Billboard CD reviews: Tom Petty, Marc Anthony

ARTIST: TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS

ALBUM: MOJO

NEW YORK (Billboard) - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers have always been a rock 'n' roll band. But "Mojo," a mostly blues-rock opus clocking in at nearly 65 minutes, is for those who've been waiting for the long-lived group to let the throttle out all the way. Petty and lead guitarist Mike Campbell don't restrain themselves with these arrangements, ranging from the tasteful licks of "Jefferson Jericho Blues" (about founding father Thomas Jefferson's plantation proclivities) to screaming solos on "I Should Have Known It" and the album-closing "Good Enough." Benmont Tench gets his own piano and organ spotlights on such tracks as "Running Man's Bible" and the swirling "Something Good Coming," while Petty and company cut a wide swath through Delta blues ("Takin' My Time"), reggae (the pro-pot "Don't Pull Me Over"), garage rock ("Candy") and nods to soul ("No Reason to Cry") and folk ("Something Good Coming"). It's not news that these guys rock, but on their first new album in eight years the Heartbreakers have their "Mojo" working like they never have before -- which is a fine thing indeed.

ARTIST: MARC ANTHONY

ALBUM: ICONOS (Sony Latin)

Covers albums can be a major risk, or an easy out. For Marc Anthony, here tackling songs that have been major hits -- classics, actually -- throughout Latin America and whose original performers are still alive and well, the repertoire choice was risky. But the outcome is surprising and often spectacular. These are covers that respect the spirit of the originals -- heart-wrenching ballads, including Jose Jose's "Almohada" and "El Triste," and Jose Luis Perales' "Y Como Es El." But the arrangements are carefully thought out: the long, dream-like intro to "Almohada," the slow buildup of "Y Como Es El," which keeps the listener on his or her toes, waiting for the song to explode. The clincher is Anthony's voice, perhaps the best of his generation, interpreting with just the right degree of emotion and intelligent nuance. Two new tracks ("A Quien Quiero Mentirle," "Maldita Sea Mi Suerte") close an album that merits multiple listens.

ARTIST: THE DEAD WEATHER

ALBUM: SEA OF COWARDS (Warner Bros. Records)

Less than a year after debuting the Dead Weather with last summer's "Horehound," Jack White is back with a second set from the Nashville-based psych-blues supergroup, which also features members of the Kills, the Raconteurs and Queens of the Stone Age. "Horehound" proved that the Raconteurs' rock-radio success hadn't straightened out White's avant-metal kinks. But if you thought that album satisfied his freaky streak, think again. "Sea of Cowards" is even wilder, with grungier guitars, greasier synths and funkier neo-John Bonham beats from White himself. Singer Alison Mosshart presides over the sonic swamp with her signature scary-sexy yowl, even lending a punk-gospel throb to "Hustle and Cuss" and opener "Blue Blood Blues." "All the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service," White sings in the latter. Dude, can you really blame them?

ARTIST: OTIS TAYLOR

ALBUM: CLOVIS PEOPLE, VOL. 3 (Telarc International)

For the record, Otis Taylor never recorded two other volumes of "Clovis People" albums. And while there really was an ancient civilization known as the Clovis People, none of the 12 songs here are about them. But Taylor likes to keep his listeners on their toes, and "Clovis People, Vol. 3" -- a collision of roots and blues driven by his own guitar and banjo playing -- is another thought-provoking entry in his canon. Taylor is at his best when he turns the right combination of chord and groove into an intense raga, which happens on tracks like the murder ballad "Little Willie," "It's Done Happened Again" and "Harry, Turn the Music Up." The song "Ain't No Cowgirl" is country blues right down to the yippee-ki-yays, and "Hands on Your Stomach" has a rolling rock 'n' roll current, while the dark ebb and flow of "Rain So Hard" feels prescient of Nashville's recent tribulations. Taylor may be a proud old soul, but he never ceases to channel it in a fresh direction.

ARTIST: COCOROSIE

ALBUM: GREY OCEANS (Sub Pop)

Mixing opera, electronica and folk genres, eccentric sister duo CocoRosie's fourth album, "Grey Oceans," is undoubtedly strange, but musically complex and fascinating. With Celtic and Asian overtones, the song "Smokey Taboo" will provoke shivers. Employing acoustic and electronic sounds, the music creates contrasts between the desolate landscape of the desert and the interrupting "sirens in the street." The playful honky-tonk piano on "Hopscotch" gives way to a drum 'n' bass-style beat that accompanies the eerie melody, and the emotional title track leaves Bianca Cassidy's creepy, childlike vocals exposed, emphasized by guest pianist Gael Rakotondrabe's gentle chords and Sierra Cassidy's muted operatic soprano. The album's duality is especially evident on the track "Lemonade," which features melancholy piano over verses about death, juxtaposed with a cheerful pop chorus accompanied by warm vocal harmonies. Full of contradictions, the album is primitive and ultramodern, dark and enchanting, tranquil and energetic.

ARTIST: DIEGO TORRES

ALBUM: DISTINTO (Universal Latino)

Argentine singer Diego Torres' first studio album in three years, "Distinto" (Different), showcases an edgier, more aggressive artist who's willing to step outside the bounds of pop with just the right degree of experimentation. Torres has always stayed on the more progressive side of pop. On "Distinto," though, not only does he use electric guitars and drums in a far more prominent manner, but he also has chosen an eclectic roster of collaborators. They include Spanish rapper Mala Rodriguez (on the multilayered song "Mirar Atras"), Yotuel of Cuban hip-hop group Orishas ("Cuando No Queda Nada") and alternative artist Kevin Johansen on album standout "Bendito," a mix of pop and twangy country. At times joyful and at others introspective, "Distinto" showcases a singer who has found a voice as a compelling songwriter with commercial appeal.

ARTIST: JONATHAN BUTLER

ALBUM: SO STRONG (Rendezvous Records)

Jonathan Butler's 15th album, "So Strong," signals the South African native's first urban record in several years. Its jaunty fusion of R&B, gospel, jazz and Latin rhythms provides a fitting accompaniment to a theme that celebrates life. Leading the parade is "So Strong." Opening with an energetic, syncopated dance beat -- complemented by Butler's distinctive guitar riffs and silky-smooth tenor -- the song is reminiscent of the material issued by younger contemporaries like John Legend. Butler focuses on the spiritual with "You Got to Believe in Something," a mellow groove underscored by warm backing vocals and joyous horns. He gets down to basics on "Be Here With You," a passionate duet with soulstress Angie Stone, and brings a different nuance to his retooling of Johnny Nash's "I Can See Clearly Now." Additional guests include smooth jazz musicians Rick Braun and Dave Koz.

ARTIST: CHARICE

ALBUM: CHARICE (Reprise Records)

This young lady can definitely sing. That's the first impression as you listen to the 18-year-old Filipino sensation -- and Oprah Winfrey fave -- belt her heart out. Charice is making waves with catchy dance-pop single "Pyramid" (featuring fellow newcomer Iyaz), and also in that vein on her self-titled debut are noteworthy pop tracks "Reset," "Nobody's Singin' to Me" and "Nothing," whose vocal arrangements deftly showcase Charice's formidable chops. The big-voiced singer calls to mind a younger version of Whitney Houston, Christina Aguilera and Celine Dion on soaring ballads about love and life, notably "In This Song" and "Note to God." But the set's stylistic shifts -- from teen-oriented pop to a touch of rock to anthemic ballads -- ultimately leaves you wondering just which audience Charice is eyeing: her teen peers or their moms. Though it doesn't hit on all cylinders, the album leaves no doubt as to Charice's talent -- and promising future.

ARTIST: SAGE FRANCIS

ALBUM: LI(F)E (Anti-)

Providence, R.I.-based indie rapper Sage Francis gets more personal than usual on his dynamic fourth album, "Li(f)e." Francis -- who wears multiple hats as a spoken-word artist, MC and impassioned rocker -- employs a versatile style on the set. The songs "Three Sheets to the Wind" and "Polterzeitgeist" use unrelenting punk bass lines, while the trippy "Diamonds and Pearls" showcases his more aggressive, slightly embittered side. The acoustic guitar, strings and organ featured throughout "Li(f)e" are particularly effective during closing track "The Best of Times," where Francis' rhythmic, spoken introspection yields good advice about keeping your head up during hard times. Although Francis has described himself as a "low-confidence engine," the rapper has produced a strong and instantly relatable album with "Li(f)e."

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