Listen Up: Green Day, Christina Aguilera, Soundgarden

by Jerry Shriver, Steve Jones and Elysa Gardner, USA TODAY

Posted November 12, 2012

Green Day, Dos!
Pop-funk
* * * stars out of four

On this second part of their planned trilogy, the quartet adopts a retro, crazed and more-sweet–than-discordant sound. Other than themes of alienation and bratty sexual desire, there's no unifying idea from this and September's Uno! But the individual tracks can stand on their own. -- Jerry Shriver

Download:F*** Time, Lazy Bones

Christina Aguilera, Lotus
Pop
* * *

Aguilera has regained some of her warmth after 2010's chilly Bionic. She unleashes the requisite radio-friendly bangers and ballads. The Voice pals Blake Shelton and Cee-Lo join in on passable duets, but her voice has plenty of shining moments. -- Steve Jones

Download: Your Body, Let There Be Love, Song for Me, Blank Page

Soundgarden, King Animal
Rock
* *

On his reunited band's first studio album in 16 years, Chris Cornell bellows and broods like it's 1994. The sonorous dirges may please the faithful, but those who found their seminal grunge turgid two decades ago won't likely be converted. -- Elysa Gardner

Download: Bones of Birds, Black Saturday