‘Townes’

‘Townes’

Steve Earle (New West)

Grade: B+

Steve Earle’s feelings for his mentor, Townes Van Zandt, are no secret. He famously proclaimed the late Van Zandt “the best songwriter in the whole world.” He named his son, Justin Townes Earle, after him.

And now, there is “Townes” (New West), Earle’s take on 15 of his favorite Van Zandt songs, including the country classic “Poncho and Lefty.”

In more timid hands, “Townes” could have been a kindly, reverent affair designed to introduce the Texas folk hero to a broader audience. Earle, however, is no shrinking violet.

He stands up to these powerful songs — inserting a daring guitar snarl from Tom Morello into “Lungs,” filling “Where I Lead Me” with sneering defiance and howling harmonica — but delivers them as lovingly as if they were his own.

Earle takes care to untangle the complexities of “Brand New Companion,” a wrenching blues number with hopeful lyrics that he offers with just enough ache to telegraph how this is all going to turn out. He handles the flip side, the charmingly vulnerable “No Place to Fall,” just as expertly. And when he sings, “We all got holes to fill, them holes are all that’s real/Some fall on you like a storm, sometimes you dig your own,” in “To Live Is to Fly,” you can almost hear the battle between resignation and determination in his world-weary voice.

Van Zandt was never one to consider history or worry about recording definitive versions of his songs. With “Townes,” Earle has helped handle that for him.

— Glenn Gamboa, Long Island Newsday

‘Potato Hole’

Booker T. (Anti-3)

Grade: B

As leader of Booker T. and the MGs, Booker T. Jones helped define Southern soul at Stax Records in the ’60s. On his first solo album in 20 years, the keyboardist harks back to the integrated nature of that pioneering group by teaming with estimable Southern rockers the Drive-By Truckers and fellow Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Neil Young.

The album’s 10 well- sculpted instrumentals — seven originals — bear the Jonesian mark of being both nimble and funky, blending sophistication and grit, while the accompanists add an edge. On tracks such as “Pound It Out” and “Native New Yorker,” Jones’ organ weaves through and over rock rhythms that are heavier than anything the MGs usually delivered, while cuts like “Nan” and “Reunion Time” play more like sweet reveries. Urgent or laid-back, however, Jones doesn’t forget his roots, and he makes sure these grooves are infused with plenty of soul.

— Nick Cristiano, Philadelphia Inquirer

‘Family Time’

Ziggy Marley (Tuff Gong Records)

Grade: B+

Ziggy Marley brings his reggae vibe to the young set with “Family Time.” But unlike many kid-oriented records, this one offers the right balance of music and message to make it enjoyable for the entire family. Make no mistake, this is a children’s album, but one that parents won’t seem to mind.

While this is Marley’s first album of children’s music, he’s no stranger to the genre. He performed the theme song to the PBS animated series “Arthur,” and even supplied some tunes for “Dora the Explorer.”

Producer Don Was preserves the sunny feel of Marley’s music, letting it sound at times less like a children’s album. Under closer inspection, the lyrics give it away, especially on tracks such as “ABC” and “Ziggy Says.”

Marley gets a lot of help on the record from some high-profile friends as well as his own family, including mom Rita Marley, sister Cedella, and even his 3-year daughter, Judah.

Willie Nelson lends his distinct vocals on “This Train,” while Jack Johnson does his thing with “Cry, Cry, Cry.” Then there’s “Walk Tall” with Paul Simon, and Toots Hibbert, from Toots and the Maytalls, doing “Take Me to Jamaica.”

Ending the record are two spoken word pieces by Jamie Lee Curtis. At this point, the record clearly reverts back to the age group it was intended.

— John Carucci, Associated Press

‘Great American Soulbook’

Tower of Power (Top Records)

Grade: B

Tower of Power celebrates its 40th anniversary on this big, wet kiss of a recording. The horn-heavy funksters are not jazzers in the strict sense, but share a lot of circulating DNA with the aforementioned, including groove, hot horns, and the blues.

This recording of old soul songs harks back to the group’s mid-1960s founding as the Motowns, specializing in Motor City ditties. Saxophonists and co-founders Emilio Castillo and Stephen “Doc” Kupka bring in a conga line of artists to goose the soulful oldies, akin to standards in jazz.

Sir Tom Jones gets tapped to tenderize Isaac Hayes’ “I Thank You.” Another U.K.-based R&B singer, the tasteful Joss Stone, lays down some sonic caramel with T of P’s Larry Braggs on “It Takes Two.”

Elder-statesman crooner Sam Moore of Sam & Dave delivers the goods, well-buttressed by horns, on Otis Redding’s “Mr. Pitiful,” while Huey Lewis busts a gut on Steve Cropper’s “634-5789,” which would need an area code today.

Producer George Duke juices three tunes, while the band gives a pretty standard take of Gamble and Huff’s “Me and Mrs. Jones.” The outing is pleasant enough, even if doing oldies is a funny way of moving forward.

— Karl Stark, Philadelphia Inquirer

‘Divided By Night’

The Crystal Method (Tiny e Records)

Grade: A

Electronic music stalwarts The Crystal Method have crafted a fine fourth album with “Divided By Night.” It retains their signature dancefloor-infused cadence while displaying a new sense of musical and lyrical urgency.

Ken Jordan and Scott Kirkland would be guilty of falling prey to predictability by now if their sound patterns and vocal layers weren’t so inventive. Thankfully, they’ve avoided that trap.

There’s a lovely lilt to the best song, “Drown in the Now,” which features Hasidic rapper Matisyahu. The quickness of Matisyahu’s vocal approach blends nicely with The Crystal Method’s relentless driving tempo. It’s a perfect crescendo of Matisyahu’s hip-hop wordplay layered with electronic break-beats.

Most other tracks have decidedly fewer vocals, and instead are fueled by buzzing bass lines. They’re not so fast that they take the songs into the head-banging techno realm, yet not so slow as to lull the listener into a false sense of aural complacency.

The Crystal Method knows just when to pick up the pace, and on songs like “Double Down Under,” they add some dirty deconstructed sounds effects to invigorate the melody.

The Crystal Method remains ahead of the curve in the electronica genre.

— Ron Harris, Associated Press