‘She Ain’t Me’

‘She Ain’t Me’

Carrie Rodriguez (Manhattan/Back Porch)

Once a fiddler who did some singing, Carrie Rodriguez has become a singer who plays a little fiddle.

The classically trained Rodriguez’s second solo album, “She Ain’t Me,” showcases her growth as a vocalist. She still sings with a slight Texas twang, but when her intonation goes wayward, it’s effective rather than annoying, and her voice has blossomed into a versatile, nuanced instrument that’s equally appealing on a swaggering rocker or love lament.

“Rag Doll” opens with Rodriguez singing falsetto, accompanied only by her tenor guitar, and it ranks among the album’s highlights. She mimics her fidgety fiddle on “Absence,” then wails — with harmonies by Lucinda Williams — on “Mask of Moses.” And Rodriguez blends beautifully with Gary Louris singing two tunes they co-wrote.

“She Ain’t Me” is best when the arrangements are sparse. Producer Malcolm Burn occasionally applies too much sweetener, and another quibble is Rodriguez’s R-rated naughty talk on “Let Me In,” which she fails to sell. But those are minor transgressions, and it’s clear Rodriguez is a major talent.

— Steven Wine, Associated Press

‘The Green Sparrow’

Mike Gordon (Rounder)

Mike Gordon doesn’t need Phish to be great.

He’s proved it again with “The Green Sparrow,” another successful solo record that establishes Gordon’s post-Phish career as arguably the best, and definitely the most diverse, of his bandmates.

“The Green Sparrow” has the trademark quirky Gordon songs, talking about strange voices in his head and disappearing off the grid. But this album also rocks.

Gordon helps fuel talk of a Phish reunion with guest appearances on two tracks by his former bandmates Trey Anastasio and Page McConnell. They’re one Phish drummer short of a reunion on “Traveled Too Far.” But that slot is ably filled by former Grateful Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann.

Phish fans will have plenty to decipher here. On “Dig Further Down,” one of the Anastasio-assisted tracks that really rocks, could Gordon be talking about his guitarist when he sings, “I’m finding the life you live to be unsound”?

Anastasio appears to have turned his life around, recently completing a drug counseling and treatment program after pleading guilty to a felony charge for possessing painkillers without a prescription.

Ever since he got out, he’s been dropping hints about bringing the band back together.

But enough about Trey. It’s time for Gordon to shine. Let’s just hope for his sake enough people see through the Phish fanaticism and appreciate what he’s done.

— Scott Bauer, Associated Press

‘A Larum’

Johnny Flynn (Lost Highway)

A 25-year-old acoustic busker from England, Johnny Flynn foreshadows his intent with the odd title of his debut album, “A Larum,” copped from an obscure 1602 play, “A Larum For London.” An accomplished Shakespearean stage actor, Flynn brings a literary bent to his lyrics and a traditional English folk foundation to his sound.

But the charming singer-songwriter also bears a populist’s heart, and his songs have a Dickensian tone that dispels materialism in favor of focusing on communal joy and shared ideals. Acoustic based, most of his songs carry a high-spirited energy and a playful sense of wordplay. His arrangements are reminiscent of Bruce Springsteen’s “We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions” in the punchy way they add life to nonamplified music, but his lyrics and instrumentation own an old English sensibility similar to that of Ray Davies at their most pastoral.

Although steeped in folk music, there’s nothing old-fashioned about Flynn’s music. His catchiest tunes — “Tickle Me Pink,” “Leftovers,” “The Box” — feature a fresh point of view all his own. He’s not as wholly formed yet with ballads — the American-styled “Brown Trout Blues” works better than the somber “Hong Kong Cemetery.” But Flynn’s humanity and unpretentious intelligence gives his music a rare and compelling appeal.

— Michael McCall, Associated Press

‘Lessons In Love’

Lloyd (Universal Motown)

Lloyd has already established himself as a successful crooner: He’s hopped on numerous hooks, teamed with Ashanti for a duet and had a major hit with Lil Wayne.

Lloyd makes a valiant effort to keep up the momentum as R B’s love doctor on his third release, “Lessons In Love.” But he lacks the magic found on his past albums, “Southside” and “Street Love.”

Lloyd rides solo for most of the album, except for his first single on which he reteams with Lil Wayne on “Girls Around The World” — a catchy record sampled from Eric B Rakim classic “Paid In Full.” It’s is reminiscent of “You,” a song that both made a huge success in 2006.

Lloyd tries to come into his own on smooth ballads like the Bryan-Michael Cox-produced song “Year of the Lover” and “I Can Change Your Life,” a piano-driven song on which he aims to sway a lady from her unstable relationship. Yet, both tracks lack the infectious hit capability as past hits like “Get It Shawty.”

— Jonathan Landrum Jr., Associated Press

‘That Lonesome Song’

Jamey Johnson (Mercury Nashville)

Jamey Johnson’s “That Lonesome Song” delivers a salt-of-the-earth antidote for those who consider contemporary country music too slick and sentimental. His bare-knuckled, barroom poetry takes the point of view of hard-bitten losers and boozers, and it’s shot with blue-collar authenticity.

The album opens with a man fresh out of prison (“High Cost Of Living”) and ends with a lyric that positions him, artistically and alphabetically, alongside two honky-tonk heroes (“Between Jennings and Jones”). Indeed, his music mirrors Waylon Jennings’ thumping Texas rhythm and George Jones’ expression of the concealed emotional turmoil of rowdy ramblers (“The Last Cowboy,” “Sending An Angel To Hell”).

Johnson shows a sensitivity behind his biker gaze, too. “In Color” traces a grandfather’s history through black-and-white snapshots that don’t fully communicate the turbulence of the life they capture. Similarly, “Mary Go Round” makes a heartfelt plea for a woman to turn from the harsh path she’s chosen.

“That Lonesome Song” is Johnson’s second album, arriving three years after unruly offstage behavior abruptly ended his previous record contract. With his coarse yet expressive voice, and backed by the best country band on record this year, this ex-Marine redeems himself with the gutsiest, grittiest collection released by a Nashville major label in recent memory.

— Michael McCall, Associated Press