www.roanoke.com

SONNY ROLLINS
“Reel Life” (Concord)

The title track here is a simple melody that could be a smooth-jazz children’s song. But tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins rips a hole through it, turning it so much into an improviser’s ball that one wonders how much the material matters to him.

The sense of surprise is a constant on this brief 1982 session, newly reissued on Concord. Rollins mixes it up with two wildly different guitarists, Bobby Broom and Yoshiaki Masuo. He’s backed by the rock-solid bottom provided by his longtime electric bassist Bob Cranshaw, and the super drummer Jack DeJohnette.

There’s clearly a spin here to be commercial, as on the wildly happy “Sonny’s Side Up.” But Rollins still finds cool things to say. He shows some growling authority on the Billy Strayhorn ballad “My Little Brown Book,” and his requisite calypso, long a constant in his recordings, here is called “Rosita’s Best Friend,” making for a slinky romp.

It’s not the heaviest session for the saxophone colossus,, but Rollins can probably pull fiery lines from the comics.

—Karl Stark, The Philadelphia Inquirer

CHICKENFOOT
“Chickenfoot” (Rogers & Cowan)

This debut album from a new supergroup — guitar god Joe Satriani, singer Sammy Hagar and bassist Michael Anthony (both formerly of Van Halen) and drummer Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers — is a revival of classic rock n’ roll with a little extra personality and a lot of extra energy.

Satriani’s talent as songwriter and musician has finally found its home alongside his new bandmates, and they all seem to be having fun. The hard-hitting riffs in “Get It Up” and “Turnin’ Left,” coupled with Hagar’s exclamations of “yeah!” and “come on!,” beckon the listener to jam along with the band.

The quartet’s topic choice ranges from a more serious look at the world in “Running Out” to lusting after a rough, tough gal in “My Kinda Girl.”

Satriani’s fretwork is as startling as ever, and the funk-inspired drumbeats that are Smith’s trademark add a modern twist.

Not every song is memorable, but this debut makes it clear that these guys have decades of talent and indefatigable energy. Chickenfoot has added a new chapter to a classic sound, and it’s pretty refreshing.

— Stephanie Rosenblatt, The Miami Herald

TORI AMOS
“Abnormally Attracted to Sin” (Universal Republic)

With each of Tori Amos’ solo albums, the piano-pounding vocalist with a lump in her throat and a scar on her heart grows more dramatic. Ever more theatrical (how do you top “American Doll Posse’s” multitude of characters and wigs?), Amos’ CDs include photo-narratives or vid-clips meant to amplify her lyrics. That’s cool. But Amos seems to be relying more heavily on visual accompaniment than on her melodies.

Along with her usual God talk (“Strong Black Vine”) and takes on life abroad (“Welcome to England”), Amos’ “Abnormally Attracted to Sin” draws a thin line between female empowerment and what it might take to get there. “By the time you’re 25, they will say, 'You’ve gone and blown it,’” goes the “Curtain Call” lyric. “By the time you’re 35, I must confide, you will have blown them all.” Luckily “Curtain Call” has a tune that’s joyfully catchy, as do the pop-and-proud-of-it ballad “Maybe California” and the synth-hop “Give.”

Unfortunately, for all her clever texts and experiments in country choruses (e.g. “Fire to Your Plain”) not much else is crazily memorable — some jazzy passages here (“Mary Jane”), some lame cabaret there (“That Guy”). Luckily, you can’t help but be abnormally attracted to her voice. Otherwise, “Sin” would be a sin.

— A.D. Amorosi, The Philadelphia Inquirer

DADDY
“For a Second Time” (Cedar Creek)

Daddy is the second band collaboration between roots-rockers Will Kimbrough and Tommy Womack, two of Nashville’s finest. The singer-guitarists previously teamed up to lead the Bis-quits, who put out a terrific self-titled album in 1993 on John Prine’s Oh Boy label.

“For a Second Time” is the second Daddy album but the first studio set, following 2005’s live “At the Women’s Club.” This one has a similarly loose-limbed feel, with the quintet injecting lots of swamp and blues flavor. Amid it all, however, are some sharp, sober-minded songs — “Nobody From Nowhere,” “I Went to Heaven in a Dream Last Night,” “He Ain’t Right,” and the only nonoriginal, “The Ballad of Martin Luther King.” Which is not to say that Daddy is all seriousness. “Early to Bed, Early to Rise” is a rocking, tongue-in-cheek commencement address, “Wash and Fold” is a jaunty, New Orleans-accented come-on, and “I Want to Be Clean” is a woozy little workout featured buddy and kindred spirit Todd Snider.

— Nick Cristiano, The Philadelphia Inquirer

SPINAL TAP
“Back From the Grave” (A2M)

With typically self-sabotaging flair, the mock rockers release their first album in 17 years. Just in time not to help promote their recently concluded reunion tour.

Introduced in the 1984 spoof film, “This is Spinal Tap,” the trio (played by Michael McKean, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer) haven’t lost their clumsy touch for crafting heavy metal messes.

On “Back from the Grave,” they revive some of their signature tunes including “Sex Farm” (done Average White Band style). New offerings range from the ghoulish title track to the satanic “Warmer Than Hell.”

There are some hot licks here, thanks to musical guests like Steve Vai and John Mayer. But it’s all in the service of satire.

If you’re not in on the Spinal Tap joke, stick with the package’s DVD with the band in the studio musing on their work. That’s funny. The music can’t stand on its own.

— David Hiltbrand, The Philadelphia Inquirer

THE PHENOMENAL HANDCLAP BAND
“The Phenomenal Handclap Band” (Friendly Fire)

Although they share NYC dance-club roots with LCD Soundsystem and !!!, the Phenomenal Handclap Band are less interested in writing manifestos and punk-funk workouts than in celebrating disco glamour and sexy soundtracking. DJs-turned-producers Daniel Collas and Sean Marquand and their six bandmates emphasize breadth on their debut, from the Scissor Sister-ly “All of the Above” to the psychedelic slow jams “Testimony” and “Baby” to the perky, irresistible “15 to 20,” which takes cues from the Tom Tom Club. It’s anchored by a steady disco pulse, breathy flutes, and spacey keyboards.

Collas and Marquand drafted friends to moonlight on their debut, including singers Aurelio Valle (Calla), Carol C (Si Se), and Lady Tigra and TV on the Radio guitarist Jaleel Bunton. It may be premature to call the Handclap Band phenomenal — the album is an uneven hodgepodge — but they’re certainly groovy, imaginative fun.

— Steve Klinge, The Philadelphia Inquirer

!MAYDAY!
“Technology” (!Mayday! Music/Latchkey Recordings)

!Mayday! has changed quite a bit since the then-duo released its self-titled debut album in 2006. Three years later, the Miami-based hip-hop band has been flooding fans digitally with singles and EPs. The latest, appropriately titled “Technology,” became available on iTunes Tuesday.

Much like the group’s last EP, February’s Valentine’s Day-themed “The Thinnest Line,” “Technology” often touches upon the complexity of relationships, but takes it a notch further with an overarching theme of loneliness set to a mechanical musical bedrock.

No song better embodies those themes than the title track. Over layers of spacy synths provided by producer and keyboardist Plex Luthor, rapper (and surprisingly, singer) Wrekonize croons, “Even with all of this technology, my friends they find it hard to talk to me,” while !Mayday!’s original MC, Bernbiz, raps about losing himself in an overly digitized world. The eerie song is reminiscent of Outkast’s “Stankonia” phase.

Musically, some of the most compelling moments on “Technology” re-create what makes !Mayday! a great live band: The final 1 ½ minutes of “Crossroads & Avenues” features a furiously paced scatting session, while “Junkyard Dog” has a fiery percussion breakdown.

“Technology” leaves something to be desired — namely, more songs. With only six, the EP is further proof the ban needs to release another full-length album.

— Adrian Ruhi, The Miami Herald

DINOSAUR JR.
“Farm” (Jagjaguwar)

Good news: The original lineup of Dinosaur Jr. has a new album out.

Not so good news: “Farm” sounds like another installment of J Mascis and friends.

The great thing about the revival of one of indie rock’s touchstone bands is the chance for guitarist Mascis, bassist Lou Barlow and drummer Murph to spontaneously combust with another album like “You’re Living All Over Me,” the molten lava middle album of the three the original lineup put out in the 1980s.

“Farm” is not that album. The band’s latest is as close to mellow as Mascis is ever likely to get. Acting as producer, Mascis has things going just the way he likes. Barlow and Murph act like a platform from which Mascis launches several extended guitar solos and inspired noodling.

There are some great moments here. Mascis’ lazy delivery on “Ocean in the Way,” his playful guitar intro on “Over It,” the drama of “There’s No Here” and the sugary sweet melody of “See You.”

But overall, the album sounds a lot like Mascis’ work post-breakup. And that’s a wasted opportunity.
The most energetic moment on “Farm” comes in “Your Weather,” one of two songs penned by Barlow. It’s a reminder of how much energy the band once had, and may yet reclaim.

— Chris Talbott, Associated Press

CHEAP TRICK
“The Latest” (self-released)

Maybe it’s Red Bull, or maybe they just took a dip in that pool from the movie “Cocoon,” but Cheap Trick has got its youthful energy and exuberance back again.

That’s no small feat for the Rockford rockers, whose biggest success came while Jimmy Carter was in office, and who haven’t hit it this hard since 1982’s “One On One” album.

The song “Sick Man Of Europe,” named after a solo project bassist Tom Petersson launched during a 1980s break from the band, sounds like a bunch of amped-up 20-year olds gleefully bashing away in a garage for nothing more than the sheer joy of plugging in, turning it up all the way and rocking out. Petersson’s nasty distorted bass dominates as Rick Nielsen’s slashing guitars add to the mayhem.

Other hard rockers include “Every Day You Make Me Crazy,” “California Girl” and “Alive.”

Longtime faithful disciples of The Beatles, Cheap Trick continues the reverence on the Lennon-like “Miracle,” which even lifts the riff from “Mind Games” and blends it with chord progressions from CT’s own “World’s Greatest Lover,” itself a loving Beatles ode.

— Wayne Parry, Associated Press