreshing wildness of spirit is represented in these 14 songs which sound as if they were written after many miles journeying up and down Arizona highways. Toward album's end comes two of Arizona Motel's best moments: "Long Way to Town" and "Break Free." Featuring a rare vocal from Dave Gonzalez, "Long Way to Town" features one of the record's best hooks and a joyful instrumental turn from David Berzansky. Were the song pressed on vinyl in the early days of rockabilly, it would have been huge. Today it's a true-to-form reminder of the power in a pure, untroubled sound.  Aarik Danielsen

Nisennenmondai: "Neji/Tori" (Smalltown Supersound)
Rating: 7

Nisennenmondai, which refers to the Y2K bug, is the name of one of a number of Japanese girl-group noise bands that forms something of a specialized niche at home, though it's yet to be widely recognized in the U.S. Nisennenmondai creates stoic architectural masses of instrumental sound treading somewhere between Lightning Bolt's noise and Neu!'s Krautrock. While the group's early reputation was built off of the intensity of their live performances, that's only occasionally illustrated in this recorded material. The closest the group comes to illustrating their wild live side may be "Kyuukohan"; for 20 seconds two minutes in they lose it completely, pummelling drums and guitars in overdriven fury. The rest of the song is an extended build-up to the second freak-out, which lasts twice as long and is deepened and made even more satisfying with waves of distortion and fuzzy, wave-like effects. In general, though, Neji/Tori finds the drums/bass/guitar trio rumbling patiently away, often refusing to crescendo across a whole song. In this the group may be more interested in texture and atmosphere than in individual songs, which is to be expected for a noise group. Though groups like No Age, Titus Andronicus and Battles form the noise-pop landscape into which Nisennenmondai will be placed, the Japanese group is more ascetic than any of these essentially pop-oriented groups. The band's got a song on here called "Sonic Youth" and, OK, there's that influence going on – especially with regard to Sonic Youth's live material, messier and more passionate than some of the recordings. But remember, these songs are messy, repetitive instrumental jams. There's little by way of melody, and melody's hardly the point.  Dan Raper

PopMatters is an international magazine of arts and culture. Find more PopMatters content at www.popmatters.com.