RECORD REVIEWS

Florence & the Machine

Album: “How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful”

Grade: B+

“How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful” counts as scaling back for Florence & the Machine. It’s a little less big (there is more breathing room here than on 2009’s “Lungs” or 2011’s “Ceremonials,” although the tone, with many brassy fanfares, is still triumphant) and a little less blue (aside from the terrific “Ship to Wreck,” Florence Welch mostly resists her impulse to inundate the songs with water imagery). But it’s a little more beautiful: “Various Storms & Saints” and “St. Jude” contain Welch’s most introspective and restrained performances.

“How Big” may be Florence & the Machine’s most cohesive album, but the highs aren’t quite as high or as ubiquitous. Welch is a powerhouse vocalist, and she’s at her best when she trusts her unrestrained emotions and indulges in unfettered arrangements, as she does on the title track and “What Kind of Man.”

—Steve Klinge, Philadelphia Inquirer

Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard

Album: “Django and Jimmie”

Grade: C+

The two grand old men of country music, Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard, are among the last living ties to an era when giants like Ernest Tubb and Bob Wills filled honky tonks. Nelson is 82 and Haggard is 78, and while their warm voices show some mileage, their range of expression remains remarkable, and their phrasing often is impeccable.

On their fourth album together, “Django and Jimmie,” the feisty fellows lean on novelties and lighthearted swing, such as the title song, a tip of the cowboy hat to French guitarist Django Reinhardt and country blues pioneer Jimmie Rodgers.

“It’s All Going to Pot” playfully engages Nelson’s appetite for marijuana, and ranks as the album’s most memorable original. The two cherry-pick a few songs from their monumental catalogs, covering Nelson’s “Family Bible” and Hag’s “Swinging Doors” and “Somewhere Between,” like friends passing the guitar at home.

—Michael McCall, Associated Press

Gloriana

Album: “Three”

Grade: D

Despite plenty of vocal talent, Gloriana has struggled to establish an identity in the ultra-competitive country radio world. The trio’s third album once again shows off sterling harmonies and crafty arrangements — but leaves little emotional substance for fans to connect with.

The problem may be the production of pop mastermind Matt Serletic, who has guided the band from the beginning. His busy arrangements, while clever, leave little room for the singers — brothers Mike and Tom Gossin and Rachel Reinert — to convey much warmth or personality. The result is an overly processed sound focused on lightweight material about relationships.

—Michael McCall, Associated Press