Music

Irma Thomas
Simply Grand

Simply Grand would fit as an album title for Irma Thomas on merits alone. At age 67, and ready to celebrate her 50th anniversary as a recording artist in 2009, the woman known as the Soul Queen of New Orleans is a national treasure. More than that, she remains at the top of her talent: If anything, her lush voice, with its earthy tones and full-note roundness, has grown more nuanced and emotionally resonant with time.

But Simply Grand also describes the collection's setting. On her follow-up to the 2006's Grammy-winning After the Rain, she pairs off with a series of pianists accompanying her on a concert grand. Some are famous, such as Norah Jones, who plays while Thomas performs a version of Jones' hit, "Thinking About You," turning it into a wise lament.

Jonas Brothers
A Little Bit Longer

Comparing the Jonas Brothers third album with Miley Cyrus' latest is inevitable and instructive. Both acts are hot Disney properties with strong family involvement; both discs attempt guitar-pop trying to walk the line between showing growth and becoming too grown-up, too fast. But where Cyrus' effort failed, the three Jonases succeed, for the time-honored reason — they have better tunes.

The trio's new wave-inspired songs may be derivative — and sometimes too derivative, as on the corny, Cars-lite opener, "B.B. Good" — but they simply sound fresher. You can hear the influence of more intriguing acts like Cheap Trick and the B-52s (even Prince, if you're feeling pretty generous) in the Brothers' new tracks.

This fun, fizzy pop is the work of a reasonably maturing band that should be around longer than a little bit.

Bigelf
Cheat The Gallows

Bigelf's latest CD plunders some of the best parts from rock's past and shapes them into one massive wall of sound. On this CD, you'll hear everything from the wallop of Black Sabbath to the wistful psychedelia of Pink Floyd, along with Lennon-esque melodies and Queen's over-the-top experimentation, sometimes all within the same song. Far from being mere copycats, the guys in this band take their influences and make them their own.

Lead single "Money, It's Pure Evil" is pure John Lennon worship, while "Evils of Rock & Roll" contain those chunky chugga-chugga-style riffs that you know you love. "Superstar" adds a little hard glam stomp to the proceedings.

The band really goes for broke on the closing track, "Counting Sheep." In it you'll find rock hard riffs, psychedelic keyboard runs, ultra melodic vocal harmonies and operatic breakdowns that would make Freddie Mercury proud.

The Duhks
Fast Paced World

In the past year and a half, two of the five members of the Duhks have been replaced, among them the lead singer. One thing has remained, though: the group's nose for music that pushes the boundaries of modern roots folk.

New vocalist Sarah Dugas fills the role of the departed Jessee Havey in some places and raises the bar in others, hurling herself with soulful flair at the title track. Her take on the traditional "Mighty Storm" is a boisterous, vibrant piece of power preaching.

The accessible hook of "You Don't See It" is more mainstream than one might expect from an act that so prizes its own eclecticism, but a tapestry of sonic snippets keeps it lively. While it's easy to hear that the band's dynamic has been fundamentally changed by its new lineup, it hasn't come close to settling down.