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Pepperboy brings the heat with new Pottersfield

"Potters Field"
by Pepperboy
"Potters Field" by Pepperboy

B+ Pepperboy

Pottersfield

Greenova South/

Off Tha Block Records

Prolific Little Rock hip-hop veteran Pepperboy returns with some words of hard-won wisdom and killer beats on his latest, Pottersfield.

Broaching familiar subjects such as death, temptation, redemption, prison and desperate lives on the street, Pepperboy weaves gritty tales that are a far cry from bling and the good life. It's right there in the title -- Pottersfield, the pauper's boneyard, that Biblical "field of blood" where Judas was buried after betraying Jesus and hanging himself.

Pepperboy, with his hypnotic, slinky, falsetto flow, warns against the dead-end paths that can lead to being buried in one's own potter's field on tracks like the title cut and "Dead Heaven." On the dreamy "Home," he raps wistfully about returning to the warmth and safety of home after surviving a misspent youth and a stint in prison.

Producers Horsehead, Keyboard Kid, Black Tim and The Presidentz, among others, provide the often spare beats; guests include Black Kray on the awesome "Chop Chop," Swag Toof on the equally startling "Paid My Dues" and S. Ray on the outraged "Lot Going On," which references, among other things, the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo.

Pepperboy remains hot on the 12 tracks here, and Pottersfield may be his best effort yet.

Hot tracks: "Pottersfield," "Paid My Dues," "Home"

-- SEAN CLANCY

B+ Eliane Elias

Made in Brazil

Concord Jazz

Every homecoming should be this good. Eliane Elias, the jazz pianist/composer who also sings, has recorded her first album in her native Brazil since coming to this country in 1981.

Elias makes the most of this occasion, tapping several generations of Brazil's great songwriters and crafting an album that celebrates her musical heritage.

"Brasil," composed by samba great Ary Barroso, is irresistibly infectious. Elias' sexy vocal plays nicely against guitarist Marcus Teixeira. For many of us, bossa nova is the first thing that comes to mind with Brazilian music, so Antonio Carlos Jobim's presence is especially welcome on "Aguas de Marco." Roberto Menescal's "Voce" is romantic; Elias' piano work is fabulous.

Elias also brings six originals to the album, including a wonderful "Vida" (with Brazilian R&B singer Ed Motta) and "Some Enchanted Place," a duet with her daughter, Amanda Brecker.

The mix of Portuguese and English works well; this is an album with a lot of heart, and impressive music and musicianship.

Hot tracks: "Brasil," "Vida," "Aguas de Marco."

-- ELLIS WIDNER

B Brian Wilson

No Pier Pressure

Capitol

Brian Wilson's 11th solo studio album opens with "This Beautiful Day," a short track that captures all of Wilson's yearning and desire in the simplest, most direct way, offset by lovely harmonies and some fine trumpet work. It's less than two minutes long, but it sums up so much about his talent and timeless appeal.

The rest of the album -- which features country singer Kacey Musgraves and fun. lead singer Nate Ruess, among others -- does not reach that level, and some of the new compositions sound tepid in places. Wilson seems to be striving for a breezy, carefree sound that no longer sounds fresh. But even the weaker songs bear his unmistakable stamp: complex vocal mixes that can never, ever be taken for granted, and a distinctive flair for arranging.

Trumpeter Mark Isham brings new textures and pleasure to a number of songs, particularly the languid and lovely instrumental "Half Moon Bay."

"The Right Time" with former Beach Boys bandmate (and cousin) Al Jardine and David Marks shows Wilson can still come up with a seductive three-minute track. The gorgeous finale, "The Last Song," can be seen as a love song to his family and as a tribute to, and desire for, the fabled band of his youth.

Hot tracks: "This Beautiful Day," "Half Moon Bay," "The Right Time."

-- GREGORY KATZ,

The Associated Press

B Ron Sexsmith

Carousel One

Compass

"I have lost my way," Ron Sexsmith confesses dolefully on "Nothing Feels the Same Anymore." The singer seems to be longing for a time when, in his mind, music had emotional purity, uncompromised integrity and the power to move.

Sexsmith, however, continues to belie the notion that those qualities have been irretrievably lost -- or that his aim is no longer true. Carousel One is another set in which the Canadian tunesmith's sonorous, hangdog vocals play off against sturdy and inviting melodies, with the result that the whole exudes a timeless pop classicism.

And while there may be "so many things that complicate our minds," Sexsmith remains adept at cutting through the clutter and articulating matters of the heart with piercing clarity. As for matters of the art, there's another song title that seems to run counter to reality: "Can't Get My Act Together."

Hot tracks: "Nothing Feels the Same Anymore," "Can't Get My Act Together."

-- NICK CRISTIANO,

The Philadelphia Inquirer

Style on 04/14/2015

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