REVIEWED BY RANDY VEST
COUNTRY
For her country music debut, pop singer Simpson skews more rock than rural. Many of the 11 tunes (all but three cowritten by Simpson) open on a gentle steel guitar or mandolin, then suddenly—bam!—morph into overwrought power ballads. Simpson—who tends to wail rather than interpret a song—does conjure up some feeling on the unabashed vow-of-love title tune (penned and harmonized on by Dolly Parton) and "Remember That," a cautionary tale of spousal abuse. Whether or not she finds country success, let's hope her next venture is Jessica Simpson unplugged.
DOWNLOAD THIS: The infectious single "Come On Over"
The Quilt
REVIEWED BY JESSICA HERNDON
ALT HIP-HOP
With their second record, the New York hip-rockers—signed by pal Pete Wentz—ditch their trademark cheeky humor to focus on tough topics like suicide and stepping out of their parents' shadows. Best is the gloomy yet romantic "Live Forever (Fly with Me)," highlighted with a cameo by Daryl Hall of soul-pop duo Hall & Oates. But "Cupid's Chokehold" lovers shouldn't fret: "Cookie Jar," featuring singer-songwriter The-Dream, is all sorts of synth-soaked fun. Guest spots from Busta Rhymes, U.K. singer Estelle and Fall Out Boy's Patrick Stump round out the band's refined sound, complete with horns, reggae nuances and amazing guitar solos.
Still Unforgettable
REVIEWED BY V.R. PETERSON
JAZZ
The versatile Natalie Cole is back with a set of 14 standards, her first since 1991 when the cleverly produced Unforgettable ... with Love joined her in song with her late father, Nat "King" Cole. The best track is their bright duet "Walkin' My Baby Back Home," built on choruses of playful woodwinds and brass fanfare. Cole's voice shifts easily from innocence on "Lollipops and Roses" to the blues. There are no tricky rhythms or brooding silences, just memorable melodies from the Great American Songbook.
All or Nothing
REVIEWED BY CHRIS STRAUSS
ROCK
After channeling Oasis on their '06 debut, the U.K. trio shift from Brit-pop to garage rock, opening the album with a frenzied barrage of guitar and drums on "Girls & Boys." Singer Billy Lunn's voice seems stronger following career-threatening vocal cord surgery last year, and bassist—and Lunn's former fiancée—Charlotte Cooper shares mic duties occasionally. The exes seem to be using breakup tracks like "I Won't Let You Down" to work through the end of their eight-year relationship. From the sounds of it, they've found a good balance.
DOWNLOAD THIS: Scream-along rock anthem "Shake! Shake!"
Little Wild One
REVIEWED BY STEVE DOUGHERTY
COUNTRY ROCK
A Kentucky-born New Yorker who famously imagined God riding a bus on her hit song "One of Us," Osborne returns with a winning album that celebrates the sacred in the city. Her rich vocals, pitched between church soprano and downtown contralto, soar on arrangements that mix old-timey mandolin with the urban pulse of electronic instruments.
DOWNLOAD THIS: "Hallelujah In the City" sounds like salvation
Shine Through It
JAZZ
On his first solo album, the Oscar nominee impresses with his nicely arranged guitar playing but won't wow anyone with his vocals. Wavering between a diluted Louis Armstrong and a pitch-imperfect Eddie Cantor on "She Was Mine," Howard doesn't fare much better with his whispery rap on "Mr. Johnson's Lawn," a tale of teen romance over a Cuban melody. "Sanctuary" is his sweet ballad about Heidi Klum and Seal, but overall, his lyrics are slight. Stick to the Spanish and bluesy instrumentals.
DOWNLOAD THIS: "Spanish Love Affair," a sexy samba
That Lucky Old Sun
POP
"At 25 I turned out the light," sings the long-lost Beach Boy. "But now I'm back." He is indeed, and if his gifts for melody and vocal harmony are not restored to the majestic heights of old, they're close to it. Even at his goofiest ("Hey, bonita muchacha, don't you know that I want ya?" he warbles in "Mexican Girl"), he charms. And when he sings about his four-decade disappearing act ("Midnight's Another Day") and memories of harmonizing with his two dead brothers ("Southern California"), the beauty is heartbreaking.
DOWNLOAD THIS: "Going Home" is pure rock-and-roll redemption
For more information on where to find our Download This picks, go to people.com/downloadthis
• The title track of Jimmy Wayne's new album is a sweeping lament about losing a girlfriend to the guy he always said was a threat. Never has "I told you so" sounded so good.
CONOR OBERST Conor Oberst
The Bright Eyes singer-songwriter is at his alt-folkie finest on his solo debut, with the bluesy rouser "I Don't Want to Die (in the Hospital)" and the heartbreaking highlight "Lenders in the Temple."
HEIDI NEWFIELD What Am I Waiting For
The former Trick Pony songstress created a country music gem which includes "Johnny and June"—a song inspired by Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash that does the duo proud.
PAUL WELLER 22 Dreams
With retro '60s soul, psychedelic folk and even an out-of-nowhere tango tune, the Brit pop star's ambitious 21-track collection is a far-reaching mix of eclectic genres. The result? Dreamy.
AMY MACDONALD This Is the Life
The Scottish import delivers a debut album rich in roots pop, bringing to mind a folkier, feistier version of another great Scot, KT Tunstall. Macdonald's voice packs power and passion into the title tune.
• Recently the blues legend unveiled his new CD, One Kind Favor, and the B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center in Indianola, Miss.
1 HE LOVES THE ROAD
"I'm still touring, but I'm 82. I've cut down from 250 concerts a year to about 100. Knowing people are there to hear me, I get energized off that."
2 HIS GUITAR LUCILLE IS STILL HIS BIGGEST LOVE
"She's very precious to me. I believe that's the reason I'm not married now. Lucille takes up all of my time."
3 HE'S GOT A NEW GIG: XM RADIO HOST
"We'll play a range of blues. I'll switch it up a bit, and I welcome guests!"
4 HE'S (SEMI) TECH SAVVY
"I have two laptops. I didn't finish high school, so one is my tutor: I buy software on things I don't know. I write music with the other. I don't blog. I know how to text, but I've never e-mailed."
5 HE HAS HIS OWN MUSEUM
"I donated clothing and the cotton gin I worked with. I almost cried when I let my belongings go, but I'm grateful."
THE CURE returns with the flawless single "Perfect Boy," from the alt-rock band's 13th album, 4:13 Dream, due this fall. At amazon.com.
GRETCHEN WILSON offers an ode to resilience on "Don't Do Me No Good," from her next CD, I Got Your Country Right Here. At iTunes.com.
COMMON spits razor-sharp rhymes on the Pharrell-assisted "Announcement," from the rapper's upcoming Invincible Summer CD. At napster.com.
PINK rocks on with the defiant "So What," from the album Funhouse, out Oct. 28. At rhapsody.com.
Saved by the Bell Reunion
The hookups, the meltdowns, the memoires
The case reveals what was really going on what they think of each other now!
