‘TALK TO THE HAND: LIVE IN MICHIGAN

‘TALK TO THE HAND: LIVE IN MICHIGAN

Barenaked Ladies (Shout! Factory)

Grade: B

Recorded live at DTE Energy Music Theatre in June, “Talk to the Hand” is a sweet showcase for funny and smart Canadian alternative rock band Barenaked Ladies, which consistently draws big, devoted crowds in the Detroit area and loves to play here.

Smarter-than-thou folk may dismiss BNL as an insubstantial comedy act whose shtick is aimed at drunken college kids, but that’s their misconception and loss. Yep, there is typically more humor in one Barenaked song than you’ll find in Radiohead’s entire catalog, but listen harder and you’ll hear a quintet with a keen feel for pop hooks and melodies and a deep desire to — gasp — entertain and engage an audience.

Before an enthralled DTE crowd of 15,000, BNL delivers spirited versions of all its hits, including “One Week,” “Be My Yoko Ono,” “Pinch Me,” “If I Had $1000000” and “The Old Apartment.” Both the band and the screaming hordes sound as if they’re having an absolute blast, and the band’s trademark stage patter is on full display. BNL’s more recent, lesser-known material also impresses, especially “Adrift,” originally from 2006 studio release “Barenaked Ladies Are Me.” Both this one and “For You,” which was on “Everything to Everyone” in 2003, have more of an acoustic feel and reveal the band’s reflective, even poignant, side.

Guitarists Ed Robertson and Stephen Page split lead vocal duties as usual, and when one does harmonies with the other, the results are so tight you’d swear they’re brothers. Too many live albums have too much room reverb and songs played too fast, but happily that’s not the case here. The Ladies take their time and don’t rush through the material, and the recording is surprisingly crisp-sounding, considering how boom-y the DTE acoustics can be.

The companion DVD included in this package has the same track list as the CD, but also includes some backstage footage along with a sound check version of “Angry People.” The DVD also is available as a stand-alone release. Nice, too, is the environmentally friendly packaging. It’s a serious move by a funny band.

— Martin Bandyke, Detroit Free Press

‘JOIN THE PARADE’

Marc Cohn (Decca)

Grade: B

A personal crisis and a national tragedy were the unlikely events that helped Marc Cohn overcome a severe case of writer’s block and pave the way for “Join the Parade.”

First was the fateful evening of Aug. 7, 2005, when Cohn was shot in the head during an attempted carjacking after a gig in Denver. He miraculously had only minor physical injuries and walked out of the hospital the next day.

While struggling at home in New York a few weeks later with post-traumatic stress disorder, he watched helplessly while Hurricane Katrina decimated New Orleans.

Being a witness to life’s fragility in these two ways somehow flipped Cohn’s songwriting switch back on and has resulted in one of his most soulful, spiritual and deeply personal recordings.

On the powerful “Live Out the String” Cohn recalls the shooting that could have easily killed him 2 years ago and ponders, “Maybe life is curious to see what you would do with the gift of being left alive.” Backed by Bob Dylan’s former guitarist Charlie Sexton and Heartbreakers keyboardist Benmont Tench, Cohn cautiously adopts a glass-half-full philosophy and declares: “Raise your voice and make a joyful noise/Ain’t no guarantee of anything/Live out the string.”

— Martin Bandyke, Detroit Free Press.

‘EXCLUSIVE’

Chris Brown (Jive)

Grade: B

There are always more than a few young MCs around; maybe now more than usual what with kids such as Soulja Boy and Hurricane Chris and Lil’ Mama out and about. This must make Chris Brown feel like an old man. At 18.

Perhaps that’s why Brown’s sophomore effort sounds as if he’s ready to ripen, to ease into old age gracefully, beyond the chirpy R&B and shiny hip-hop of his debut. Brown’s got a heavier musical bag to high-step around here — some crotchety rock and gospel twists in his mix; some dense funk and blips of go-go to be found. That’s fine. The simmering soul pop of “Picture Perfect” and the grand “Wall to Wall” are delicious examples of how Brown reacts to thicker tracks with real melody lines. But it’s Brown’s swaggering style throughout Exclusive that’s sort of impressive. Thuggish? No. Brown’s no gangsta. But he’s dashingly rugged in a ‘tween way (think the Jacksons meet G Unit), holding his own with T-Pain on “Kiss Kiss” as well as the wily “I’ll Call Ya.”

And he’s driving age.

— A.D. Amorosi, Philadelphia Inquirer

‘AMERICAN GANGSTER’

Jay-Z (Def Jam)

Grade: B

After claiming that he’d release no more albums, last year’s “Kingdom Come” CD was Jay-Z’s first comeback attempt. Although the disc scored his best opening week sales until that point, it was roundly received as a relative letdown, with too many soft-edged rhymes about his cushy, celebrity lifestyle.

“American Gangster,” his 10th studio album, represents Jay’s comeback from that comeback — his chance to reassert himself as hip-hop’s pre-eminent wordsmith and hustler-gone-legal chronicler. This time, he unquestionably delivers the goods — showcasing deft metaphors about his own ghetto ascension and an uncanny ear for dramatic sonic backdrops.

Jay claims he was inspired by the Ridley Scott-directed film of the same name about ’70s-era Harlem drug mogul Frank Lucas. Though not a soundtrack to the biopic, the disc still has a cinematic quality. The beats, most notably the six tracks produced by Sean “Diddy” Combs and his Hitmen beatmaking team, capture a range of moods that few rap albums nail. Stately horns punctuate “Roc Boys (And the Winner Is ... )” while “Sweet” features a smoothed-out blaxploitation vibe.

And built on a mournful Marvin Gaye sample and sweeping strings, “American Dreamin”’ chronicles thoughts of attending college that give way to profiting from dealing drugs. Jay rhymes: “Mama forgive me, should be thinkin’ bout Harvard/ But that’s too far away, n----s are starving/ Ain’t nothin’ wrong with aim, just gotta change the target/ I got dreams of baggin’ snidd-ow the size of pillows.”

Then later, with the aid of the tumbling congas and bright, electro-synths of the Neptunes-produced “I Know,” Jay unfolds a tale of addiction where his own music could be the choice drug. “I am so dope/ Like Louboutins with the red bottoms /You gotta have ’em, you glad you got ’em.”

— Brett Johnson, Associated Press

‘A PLACE TO LAND’

Little Big Town (Equity)

Grade: A

Little Big Town may call its third album “A Place to Land,” but country music’s most exciting vocal group rush forward by soaring to even greater heights. Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Roads, Phillip Sweet and Jimi Westbrook have nearly a decade of experience singing together, and their stunning vocal blend makes good use of that familiarity.

They didn’t start out that way, as their 2002 major-label debut was overproduced. But their move to independent Equity Records allowed them to create a more organic sound that connected with audiences — outselling many peers who receive much more airplay. Gaining confidence after 2005’s million-selling “The Road to Here,” the four group members take even more creative chances with “A Place to Land,” and their refusal to play it safe pays off.

Their earthy yet rousing vocal blend aligns them more with Eagles and Fleetwood Mac than with country harmony predecessors like Alabama or Oak Ridge Boys. On the opening “Fine Line” and the frisky “Firefly Fly,” their harmonies dazzle with roof-raising power. At other times, as on the outstanding “I’m with the Band” and the life-affirming “Vapor,” they rely on nuance and subtlety.

With their constantly shifting dynamics, and with the head-turning way they layer their vocals, Little Big Town are rewriting the future of country harmony. More than that, they’re forging a compelling new path for country music’s future overall.

— Michael McCall, Associated Press