In Brief

*** Salt, “Auscultate,” Island. This Swedish trio churns out jagged, volatile songs with just enough of an arty edge to add intrigue. Nina Malkin’s guitar work is as acute and bittersweet as the sentiments she sings. Underpinning the anxiety are strong melodic currents that keep the noisiness in line.

New albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent).