New Music Friday: Grace Potter, New Politics, And More

By Michael Cerio

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Musically, we're between Compton and a hard place.

As we continue to digest last week's surprise release from Dr. Dre, and buy tickets to see his life story unfold on screen, New Music Friday seems quieter than usual.

Next week things are sure to pick up with new efforts from Bon Jovi, Method Man, and an album that Carly Rae Jepsen really really really really really hopes you like. But first, here's the best of what this week has to offer.

Grace Potter – Midnight

Midnight is the first solo outing for Grace Potter away from her band The Nocturnals. Here you'll find Potter displaying all of her amazing vocal range that she should be more famous for. Hear her powerful ragged howl on songs like "Empty Heart," or her soulful glide across "Your Girl." Down to a vulnerable and tender offering on "Let You Go." A lot has been made about her becoming more of a pop star away from her rock band, but the crunch and slinky grind of her Nocturnals work is still peppered throughout Midnight. Potter has just proved that she sing over anything this time around.

B.o.B. – Psycadelik Thoughtz

Rapper Bobby Ray Simmons, aka B.o.B., became ubiquitous in 2010 with songs like "Airplanes" and "Nothin' On You," creating pop perfection with a thoughtful hip hop injection. However, 2013 found the Georgia MC more big beat driven and vulgar with the release of Underground Luxury and songs like "HeadBand". Not that that's a bad thing, everyone should "do it in the mirror" once in a while, but it felt like a departure from songs he was initially known for crafting. The pendulum appears to have swung again with the release of Psycadelik Thoughtz. This time around is far more musical, with B.o.B. singing as much as rapping, with more playing that button pushing. The result is a new chapter in the adventures of Bobby Ray.

New Politics – Vikings

Full disclosure, before New Politics were a band you've heard of, I watched them trash a hotel room in Atlantic City as Danny Bonaduce, Sebastian Bach, and Bam Margera stood by judging. It was a radio contest for aspiring musicians, or a fever dream from eating a full tube of uncooked cookie dough, I can't be certain. Either way, I have a soft spot for these Danish punks. Not just because I watched them throw a TV at a wall, but because they play catchy pop songs done so raw and infectiously that they are inescapable. They polish up a bit more each album, as they do on this week's Vikings, but they are still a ton of fun. True equal parts punk and pop.

Also out this week is a solo EP from Jimmy Eat World singer Jim Adkins, and the soundtrack for HBO's True Detective for those who still wonder what went wrong. Happy listening.