‘IT’S A BIT COMPLICATED’

‘IT’S A BIT COMPLICATED’

Art Brut (Downtown)

Grade: B

Eddie Argos, the leader of British punkish rockers Art Brut, is expert at writing pop songs that are about consuming and being consumed by pop songs. “I know I shouldn’t, and it’s possibly wrong, to break from your kiss to turn up a pop song,” he talk-sings on the opening “Pump Up the Volume,” feeling sort of bad about thinking about music more than anything else. Art Brut’s sophomore effort is a bit complicated in a way that’s less perfectly marvelous than their debut, “Bang Bang Rock ‘n’ Roll.” The songs are a little more sophisticated musically and a little less immediately grabby, and Argos’ arch delivery isn’t quite so fresh the second time out of the box.

—Dan DeLuca, The Philadelphia Inquirer

‘THE STAGE NAMES’

Okkervil River (Jagjaguwar)

Grade: B+

The credentials of Okkervil River songwriter Will Sheff as a sad-voiced, seriously literate indie troubadour are well established. This is a guy who named his Austin, Texas, band after a Tatyana Tolstaya short story and dots songs with references to Marcel Duchamp’s “The Bride Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors, Even.” But what makes “The Stage Names” such a kick is that it retains the erudition while upping the pop quotient considerably from 2005’s also excellent “Black Sheep Boy.” The bopping “A Hand to Take Hold of the Scene” pushes forward like a wordier version of fellow Austin-ites Spoon, and “You Can’t Hold the Hand of a Rock and Roll Man” delivers handclaps along with joyful barroom swagger.

—Dan Deluca, The Philadelphia Inquirer

‘THE CON’

Tegan and Sara (Vapor/Sire)

Grade: B

While no track leaps out with the immediacy of “Walking With a Ghost,” the standout single from Tegan and Sara’s 2004 album “So Jealous” that was also covered by the White Stripes, “The Con” is the Canadian twins’ best yet. Their fifth album bristles with bitter power pop, with songs full of breaking and broken relationships that burst with joyful energy and reassuring harmonies. Produced by Death Cab for Cutie’s Chris Walla, “The Con” features distinct echoes of early ‘80s new wave, especially in the keyboards, and a much fuller sound than T&S’s past work. Tegan’s songs, such as the Clash-like “Hop a Plane,” tend to rock more than Sara’s darker and more conflicted writing, such as the choral “I Was Married.”

—Steve Klinge, The Philadelphia Inquirer

‘WORLD FULL OF BLUES’

Duke Robillard (Stony Plain)

Grade: B+

“I know all you people need a shot of red-hot blues guitar,” Duke Robillard explains by way of introduction on “Jump the Blues for You,” the swinging opener to this expansive two-disc set.

Robillard is indeed one hot guitarist, but he’s also one who has always prized feeling over flash. That holds true here as the Roomful of Blues founder surveys the various blues styles he has assayed so masterfully over the years. The performances, from solo country blues to horn-blaring big-band romps, are models of class and economy. It’s one treat after another as Robillard serves up solid originals and fresh, Duke-ified takes on songs by Dylan, Bo Diddley, Tom Waits and Jimmy Reed, among others.

—Nick Cristiano, The Philadelphia Inquirer

‘SHADOWS AND CRACKS’

Peter Karp (Blind Pig)

Grade: B

Peter Karp has been around for a while, but “Shadows and Cracks” is his first nationally distributed album. It’s easy to see what drew the attention of former Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor (who joined Karp on one of his earlier albums and tours) and songwriting great John Prine’s Oh Boy label (which lauded Karp’s two previous studio sets and sold them through the company store. Both are worth seeking out.)

This is a sharp and colorful writer who works on several levels: He can drop literary references on you, but he makes sure to keep the songs grounded in real emotion.

—Nick Cristiano, The Philadelphia Inquirer

‘KIDS: LIVE AT DIZZY’S CLUB COCA-COLA’

Joe Lovano/Hank Jones K:o “(Blue Note)

Grade: B+

They come from two different eras. Pianist Hank Jones, 88, started performing in 1938 when swing was king and Benny Goodman played an important jazz concert at Carnegie Hall. His collaborator, tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano, 53, came of age under John Coltrane’s influence and can incorporate the most modernist free jazz in a straight-ahead solo.

Their merger on this duo recording makes for a wild affair. Lovano carries a great deal of jazz history in his head. And the coolest parts of this CD occur when he meets Jones halfway, sounding like a breathy Lester Young with extra juice. Lovano, though, often takes his parts to more complicated places, ending up in the chaotic 21st century.

Jones plays sweetly and with good taste, accompanying even when he is soloing. His take of “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin”’ sounds eerily harplike in the beginning and comes with choice substitute chords.

The two, who also played together on Lovano’s 2005 quartet CD “Joyous Encounter,” take up three tunes by Jones’ brother, Thad Jones, whose longtime big band included Lovano.

—Karl Stark, The Philadelphia Inquirer

‘RUMBA PALACE’

Arturo Sandoval (Telarc)

Grade: B

Trumpeter Arturo Sandoval returns to his Cuban roots on this lavish, big-band recording. The CD, named for the trumpeter’s Miami nightclub, is awash in muscular horns and flashy arrangements by saxophonist Felipe Lamoglia. The initial rush is bracing. The technically adept leader, who’s often criticized for playing soullessly or by rote, gets into a classic Cuban jag here that lights up the nearest skyline. Sandoval sprays his high-pitched brass tones and even his vocals all over “El Huracan Del Caribe.”

—Karl Stark, The Philadelphia Inquirer