Say You Will

Fleetwood Mac haven’t released an album since the mid-’90s, but they’re seriously delusional if they think that means we need to hear nearly 80 minutes of new material from them. That said, Say You Will would have made two pretty nifty shorter albums. In fact, it often sounds like the result of solo albums from Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham simply grafted together. The Mac’s ’90s benefactor, Bill Clinton, will probably smile at the politically charged pop songs that open the album (“What’s the World Coming To,” “Murrow Turning Over in His Grave”), but he’ll be the only one. Fleetwood Mac’s strength was never their social conscience; it was their way of turning heartache into pop candy. They haven’t lost that gift (see Nicks’ “Destiny Rules” and Buckingham’s “Steal Your Heart Away”), and Buckingham’s unique, underappreciated chops as a guitarist stand out consistently. Still, it all grows wearying. Good songs are buried on the album’s second half under too many mediocre ones, and we’re damn near sure Stevie Nicks has already written a song called “Silver Girl.” Somebody get these guys an editor.