Crowded House:  ‘Intriguer’ (Fantasy/Concord)

Three and a half stars

Neil Finn creates some of the most exquisite songs on earth, and sings them in a voice that comes straight from heaven. So a new Finn project in any incarnation is always welcome. In this case, however, he might have gotten a little carried away on the production end.

On “Saturday Sun,” he sprinkles a gorgeous pop melody and those lovely Crowded House harmonies with electronic blips that don’t quite fit. On “Archer’s Arrow,” his expressive voice, one of the sweetest sounds there is, soars on each verse, then winds up almost duking it out in the choruses with backing vocals, synths and other add-ons.

“Isolation” starts out like an old pop standard with gently tremoloed guitar, but abruptly changes into screaming chords. It’s jarring. But the sublime moments, like the atmospheric “Either Side of the World,” the elegant love song “Falling Dove” and the beautiful closer, “Elephants,” are truly wonderful. — Lynne Margolis

Buy if you like: Finn Brothers, Squeeze.

Trances Arc: ‘TA’ (Slush Fund)

Four and a half stars

For its second CD, “TA,” this Atlanta band reached out to fans, seeking donations to help fund the recording of this CD. They offered personal gear, backyard performances and other gifts in return. Now the rest of the music world can be grateful for the generosity of the donors. They helped make one of the best CDs of 2010 possible.

“TA” is full of first-rate melodic guitar rock songs that neatly blend both modern and classic rock feels. The more modern side of the band’s sound shines through in songs like “Phantom Mosquitoes” and “Boom City,” with their urgent beats and taut guitar lines, as well as the taut rocker “Boom City.” More anthemic and spacious rockers like “Black Lung” and “Stakes Is High” offer a bit more of a tastefully applied classic rock touch, not to mention some killer hooks.

Trances Arc also knows how to downshift the tempos, pull back just a bit on the intensity and create a song or three (“Nose Bleed,” “Fuego Balloons” and “Camera Gun Shy”) with strong dynamics and plenty of smart shifts in the arrangements. A well-rounded collection in which virtually every minute is worth hearing, “TA” is a rich and mature work from a band with a big future that’s making big noise now. – Alan Sculley

Buy if you like: Kings Of Leon, Snow Patrol.

Flynneville Train: ‘Redemption’ (Evolution Records)
Two and a half stars

It’s a sure sign that Southern rock is back in a big way (at least on the country charts) when groups like Flynneville Train come on the scene. And on this band’s second CD, “Redemption,” the group seems to be trying too hard to show it belongs in the same circles as the Zac Brown Band, Eric Church or any number of Skynyrd-esque bands.

At times, the lyrics get a bit too clichéd and calculated for comfort, as on “Preachin’ To The Choir,” an attempt to declare the band’s country credentials spiced with a little conservative political commentary (it mentions the Good Book, patriotism, soldiers, but omits farms, tractors or grandma’s cooking). The latter three virtues are covered in ‘Home.” Fortunately, the music is a bit more pleasing, if not overly original. “Home” borrows a Led Zeppelin guitar lick to help create a crunching Southern rocker. “On Our Way” is a pleasant mid-tempo rocker. In fact, the best song on “Redemption” is “Alright,” a rowdy barroom rocker written by former Georgia Satellites frontman Dan Baird, who also handles lead vocals on the song. If Flynneville Train can find a bit more of the originality Baird brings to the CD, the band will be on the right track. – Alan Sculley

Buy if you like: Zac Brown Band, Travis Tritt

Blackberry Smoke: ‘Little Piece Of Dixie’ (BamaJam Records)

Three and a half stars

If you want to hear Southern rock done right, look no further than this second full-length release from Blackberry Smoke. For starters, this band knows how to write lyrics that are smart and frequently funny (check out “Good One Comin’ On,” which injects some country lifestyle declarations into a tale of evening carousing, and “Bottom Of This,” which suggests a cold one can help one figure out the complex issues of the day).

Musically, Blackberry Smoke proves to be a potent and tuneful combo. Unapologetically rock (but with a sound that might cross over to country), the group brings the crunch on tracks like “I’d Be Lyin’” and “Sanctified Woman,” and also shows it can pull back on the throttle, while crafting melodies that are both sturdy and graceful on songs like “Prayer For The Little Man” and “Who Invented The Wheel.” It wasn’t long ago that the Southern rock looked bleak, as bands like the Allman Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd entered their twilight years and there wasn’t much fresh talent on the scene. But a band like Blackberry Smoke sounds capable of carrying the genre forward. – Alan Sculley

Buy if you like: Lynyrd Skynyrd, Bottle Rockets

The Cat Empire: ‘Cinema’ (Velour)

Three stars

This band from Melbourne, Australia, made news when its fifth CD, “Cinema,” was leaked several weeks ago and sold on eBay for $200. That was a bit of an extravagant sum, but at least the buyer got a good CD out the purchase. The group, which started out as a nine-person jazz group before evolving into today’s slightly smaller unit, and shifting its musical focus toward a horn-spiced fusion of soul and rock.

On “Cinema,” the Cat Empire’s sound is as vibrant and varied as ever, whether the group’s fusing Latin and soul on “Falling,” adding a few hip-hop touches to what is otherwise a punchy soul-rock track (“Feeling’s Gone”), going for a bit dreamier sound on “Only Light” or setting the sweet soul melody of “Shoulders” to a reggae beat. The CD has a couple of lackluster tracks, but overall, “Cinema” finds Cat Empire continuing to create a rather singular fusion of musical styles. – Alan Sculley

Buy if you like: UB 40, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings.

DVD

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band: ‘London Calling: Hyde Park’ (Columbia)
Five stars

Springsteen has been saying for the past couple of years that he and the E Street Band have been playing better than ever. For long-time fans that remember epic near-four-hour throwdowns that typified the tours of 1978-1981, it’s hard to fully buy into that idea. And to be sure, Springsteen and the E Streeters aren’t as athletic or unhinged as in that earlier, more youthful era.

But having seen several concerts (and heard many more) from 2008 and 2009, I can say with confidence that these were the best Springsteen shows since the 1978-1981 shows set the standard for greatest rock shows ever. The Hyde Park show, captured brilliantly on this DVD was one of the most energized concerts on the 2009 tour. From the opening chords of the razor sharp cover of the Clash’s song “London Calling” through the final chords of “Dancin’ In The Dark,” Springsteen and the band are amped up and playing with tightly wound authority. At age 60, Springsteen may no longer leap on pianos in a single bound or slide across the length of the stage, but he has plenty of energy (even when he jokes about needing an elevator after on excursion down the stairs to the crowd-level path in front of the stage) and his enthusiasm for the communal rock and roll experience is undiminished. Clocking in at right around three hours, this is a show Springsteen fans will treasure.  – Alan Sculley

Buy if you like: Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, John Mellencamp