Billboard album reviews

NEW YORK  - 2004's "License to Chill" was the first No. 1 album of Jimmy Buffett's three-decade career, so it's no surprise that he goes country again for a set that's breezy even by his flip-floppy standards.

"Weather" is heavy on covers but boasts a wider palette of them, as Buffett works in Crowded House ("Weather With You," incongruously featuring Gomez), Mark Knopfler (who penned and plays on the gorgeous "Whoop Dee Doo"), Merle Haggard ("Silver Wings") and Guy Clark ("Cinco de Mayo in Memphis"). There's a nice sense of self-awareness here; "It seems I've run out of reasons to be here, so I'm just gonna steal from myself," he smirks in the faux-calypso "Party at the End of the World," before tossing off a quick rhyme about attitudes and latitudes. For now, Buffett seems to have briefly put off the search for his lost shaker of salt.

ARTIST: NEVERTHELESS

ALBUM: LIVE LIKE WE'RE ALIVE

This Chattanooga, Tenn.-based quintet makes its bow with a totally engaging pop/rock set awash in memorable melodies and compelling lyrics. The disc opens with "The Real," a beautifully textured anthem that finds the band celebrating its faith. The hope born of that unwavering belief is the common thread running through each song, and even on the break-up-themed "Time," the lyric captures a snapshot of someone wounded, but obviously a survivor. Lead vocalist Josh Pearson delivers each track with passion, propelling one of the best new acts to emerge in the Christian market this year.

ARTIST: VARIOUS ARTISTS

ALBUM: CALAMARO QUERIDO!

Argentine alt-rocker Andres Calamaro is so prolific (he's put out three albums since 2000's 103-song "El Salmon") that he's getting a major-label tribute at the age of 45. The two-disc set wisely avoids attempts to reproduce Calamaro's quirkiest, most absurdly satirical recordings and sticks to classics that contemporary artists can leave their mark on. Covers by such acts as Julieta Venegas, Nina Pastori and Los Fabulosos Cadillacs show how wittily observant songwriting can hold up over time and across countries and genres. Singer/songwriter Kevin Johansen contributes a slowed-down, cello-and-piano version of the tender "Te Quiero Igual." Other highlights include a ska-tinged "Flaca" from Los Pericos, Venegas' seductively delivered "Sin Documentos" and a dramatically string-arranged "Los Aviones/Alfonsina y el Mar" from Calamaro's brother Javier. Litto Nebbia rounds out the tribute with a fitting rendition of "Dulce Condena" that sounds like drunken karaoke.

ARTIST: STEFY

ALBUM: THE ORANGE ALBUM

Blondie meets Gwen Stefani via quartet Stefy's punk-poppy debut. Delectably bubble gum single "Chelsea" has already hit overseas and is currently climbing Billboard's Club Play chart, but that's hardly a proper intro to the retro flavor audaciously displayed here. "Orange County" gently parodies idyllic life on the West Coast, "Where Are the Boys" plays off pogo pop, and "Cover Up" meshes Berlin with Missing Persons. This album is best represented by the whole of its parts, scoring a bull's-eye as a total listening experience. Refreshing, adventurous, even daring, Stefy is one to watch. And while it's perhaps not the hippest commentary, any disenfranchised music fan over 30 will find this among the most satisfying rides of 2006.

ARTIST: ROBERT POLLARD

ALBUM: NORMAL HAPPINESS

Yes, Robert Pollard is prolific. The law of averages says quantity will overtake quality from time to time, and "Normal Happiness" is the fifth album he's released so far this year. But perhaps the most impressive aspect of Pollard's extensive canon is his consistency. "Normal Happiness" picks up where January's "From a Compound Eye" left off, as the former Guided by Voices leader teams with longtime collaborator Todd Tobias to craft 16 power-pop nuggets ranging from the exuberant, 90-second opener "Accidental Texas Who" to the melodramatic, prog-tinged "Give Up the Grape." And while there are certainly some forgettable moments here ("Join the Eagles," "Top of My Game"), the refreshing news is that "Normal Happiness" can stand proudly amid the Pollard oeuvre, addictive rock spilling over its edges.

ARTIST: TRIVIUM

ALBUM: THE CRUSADE

Trivium has been called the second coming of Metallica, with the legendary band even voicing approval for the quintet. "The Crusade" fulfills that prophecy for reasons right and wrong. Thrashed-up tracks like "Unrepentant" are clearly inspired by "Master of Puppets"/." . . And Justice for All"-era Metallica; they're like hearing those '80s albums recorded in digital. Guitarist/vocalist Matt Heafy's singing is also a dead ringer for James Hetfield's. But "The Crusade" rocks so hard you can't deny it, and it's easy to forget Trivium is still a developing act, because these twentysomethings are frighteningly accomplished musicians. (When did you last hear sweep picking outside of Dream Theater or Yngwie J. Malmsteen?) "The Rising" and "Tread the Floods" bare more of Trivium's personality, showing that the band continues to strive for its own style.

ARTIST: THE HOLD STEADY

ALBUM: BOY AND GIRLS IN AMERICA

The Hold Steady softens its signature bar-band sound to explore a more melodic side on its third album. Part of the beauty of the band's first two efforts was their decidedly gruff, tossed-off feel, so one of the biggest adjustments in listening to "Boys and Girls" is the sound of the Craig Finn-fronted fourpiece boldly reaching for something bigger. It's evident from the get-go with "Stuck Between Stations," with its "Born to Run" keyboard flourishes. Finn remains a top-notch lyricist making wry observations like "she was a really cool kisser and she wasn't all that strict of a Christian." But his attempt to add more dimension to his whiskey-soaked vocals is striking. And for the most part it works, particularly during the quasi-falsetto chorus of "Chips Ahoy" and in the sweetly endearing hook of "Chillout Tent."