Dig These Discs: Saint Motel, Tove Lo, Tyler Glenn, Rumer, Norah Jones

Singer/songwriter Norah Jones releases her sixth solo studio album, "Day Breaks," a collection of nine new songs and three covers. Rumer releases her fourth album, a tribute to Burt Bacharach and Hal David. Grammy-nominated artist Tove Lo releases her sophomore album, "Lady Wood." Neon Trees lead vocalist and keyboardist Tyler Glenn unveils his first debut album, announcing he's leaving the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints over their anti-gay policies. Saint Motel is back with their second studio album, 10 short, sweet indie tunes.

"Day Breaks" (Norah Jones)

Singer/songwriter Norah Jones releases her sixth solo studio album, "Day Breaks," a collection of nine new songs and three covers.

She returns to the piano sound that made her famous, saying, "This new album feels full circle because I'm going back to my early influences. After the first record, I drifted away from the piano a little bit. I still played it, but was more inspired to write on guitar. I really loved playing piano on this record."

Jones said she wrote the album in her kitchen late nights, while her new baby sleeping, and was influenced a lot by soulful jazz. Right away you see this in action, with the deep bass drums over horns and piano in the opening track, "Burn." Shades of gospel songs appear in "Tragedy," as Jones sings of a 25-year-old man with "an open heart and tender mind" whose "water was turned to wine" leading him to turn his back on his "babies and a patient wife."

She picks up the beat in the politically-charged tune "Flipside," singing, "I can't stand when you tell me to get back/ If we're all free, then why does it seem we can't just be?" She swings low and steady in "It's a Wonderful Time For Love," a classic, smoky jazz tune. Jones beguiles with her slow, metered delivery of "And Then There Was You" followed by a cover of Neal Young's "Don't Be Denied," a song about a kid whose daddy leaves for good, but who eventually becomes a star.

A jazzy backbeat adds urgency to "Day Breaks." She slows things back down for "Peace," originally performed by Horace Silver, singing about a place where "the cares of the day seem to slowly fade away." Jones adds a bluesy vibe to "Once I Had a Laugh," and a beatnik strain to Sarah Oda's sultry "Sleeping Wild."

There's even a country feel to the sweet lullaby of "Carry On." She ends the album with "Fleurette Africaine (African Flower)," originally performed by Duke Ellington.

If you're looking for a holiday gift for a finicky mom or auntie, this is a surefire winner. An exclusive Target edition of the album even contains four additional live songs. Jones will tour her new album in North America and Europe this fall.

(Blue Note)

"This Girl's In Love: A Bacharach and David Songbook" (Rumer)

Pakistani-born British singer/songwriter Sarah Joyce, aka Rumer, releases her fourth studio album this month, a collection of chestnuts from the songbook of Hal David and Burt Bacharach, her longtime supporter.

Rumer's voice is described as reminiscent of Karen Carpenter, and is well-suited to this genre of music. In 2010, she even released a holiday EP, "Rumer Sings Bacharach at Christmas." She gets some help with this one from her husband, orchestrator Rob Shirakbari, who served as musical director for Bacharach and Dionne Warwick for more than 25 years. This adds depth to cuts like "The Look of Love," for which Rumer's rendition is as good or better than Dusty Springfield's. You'll feel the ache when she begs, "don't ever go."

She works her voice up and down the scales in "Balance of Nature," and the tinkling of piano moves her in the truly melancholy "One Less Bell To Answer." The arrangement is beautiful for "Are You There (With Another Girl)," where she must believe against doubt that her man would never betray her. Rumer tackles Karen Carpenter's "Close to You" with a slow moodiness that makes it her own, and sings sweetly in "Land of Make Believe." The sing-song lyrics, "Mother told me always to follow the golden rule, and she said it's really a sin to be mean and cruel," are delivered with a sly smile in "You'll Never Get To Heaven (If You Break My Heart)."

Sadness -- with a sliver of hope -- exudes through "A House Is Not a Home," as Rumer sings, "I'm not meant to live alone, turn this house into a home. When I climb the stairs and turn the key, oh please be there still in love with me." You'll thrill when she sings that old tearjerker, "Walk On By," and sympathize with her sad plight in "The Last One To Be Loved." She gets to the pain beneath the title track, "This Girl's in Love," singing with anguish, "Say you're in love and you'll be my guy, if not I'll just die."

The album ends with a sweeping, lush rendition of "What The World Needs Now Is Love," probably Bacharach's most well-known and beloved song. Rumer is set to play her first live gig in two years, at London's Cadogan Hall.

(East West Records)

"Excommunication" (Tyler Glenn)

Straight out of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Neon Trees lead vocalist and keyboardist Tyler Glenn just released his debut solo effort, the 'break-up album' "Excommunication."

When the LDS announced last November that those in same-sex marriages were apostates who couldn't get their kids blessed or baptized, Glenn had what he called a "faith crisis." His family took his coming out in stride, but his church wasn't so forgiving. "I'm breaking up with religion, and I'm also breaking up with a person in my life," says Glenn, whose first public gay relationship came to a painful end around the same time he began examining his religious beliefs.

He kicks his 13 tracks off with "Sudden Death," singing, "I never asked to fall from grace, you saw it all over my face." His first few tracks are sad and angry, like "G.D.M.M.L. Girls," a swinging dance track with lyrics, "God didn't give me alternatives; God didn't make me like girls. Gay's not a challenge I'll overcome, not a thing to be tolerated. If I kiss a boy in public, is that cool?" He wants to tell you, but it's his cross to bear.

"Trash" is a bitter song about his struggles with the church and his cheating ex. The video shows him drinking wine straight from the bottle, and spitting toward a portrait of LDS founder Joseph Smith. It's a kick-ass, caustic cut, where he sings, "water never turns to wine; I've been drinking all the time," and later resolves, "one man's trash is another man's treasure."

He reflects on mistakes in the harmonious cut "Gods + Monsters," with that well-worn chestnut, "players only love you when they're playing." He gets hopeful later, in the upbeat snap-track "Gates," about meeting you at those pearly gates, and decides he doesn't give a damn in the sizzling cut "Shameless." He's lost religion and is "Waiting Around" for his call in one track, and asks them to have a little faith in him in the piano tune "Midnight."

A similarly-themed song, "One More" asks him for one more night to prove there's a God. Glenn said he wrote "First Vision" during a night in New York City, drinking wine while texting his unavailable lover. He finally realized he needed to break his cycles and habits. There are surprise hits, too, like the sleeper cut "Black Light."

He ends the album with track 13, "Devil," singing, "I think the devil made me do it; I found myself when I lost my faith." Said Glenn, "To me, the whole album culminates thematically in that one lyric." Glenn takes a bold, brave stand with this album, turning his back on his upbringing in favor of living a more authentic life.

(Island Records)

"Lady Wood" (Tove Lo)

Grammy-nominated artist Tove Lo releases her sophomore album, "Lady Wood" this month via Island Records. She kicks off her 12-song album with "Fairy Dust," that has an opening sound like someone crushing and smoking said 'dust.' Perhaps she's still getting "high all the time to keep you off my mind," as she sang in her early hit, "Habits (Stay High)." I'm "under the influence, so don't trust every word I say," she warns in her single "Influence," featuring an excellent rap break by Wiz Khalifa.

The title track features big synth sounds and echo effects, with the break, "I know what people say about you; they say the same about me. I don't care if it's all true, I want you hanging with me." She gives "zero fucks" in the cut "True Disaster" and says, "let's not put a label on it; let's keep it free," in her summertime hit, "Cool Girl."

The fast-moving "Vibes" features Spanish guitar, and deep bass synth gives body to "Don't Talk About It." There isn't much in the way of ballads, but Tove Lo tames things down for the dreamlike "Imaginary Friend," with its spoken word flourishes, and "Keep It Simple," with its thundering, dramatic echo synths.

She ends the album strongly with "Flashes," and the clip-clop percussion effects in "WTF is Love," with an outro. This second album just cements what we've all been thinking: she really does have a filthy mouth, and we love it!

Tove Lo just wrapped up dates for her fall tour, supporting Maroon 5. You'll have to settle for catching her on your TV, promoting her new album.

(Island Records)

"saintmotelevision" (Saint Motel)

California students A/J Jackson and Aaron Sharp banded together with Bangkok-born bassist Dak Lerdamornpong and drummer Greg Erwin to create the indie pop outfit Saint Motel. Now, they're back with their second studio album, 10 short, sweet indie tunes.

Clap tracks open their first cut, "Move," a disco-influenced tune with dark lyric patter that will have you tapping your feet, despite the preschool silliness of the verse, "head, shoulders, knees, toes, look alive, it's time to go." They pound on that Casio keyboard in the lo-fi intro of "Getaway," singing, "Hands in the air, nobody needs to get hurt, she is my lady in gold and we'll go all the way, all the way." They're doing a Bonnie & Clyde type thing, and are about to make their getaway. He's a man of flesh and blood, and as she leaves, she says, "I don't break hearts, no that's not me." But he knows she's a "Destroyer."

He's cleaned up his act and is a new man in the comical patter of "Born Again," and tries to stand his ground in the saccharine "Sweet Talk." Saint Motel seems to channel They Might Be Giants in their sing-song cut "You Can Be You." They move quickly in "For Elise," swinging as they sing, about their 'muses,' Candy Darling, Holly Woodlawn, Pattie Boyd, Carole King, Linda Eastman and more.

They're struggling to make a relationship work so hard that it seems like it's a "Local Long Distance Relationship (LA2NY)" work in one bouncy cut, and then turn life into "Slow Motion" in another. They end with the heartfelt folksy tune "Happy Accidents," singing, "drink up, 'til we're wrinkled... ever think what if we never met? You love me but you don't know it yet. Everything is just an accident, a happy accident."

Saint Motel finishes up an extensive North American tour in late October, ending at the Voodoo Music + Arts Experience in New Orleans.

(Elektra)