POP/ROCK

St. Vincent, "Daddy's Home" (Loma Vista)

Singer/shape-shifter Annie Clark time-travels back to 1970s New York for a new aesthetic she calls "Gena Rowlands in a Cassavetes film," evoked in a "color palette of the world of 'Taxi Driver.' "

Musically, that means touches of early '70s Stevie Wonder funk and swirling Pink Floyd prog, hard-hitting horns on the opening "Pay Your Way in Pain," and gauzy interludes on several tracks that turn into drifting mood pieces.

The title track is about the return of Clark's father from prison after serving 10 years for his role in a stock-manipulation scheme. After that news broke in the tabloid press, Clark decided to take control of the narrative in the endearingly tender song. "You still got it in your government green suit, and I look down and out in my fine Italian shoes," she sings. "We're tight as a Bible with the pages stuck like glue."

At its best, the new album is richly rewarding. "Down and Out and Downtown" gurgles with an inviting warmth. But the mean streets Clark inhabits have been well trodden, and the soulful milieu isn't a natural fit for an artist who has specialized in operating at a cool distance.

Dan Deluca, Philadelphia Inquirer

hip-hop

Nicki Minaj with Drake and Lil Wayne, "Seeing Green" (Republic)

In honor of Minaj's still-incendiary 2009 debut mixtape "Beam Me Up Scotty" finally arriving on streaming services, she's organized a little family reunion. This new single is more of a status update than a club banger à la the trio's classic "Truffle Butter," but everyone is still in fine form.

Wayne, as usual, plays the gonzo court jester ("I put you six feet deep, I'm being socially distant"). Minaj locks back into her standard eviscerate-the-haters flow, and Drake continues to rap with a precision and bite that suggests, as did the recent "Scary Hours 2," that whenever his promised "Certified Lover Boy" arrives, it might actually be worth the wait. "I played 48 minutes on a torn meniscus," he boasts, "who's subbing?"

Lindsay Zoladz, New York Times

New Releases

• Olivia Rodrigo, "Sour"

• Blake Shelton, "Body Language"

• Twenty One Pilots, "Scaled and Icy"

• Chrissie Hynde, "Standing in the Doorway"