Country

Blake Shelton, "Based on a True Story" (Warner Bros.)

On NBC's "The Voice," judge Shelton is likable, funny and more thoughtful than is required of a reality show. Between his perch in the big red swivel chair and his recent ACM/CMA triumphs, Shelton is the reigning king of pop country. He continues to dance with the one who brung him here, working through good-time, paint-by-numbers singalongs ("Boys 'Round Here" "Country on the Radio"), novelty chucklers ("Still Got a Finger") and earnest ballads ("Do You Remember"). Tailgates are lowered, ice-cold beers consumed, pretty girls ogled (but they like it), kisses stolen to George Strait songs, and other popular country tropes are deployed for maximum radio play.

All of it is executed competently. But only a little of it — such as the closing, dusty story song "Granddaddy's Gun" — is truly compelling. The album may be based on a true story, but it doesn't offer enough personal touches to distinguish it from a lot of other tales coming out of Nashville.

SARAH RODMAN, Boston Globe

POP/ROCK

OneRepublic, "Native" (Interscope)

There's a thin line where ardent emotion meets maudlin simpering, and that's exactly where Ryan Tedder, OneRepublic's lead singer/songwriter/producer, has built an impressive hitmaking career. "Feel Again," the 2012 single that previewed OneRepublic's new album, "Native," has already sold half a million copies.

Tedder is the United States' anthem guy: a thorough student of the midtempo Britpop arena-rock processional, emulating the music of U2, Peter Gabriel and Coldplay while substituting melodramatic endearments for their literary ambitions. Tedder has also collaborated on hits with Beyoncé ("Halo"), Kelly Clarkson ("Already Gone"), Adele ("Turning Tables") and many others.

Tedder reaches for the hymnlike melody and the majestic crescendo, with booming drums and opulent keyboards. It's the kind of pomp that has also conquered hip-hop; OneRepublic got its big break in 2007 when the hip-hop producer Timbaland slightly remixed "Apologize" to become a worldwide hit. Hip-hop beats gave OneRepublic million-selling singles, such as "Good Life," from its second album, "Waking Up," in 2009.

But that was then; now, pop has turned to the four-on-the-floor beat of European-style dance music, and on "Native," OneRepublic won't be left behind. Goodbye syncopation, hello stomp and shimmer; in a song such as "If I Lose Myself," the band's old Coldplay-style marches merge easily with the pulsating keyboards and kickdrum impact of trance.

The craftsmanship is painstaking and impressive: layer upon layer of glossy keyboards, reverberant guitars and choirlike backing vocals. But these crystal-palace productions are proud showcases for unctuous, sometimes oddly morbid lyrics. The best anthems are never so sappy.

JON PARELES, New York Times