By the writers of Last Word Features

Kris Kristofferson: ‘Closer to the Bone’
3 1/2 stars

At 73, Kris Kristofferson is in a reflective mood, singing of his love for his children and his wife, sticking up one more time for “Sister Sinead,” and talking about finding a taste for living and writing better songs as his time runs out. Kristofferson, whose songbook includes such classics as “Me and Bobby McGee” and “Help Me Make It Through The Night,” has never been a great singer. But his soft ragged vocals are just right for these songs, played by an acoustic group that included his longtime guitarist and partner Stephen Bruton, who passed away shortly after the record was finished.
– L. Kent Wolgamott
Buy if you like: Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash.

Music Go Music: ‘Expressions’
3 1/2 stars
For years Abba has resisted the lucrative temptation to reunite. But my top-secret investigation has determined that Abba is back together and is operating under the band name Music Go Music. Let’s face it, Abba doesn’t need the money and they certainly act as if they can do without the publicity, so why not become a new band?

Just listen to the tight female harmonies and the effervescent pop melodies of songs like “Light Of Love” and  “Explorers of the Heart.” Enough said.

Well, OK, maybe the lyrics are a bit darker and there’s an occasional gothic edge to a few songs, such as “Reach Out” and “Love Violent Love.” So what? Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus have obviously been getting into Evanescence lately. I will acknowledge that this is a totally circumstantial case. And maybe it doesn’t matter who is and isn’t part of Music Go Music. The important thing is Abba fans finally can turn to something other than “Mama Mia” when they want a fix of that famous sugar sweet pop sound.
– Alan Sculley
Buy if you like: Abba, the Cardigans.

Drivin’ N’ Cryin’: ‘The Great American Bubble Factory’
3 1/2 stars
Drivin’ N’ Cryin’s first record in a dozen years is one of the long-running Southern rock band’s best, combining a populist tone with its trademark blend of Skynyrd, AC/DC, the Replacements and, this time, a little Dictators. Opening with a rock ‘n’ roll trip to “Detroit City,” the American journey goes south for the harmony-filled ballad “I See Georgia” and slides into Replacements-like “Midwestern Blues.” The populism starts on the hook-and-hammer title with its line, “If you can make it here, why don’t you make it here?” and informs the rest of the record, giving it a lyrical punch that matches the music. — L. Kent Wolgamott
Buy if you like: Drive-By Truckers, Steve Earle

Bob Schneider: ‘Lovely Creatures’
4 stars

Bob Schneider has so many bands, it’s a wonder he doesn’t release an album a week. But this restless genius, whose mind lurches off on more tangents than a lost hiker, likes to take his time to get it right. On “Lovely Creatures,” he does.

The album has a cohesiveness, a completeness, that attests to the care he took, and the wisdom of producer Dwight A. Baker. Featuring two longtime live favorites—the propulsive Latin-influenced movers “Tarantula” and “Bombanaza”— it also contains treats like the upbeat, boppy, Jack-Johnsonish “40 Dogs (Like Romeo and Juliet),” the seductive “Slower Dear,” the slightly psychedelic pop-rocker “Realness of Space,” and a jazzy “The Bringdown.” But the aching “Changing Your Mind,” featuring vocals by lovely creature Patty Griffin, is the one that will stop you in your tracks. It’s this emotional depth that anchors Schneider’s flights of fancy—and confirms his brilliance. — Lynne Margolis
Buy if you like: Wilco, Rhett Miller.

Box sets
Rod Stewart: ‘The Rod Stewart Sessions 1971-1998’
3 1/2 stars
As an artist who released albums at a steady clip throughout his career, it’s no surprise that Stewart left a wealth of extra material on the cutting room floor. The best of the surplus is uncovered here.

A good number of the alternate versions of songs figure to be treasured curiosities for fans (such as an early “Maggie May” with completely different lyrics). Other tracks, such as an alternate versions of Jimi Hendrix’s “Angel” and the Bee Gees’ “To Love Somebody,” capture Stewart in a rougher and appealing setting. Then there are a handful of unreleased finished recordings that are among the biggest highlights of this four-disc set. Especially noteworthy are the edgy “Innocent (The Killing Of Georgie Part III),” an unreleased sequel to a track “The Killing Of Georgie” from “A Night On The Town,” and the rowdy original “Stupid.”

The quality of the songs slips as the set moves into the 1990s — no surprise since Stewart’s albums from this period were uneven. Still, “The Rod Stewart Sessions” is both a fun collection for fans who want to delve deep into Stewart’s back pages and a reminder that Stewart, as the raw rocker and soulful and rough-hewn balladeer who was at his artistic peak during the 1970s and ’80s, was a vital and original voice on the rock scene.
— Alan Sculley
Buy if you like: Sam Cooke, the Faces.