By the writers of Last Word Features

(Ratings on a 5-star basis)

Jason & the Scorchers: ‘Halcyon Times’ (JCPL)
★★★★
In 1981, Jason Ringenberg and Warner Hodges put together a band in Nashville that kicked the doors down for a new form of music, that’s since been labeled “alt country/no depression/Americana.” And for the best part of a decade, they tore up clubs and recording studios with their combination of the Rolling Stones and traditional country, with a little punk thrown in for good measure.

Joined by a new rhythm section and “fifth Scorcher” Dan Baird of Georgia Satellites fame, the revived JATS cut “Halcyon Times” live in the studio with producer Brad Jones. They haven’t missed a beat. There are songs about the music business, miner’s tales, depictions of local character, and tunes that are clearly about the determination of Ringenberg and Hodges to keep making music.

Roaring out of the gate with “Moonshine Guy” (“Likes The Stones, hates the Doors/Thinks The Beatles sing for girls”), JATS deliver cut after cut of what they once called “reckless country soul,” combining Ringenberg’s evocative lyrical styling with smoking, slashing guitar, some twang and an in-the-pocket rhythm section.

That’s called rock ‘n’ roll, boys and girls, and nobody’s done it better recently.

Joined by a new rhythm section and “fifth Scorcher” Dan Baird of Georgia Satellites fame, the revived JATS cut “Halcyon Times” live in the studio with producer Brad Jones. They haven’t missed a beat. There are songs about the music business, miner’s tales, depictions of local character, and tunes that are clearly about the determination of Ringenberg and Hodges to keep making music.

Roaring out of the gate with “Moonshine Guy” (“Likes The Stones, hates the Doors/Thinks The Beatles sing for girls”), JATS deliver cut after cut of what they once called “reckless country soul,” combining Ringenberg’s evocative lyrical styling with smoking, slashing guitar, some twang and an in-the-pocket rhythm section.
That’s called rock ‘n’ roll, boys and girls, and nobody’s done it better recently.
Buy if you like: Son Volt, Ryan Adams.
— L. Kent Wolgamott

Citizen Cope: ‘The Rainwater LP’ (Rainwater Recording)
★★★ 1/2
Citizen Cope’s fourth CD, “The Rainwater LP,” is a bit of a deceptive album. At first blush, it feels underdeveloped and even tossed off.
The songs feel too simple, and the acoustic-centric sound seems underproduced, as if Cope was releasing demo versions of some songs.
And yet, the more one listens to “The Rainwater LP,” the more it becomes clear that Cope has used something fairly rare, particularly in today’s flashy urban music realm – restraint.
Cope, whose music mixes hip-hop, reggae, folk and pop, simply doesn’t overdo things.
Songs that seem slightly underwhelming in their production (such as “Lifeline” and “Off The Ground”) actually reveal themselves to be nicely nuanced, with subtle details in the sonic treatments emerging with each additional listen.
What’s more, by not piling on tons of effects and layering parts to death, Cope keeps the core strengths of the melodies from getting lost in sonic clutter.
That’s especially true of songs like “Healing Hands,” “I Couldn’t Explain” and “Off The Ground.”At eight songs (plus acoustic versions of two of the songs as bonus cuts), “The Rainwater LP” could almost be called “The Rainwater EP.”
But if it’s a little short on songs, at least “The Rainwater LP” is pretty sweet.
— Alan Sculley
Buy if you like: Jack Johnson, G. Love &

Alakaline Trio: ‘This Addiction’ (Heart & Bones/Epitaph)
★★★★
In a way, Alkaline Trio is living in its past on its new release, “This Addiction.” After releasing several albums (“Good Mourning,” “Crimson” and “Agony & Irony”) that took the group’s music toward more of a straight-ahead rock sound, “This Addiction” represents a notable step back to the punk roots of Alkaline Trio’s earliest albums. That’s a move that’s likely to suit long-time fans just fine. And even the more recent converts will probably like the shift once they hear songs from “This Addiction,” like “This American Scream,” Dine, Dine My Darling” and the title cut, all of which deliver high-impact hooks to go with their amped up punky energy.
The CD still includes a few more steadily paced straight-ahead rockers (such as “Draculina” and “Dead On The Floor”), but this is certainly the most punk-centric Alakaline Trio CD since “Good Mourning.” And the difference here is that chief songwriter Matt Skiba and his bandmates now bring a half dozen more years of musical development to bear on the songs on “This Addiction.” As a result, the renewed energy of this consistently solid CD comes with some of the group’s strongest songwriting. And that’s exactly how Alkaline Trio moves forward on “This Addiction” by revisiting its past.
— Alan Sculley
Buy if you like: Bayside, Hot Water Music

Backyard Tire Fire, ‘Good To Be’ (Kelsey Street)
★★★ 1⁄2
The fifth studio album from Bloomington, Illinois’ Backyard Tire Fire is a road diary of sorts, opening with the driving “Roadsong #30,” then taking “Brady” to Amsterdam where he meets a girl in the window and on to trying to recall particular touring incidents in “A Thousand Gigs Ago.”
“Good To Be,” however, is about more than just life in a band and, as usual, frontman Ed Anderson has crafted some very solid songs about real people, be it a girl lost in the city, a couple settling in to life, or a happy, independent single mom.
“Good To Be” is BTF’s most accessible album yet, thanks to producer Steve Berlin of Los Lobos, who focuses the band’s heartland rock sound, letting the beats and bass put the emphasis on the hooks and melodies. There’s nothing fancy about BTF’s down to earth rock ‘n’ roll for real people.
— L. Kent Wolgamott
Buy if You Like: Steve Earle, John Mellencamp

Will Kimbrough: ‘Wings’ (Daphne)
★★★★
Guitarist/singer/producer Will Kimbrough’s early solo albums didn’t quite fulfill his potential as a songwriter, but with “Wings,” his fifth release, one of Nashville’s top players has completely come into his own as a composer. Maybe his writing matured as his life did; he’s now a happy husband and father, and these songs beautifully express the joys and challenges those roles carry.
— Lynne Margolis
Buy if you like: Son Volt, Ryan Adams.

Reissues:

Santana: ‘Supernatural’ (Legacy Edition) (Arista/Legacy)
★★★★
A decade ago, record executive Clive Davis – a man who knows how to concoct a commercial concept for veteran artists (think Rod Stewart’s “Great American Songbook” CDs) – turned Carlos Santana from a fading, if still highly respected, guitarist/artist, into arguably the biggest music star on the planet. His plan was to pair Santana with some popular artists and see if they could create a commercially viable sound without losing Santana’s distinctive Latin/African/blues-rock sound.
The result was this 25-million-selling blockbuster album propelled by hits like “Smooth” (with vocals by Rob Thomas). The Legacy Edition of “Supernatural,” of course, includes the excellent original album. But unlike many deluxe reissues, it is has a big helping of seven unreleased bonus tracks from the album’s recording sessions. Most of these additional tracks are well worth hearing. “Rain Down On Me,” a song Santana co-wrote with Dave Matthews,” is a silky world beat/blues workout that is a good fit for Santana’s fluid guitar playing. “Bacalao Con Pan” is a festively rhythmic Latin workout featuring some tasty guitar work from Santana. A cover that combines Bob Marley’s classics, “Exodus” and “Get Up Stand Up” is over-produced, but takes on an even more celebratory feel in this horn-drenched setting. This supersized edition of “Supernatural” adds a worthy chapter to what was already a landmark album.
— Alan Sculley
Buy if you like: Ruben Blades, Los Lobos