‘GEOLOGY’

‘GEOLOGY’

Geo C and Tha Storm

(Earthtone Recording)

Grade: B+

Geo C and Tha Storm likes its funk pure, albeit laced with jazzy horns and some classic R&B influences. Sounding tighter than ever, the band sticks to the plan on its third studio (and fifth overall) release, “Geology.” The Mahoning Valley music-scene veterans state their intentions early on “Funk Is Alive.” The song begins with a recitation that pays homage to funk legends before morphing into a slow groove with slippery keyboards. Geo & Co. have another message on “Get Your [expletive] Together,” which implores the populace to reverse Youngstown’s slide. By far, the angriest song Geo has ever done is “Thank You” (substitute a less polite word for “Thank” and you got the refrain). For contrast, it’s followed by “Tell Me You’ll Be There In the Morning,” which might be GCTS’s most pop-friendly song ever. It’s a bouncy lovers’ jaunt with a ’70s beat that sounds like something off the “Saturday Night Fever” soundtrack, embellished with some nice trumpet riffs and soaring guitars. Another standout is the low-down funk-driven title cut.

—Guy D’Astolfo, The Vindicator

‘The Circle’

Bon Jovi (Island)

Grade: B

The fiddles and banjos have been packed away and the steel guitars, presumably, stolen. In their place are angry electric guitars, catchy choruses that demand to be shouted out in a football stadium and a return to the unflappable optimism that has made these Jersey guys legends in the rock biz.

In short, Bon Jovi is back!

“The Circle” is the follow-up to 2007’s wildly successful but country-fried “Lost Highway,” which was a jarring sonic detour for the heroes of the New Jersey Turnpike. Thankfully, Jon Bon Jovi & Co. are keeping the faith with the still- developing but oh-so-recognizable sound that has been the band’s trademark.

“We Weren’t Born To Follow,” the fist-pumping anthem that kicks off the disc, could have been right at home on “Slippery When Wet” or “New Jersey” with its timeless hooks and punchy beat.

They really do come full circle on “Work For The Working Man,” which just as easily could have been titled “Livin’ On A Prayer II,” from the foundation bass riff that’s almost identical to that of Bon Jovi’s biggest-ever hit, to the dignified struggle of the little guy against tremendous odds. (At least they didn’t bring back Tommy and Gina again.)

“Bullet” has a little of the “Hey God” anger and angst, asking the Almighty if he has “just given up” in the face of so much evil in the world.

A rejuvenated Richie Sambora makes his presence known here more strongly than on his last few albums, with more intricate and longer solos.

—Wayne Parry, Associated Press

‘alter the ending’

Dashboard Confessional (DGC)

Grade: A-

Dashboard Confessional has always tried to combine raw emotion and pop melodies, but on “Alter the Ending,” the balance is so right that both sides seem stronger than ever. Chris Carrabba twists brainy lyrics into a classic-rock melody for “The Motions.” He turns “Everybody Learns from Disaster” — made more poignant by his coping with his sister’s injuries from a car accident while recording the album — into an anthemic road-trip rocker, while the ballad “Belle of the Boulevard” couldn’t be lovelier. Carrabba has finally built an incredibly happy “Ending.”

—Glenn Gamboa, Newsday

‘Natural Forces’

Lyle Lovett (Curb/Lost Highway)

Grade: B

This is Lyle Lovett without his Large Band. On “Natural Forces,” the lanky Texan with the crooked grin leads a small ensemble and focuses on his folk-country side. His title song is a finely etched portrait of a loner cowboy, but mostly Lovett uses the album to showcase the work of fellow Lone Star troubadours: He gives sympathetic readings of songs by Townes Van Zandt, David Ball, Eric Taylor and others.

Lovett does show his lighter side, cutting loose with the risque swing of “Farmer Brown/Chicken Reel” and the honky-tonk wordplay of “Pantry,” and “It’s Rock and Roll” is just that. Given the somber, slow-paced ambience that predominates, however, these bright, up-tempo performances seem out of place, giving the album a bit of a disjointed feel.

—Nick Cristiano, Philadelphia Inquirer