It's old home week as music vets step out of semi-retirement with albums made for touring. Tom Petty and Steve Miller prove that inside every white rock musician is a black bluesman dying to get out. Sarah McLachlan comes back from motherhood (and taking care of all of those homeless pets) to resume her role as Queen Lilith. And Devo prove that geeks never die, they just get old -- and start looking a little creepy in plastic jumpsuits. Still, unlike last week's bloated releases, these are albums by artists with nothing left to prove... except proving they're still worth playing and not skipping.
PLAY: Sarah McLachlan, "Laws of Illusion"
Sarah McLachlan has left the sad puppy dogs behind to release her first batch of new music since 2003's "Afterglow." Some fans may gripe about the inclusion of two songs ("U Want Me 2" and "Don't Give Up on Us") from her 2008 greatest hits album, but that's quibbling. McLachlan's break has served her well. "Laws of Illusion" is filled with all the yearning, heartache, and urgency that her legions of fans have come to expect. But the album also feels more muscular than past efforts. Longtime producer Pierre Marchand once again builds multilayered soundscapes for McLachlan's vocals to break in all the right places -- because if the heartache ain't broke, don't fix it. And no one does heartache better than Sarah McLachlan.
WATCH the music video for Sarah McLachlan's single "Loving You Is Easy."
PLAY: Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, "Mojo"
Tom Petty and his Heartbreakers also have the blues bug. While not a covers record, "Mojo" is steeped in these displaced Southerners' love of American blues. It was recorded completely live, with no overdubs -- just the sound of band that's spent more than 30 years learning how to read one another's minds. "Mojo" is loose in the best blues-band way. It's not some of Petty's tightest writing, but it's a stellar showcase of one of the tightest groups around. Yes, they've got their mojo working. Yes, it will work on you. There, I said it.
PLAY: Devo, "Something for Everybody"
Ohio's favorite New Wave surrealist sons have returned with their first full-length album of new recordings in 20 years. Their energy domes have turned from red to blue, their yellow hazmat suits are now silver (and a little tight around the midsection), but Devo are still full of their soul-less soul. Time has not dulled their wit nor made their postmodern nerd world any less strange -- or beautiful. "Something for Everybody" is music to play while you're getting beat up by the jocko homo who doesn't understand that we're all part of de-evolution, just like Devo predicted oh-so-many years ago.
PLAY: The Steve Miller Band, "Bingo!"
Steve Miller is a bluesman at heart. Before his '70s career peak with "Space Cowboy" and "The Joker," Miller cut his chops with such blues greats as Buddy Guy, Muddy Waters, and T-Bone Walker. He also got some help from his godfather, Les Paul. Now, on his first album in 17 years, Steve Miller pays it back and makes sure the music stays alive. "Bingo!" is a collection of ten blues covers; Miller calls it a "guitar player's album." You've heard these songs a million times, and nothing new is added to them here. Still, for lovers of the six-string, Steve Miller is a masterful teacher and an enthusiastic student. You may not play it again after the first few listens, but it's fun to let the good times roll (again).
PLAY: Robyn, "Body Talk Pt. 1"
Swedish electropop singer Robyn had late-'90s hits with "Show Me Love" and "Do You Know (What It Takes)." Her fifth studio album -- and first full album in five years -- shows her crying on the dance floor a bit. Songs like "Dancing on My Own" and "Cry When You Get Older" speak to Robyn's sense of "feeling like this person on the outside looking in." At the ripe old age of 31, Robyn may be rushing the midlife crisis, but the beats sound sweet. You're never too old to dance.