B Justin Moore
Kinda Don't Care
Valory Music Group
Justin Moore's star keeps rising in country music and the Poyen singer's latest album will do nothing to impede that rise. Moore took his time with this one, which arrives nearly three years since his previous album, Off the Beaten Path.
Moore kinda went off the beaten path this time, relying on other songwriters for material; of the 12 songs, he co-wrote just one, "Goodbye Back."
He has said he wanted to push himself as a singer this time and Kinda Don't Care shows that. While the rowdier Southern rock/Americana-flavored pieces ("You Look Like I Could Use a Drink," "Robbin' Trains") are here, so are the more contemporary approaches. The sensual "Got It Good" has a pop music vibe.
Moore taps into the growing influence of rhythm-and-blues in country and shines on what is perhaps the album's best song, "Somebody Else Will." Moore delivers a wonderfully soulful vocal that never loses his country touchstone; his voice brims with emotion and nuance. But Moore doesn't sound like he's trying to capitalize on a trend, it's more like he has given his voice the opportunity to follow its natural inclination. Besides, no matter what the music's doing, Moore's unmistakably country voice keeps his songs rooted in country.
Hot tracks: "Somebody Else Will," "You Look Like I Could Use a Drink," the romantic and sexy "Between You and Me"
-- ELLIS WIDNER
B+ Hillary Scott
& The Scott Family
Love Remains
RCA
As Lady Antebellum continues on hiatus, Hillary Scott steps out with an album of her own, as group member Charles Kelley did last year.
But while Kelley's music didn't stray too far from the group's sound, Scott has dipped deeply into her own experience and spirituality on the stirring Love Remains, a modern gospel album that finds its musical home among country, contemporary worship and gospel sounds.
Scott's family -- Mom/country singer Linda Davis, Dad/songwriter Lang Scott and her sister, Rylee -- receive stellar backing from musician/producer Ricky Skaggs.
The album's centerpiece is "Thy Will," a striking confessional written by Hillary Scott after her miscarriage in 2015. The depth of this song, dealing with an almost unbearable pain in a personal experience/spiritual context, is remarkable. Amid great sadness and struggle, hope emerges.
The presence of the family to provide musical, personal and spiritual support only adds to the healing power of "Thy Will," and is the foundation for what makes this album memorable.
Harmonies are strong and all four family members deliver strong lead vocals.
Hot tracks: "Thy Will," the gorgeous "The River," "Ain't No Grave"
-- ELLIS WIDNER
A- Dinosaur Jr.
Give a Glimpse
of What Yer Not
Jagjaguwar
Somehow, Dinosaur Jr.'s unexpected reunion has made the indie-rock heroes stronger than ever.
The biggest development for Give a Glimpse of What Yer Not -- the fourth album since the trio of singer-guitarist J. Mascis, singer-bassist Lou Barlow and drummer Murph rejoined forces in 2005 -- is that Dinosaur Jr. sounds comfortable together again.
Mascis' mix of revved-up guitar and laid-back vocals on "Goin' Down" shows how the band's early work influenced current bands like Japandroids. The pop-tinged rock of "Tiny" could easily be a Foo Fighters hit until Mascis starts shredding halfway through. In fact, Mascis' intricate guitar work has such a starring role on Give a Glimpse that the band used a compilation of all his solos on the album as promotion before its release. The grunginess of Mascis' guitar and Barlow's bass on "I Walk for Miles" shows why Dinosaur Jr. is revered by generations of indie rockers.
However, it's the new risks, like the way the gorgeous "Knocked Around" goes from a countrified Afghan Whigs beauty to a raging, punk-fueled romp, that make this album so special.
Hot tracks: "Goin' Down," "Knocked Around," "I Walk for Miles"
-- GLENN GAMBOA
Newsday (TNS)
B+ Amos Lee
Spirit
Republic/John Varvatos
Amos Lee continues to deliver the kind of laid-back, soulful sound that has set his work apart for years.
On his latest album, Lee is in his sweet spot. He doesn't sound like anybody -- though for years he has turned out music evocative of singers like Al Green in his 1970s-era prime and vintage, mellow Isley Brothers. With Spirit, Lee doubles down on his distinctive style, delivering a fuller sound without abandoning the elegant simplicity that set him apart.
"New Love" is resplendent with understated gospel inflections and brass reminiscent of the great Memphis Horns, who played behind Green, Otis Redding and other legends. Lee's gentle acoustic playing sets him apart from those greats even as he follows the silky trail they blazed. That comes through beautifully on a striking ballad called "Lightly," which Lee builds around a surprisingly elegant banjo riff, and on a tender but morose breakup song called "Vaporize."
Both showcase Lee's ability to explore new territory without abandoning the essential goodness of what he has been doing for years.
Hot tracks: "New Love," "Lightly"
-- SCOTT STROUD
The Associated Press
Style on 08/23/2016