Album reviews | Craig Finn’s ‘Clear Heart Full Eyes; Tim McGraw’s ‘Emotional Traffic’

Staff and wire services

Just before the final chord on the song “Terrified Eyes,” Hold Steady lead singer Craig Finn counts out the beat — “one, two, three, four” — to ensure the band finishes together.

His new CD, “Clear Heart Full Eyes” wasn’t heavily rehearsed, and it benefits from the casual approach. With the Hold Steady on hold, lead singer Finn enlisted producer Mike McCarthy to hook him up with four musicians in an Austin, Texas, studio for his first solo album. He sang his vocals live, kept takes to a minimum and completed recording in a few days.

The result is more relaxed and reflective than the Hold Steady’s arena-worthy rock. At one point, Finn sounds as though he’s leading a poetry reading rather than a recording session.

The intimate atmosphere suits the material. Finn sings about heartache, solitude, faith and doubt, with references to Jesus on six songs, including the first four. Finn hasn’t become a Bible Belter, but he’s clearly influenced by his Texas surroundings. The album title was inspired by the TV series “Friday Night Lights,” and several songs take a twangy turn thanks to Ricky Ray Jackson’s edgy pedal steel.

Elsewhere, Jackson’s guitar interplay with Billy White provides plenty of bite, and while Finn is laid-back here, he remains a rocker at heart. This music won’t fill arenas, but it should be welcome in any club.

Notable track: Over chugging guitars on “No Future,” Finn sings about the Crucifixion, Freddie Mercury, the devil and Johnny Rotten.

Steven Wine, The Associated Press

nada surf | ‘the stars are indifferent to astronomy’

From the website Direct Current Music: “A mere 15 years after Matthew Caws, Daniel Lorca and Ira Elliot broke through with the hit ‘Popular,’ the trio of power/popsters returns with another brash and relentlessly upbeat — in every sense of the word — collection of sunny rock anthems and razor sharp hooks … Much like Fountains of Wayne, Nada Surf remain remarkably inventive in their retro pop melodies; new upstart bands can only pray they’re this fresh on their first album, let alone their sixth.”

various artists | ‘chimes of freedom: the songs of bob dylan’

Over the course of four CDs, a vastly diverse array of singers and bands honors the 50th anniversary of Amnesty International by performing 72 of Dylan’s better-known compositions. The list of contributors includes Patti Smith, Johnny Cash with the Avett Brothers, Rise Against, Pete Townshend, Diana Krall, My Morning Jacket, Sting, Lenny Kravitz, Jackson Browne, Sugarland, Joan Baez, Flogging Molly, Bad Religion and Mark Knopfler. Back-to-back on Disc 3, Ke$ha and Kronos Quartet cover “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right.”

tim mcgraw | ‘emotional traffic ’

Before its release, McGraw called “Traffic” his best album ever. It has already delivered two singles, “Felt Good on My Lips,” a No. 1 country hit, and “Better Than I Used to Be.” In 2004, McGraw had a crossover hit with rapper/pop star Nelly. On “Traffic,” he tries for another on “Only Human, which features R&B/pop star Ne-Yo. Other tracks include the inspirational “Touchdown Jesus” and “I Will Not Fall Down,” co-written by McGraw, Martina McBride and the Warren Brothers.

philco fiction | ‘radar

Philco Fiction is an electro-pop trio from Oslo, Norway, that renders airy, arctic pop soundscapes airbrushed by the breathy vocals of lead singer/songwriter Turid Solberg. From the Guardian UK: “Throw the Knife, the XX and Regina Spektor into a glorious musical blender and you get this Norwegian trio.” From Direct Current Music: “If Bjork had set up shop with Prince … we might get sounds like this: simmering beats, rich keyboard funk/pop and decidedly arty, usually twisty, melodies that dart and flit in and out of moods and atmospheres with graceful ease.”

released this week

Alexz Johnson, “Skipping Stone” (EP)

Big Deal, “Lights Out”

Cardinal, “Hymns”

Joe Cocker, “Hard Knocks”

Dion, “Tank Full of Blues”

The Doors, “L.A. Woman” (40th anniversary edition)

First Aid Kit, “The Lion’s Roar”

Rodrigo y Gabriela, “Area 52”

Lacuna Coil, “Dark Adrenaline”

Lamb of God, “Resolution”

Ingrid Michaelson, “Human Again”

Moe., “Whatever Happened to the La La’s”

Kellie Pickler, “100 Proof”

Matt Pryor, “May Day”: Twelve well-crafted pop songs from the lead singer and songwriter of the Get Up Kids and New Amsterdams.

Scorpions, “Comeblack”

Seal, “Soul 2”

Skrillex, “Bangarang” (EP)

Martin Sexton, “Fall Like Rain” (EP)

U2, “From the Sky Down” (DVD)

Various artists, “2012 Grammy Nominees”

due tuesday

Beausoleil, “Cajun Conja”

Blue Cheer, “Vincebus”

Bt: “Laptop Symphony”

Leonard Cohen, “Old Ideas”

Lana Del Rey, “Born to Die”

Mike Doughty, “The Question Jar Show”

Gotye, “Making Mirrors”

Imperial Teen, “Feel the Sound”

Metallica, “Beyond Magnetic” (EP)

Gretchen Peters, “Hello, Cruel World”

Radiohead, “The King of Limbs: Live From the Basement” (DVD)

Ruthie Foster, “Let It Burn”

Ringo Starr, “Ringo 2012”

Darrell Scott, “Long Ride Home”

Jeff Lorber, “Galaxy”

Del McCoury, “Old Memories: The Songs of Bill Monroe”

The Pines, “Dark So Gold”

Underworld, “Anthology 1992-2012”

Various artists, “Golden Gate Groove: The Sound of Philadelphia in San Francisco, 1963”

Various artists, “Putamayo Presents: Brazilian Beats”