New Reviews: Van Halen Return to Form on ‘A Different Kind of Truth’

In this week’s slate of Rolling Stone reviews, Rob Sheffield praises A Different Kind of Truth, Van Halen’s first album with David Lee Roth in nearly three decades. “As for Diamond Dave, the gods only made one of him, because they couldn’t take the competition,” says Sheffield. “Now this is a rock star, except no other rock star would try to get away with this many cornball one-liners.”  Also, Monica Herrera digs the new mixtape from Das Racist emcee Himanshu, James Hunter endorses the giant soul hooks of the latest Marvelettes anthology and Jon Dolan says that the Black Keys’ Patrick Carney’s production on the new Tennis album improves on the sound of their debut.

ALBUMS

Van Halen – A Different Kind of Truth

Himanshu – Nehru Jackets

Tennis – Young & Old

Howlin Rain – The Russian Wilds

Heartless Bastards – Arrow

Punch Brothers – Who’s Feeling Young Now?

Polica – Give You the Ghost

The Marvelettes – Forever More: The Complete Motown Albums, Volume 2

SONGS

Ane Brun – “Do You Remember”

Chieftains featuring Bon Iver – “Down in the Willow”

Amadou and Mariam – “Dougou Badia”