Henning Memorial United Methodist Church

Because Newworldson’s derivation of soul and gospel picks up its influences downstream from the original source, it won’t quench hard-core fans of those bedrock African-American styles. But if you’re up for a holy-rolling locomotive ride that visits a few important landmarks, Salvation Station is the place to get on board.

For all the album’s odd turns, Gift of Screws shows that the tools from which Buckingham once fashioned multi-platinum success remain sharp and firmly in his grasp, even if the blueprints have changed.

Fraser’s recent embrace by faith-based American listeners indicates that they’re famished for music that isn’t factory-baked. And indeed, on Albertine, the bread Fraser serves, if day-old by secular standards, is a hearty multi-grain that gives the spiritually inclined something both to chew on and to savor.

On Hurricane, her first album in nearly 20 years, Jones both revisits and updates the sound of her early ’80s prime. In the process, she proves that her dramatic, rhythm-driven style remains edgy enough to keep middle-of-the-road listeners at arm’s length even two decades later.

Just as a true chocolate aficionado prefers the pure stuff over a peanut butter cup, dyed-in-the-wool rockers may reject Cook, or at least question his credibility. But anyone with a pop-slanted ear will find it difficult to doubt his sincerity.

Swift’s music will probably speak loudest to members of her own peer group. But any fan of well-written and smartly produced country-pop will find something to appreciate about Fearless—especially if they can recall being a scared ninth-grader.

If it’s comfort or God-inspired reverence you’re after, head for the old hymnal. But if you’re a fan of acoustic music who likes having your heart stirred and your mind stimulated, you‘ll find Modern Hymns worthy of both consideration and praise.

Chapman's eighth album, Our Bright Future, looks at both internal and external landscapes with a hard-edged realism that often contradicts its optimistic-sounding title.

On the sweet and salty mixture assembled for At 89, Pete Seeger proves that his body of work is not only capable of cutting across political and theological lines, but that age has only sharpened his axe.

The pull of mediocrity’s powerful tide ultimately prevents Lucky Old Sun from reaching the shores of true artistry, though Chesney—who hits a few high-water marks here—deserves credit for rocking Nashville’s boat.

At age 83, iconic bluesman B.B. King might be excused for coasting. But his latest release, One Kind Favor, asks no such indulgence on the part of the listener, as King injects remarkable vigor into a dozen decades-old blues tunes, creating perhaps the most defining statement of his latter-day career.

If Rucker isn’t overly ambitious with his angles on country’s time-tested themes, he does take a big chance by stepping confidently into new territory on Learn to Live, which contains evidence that he’s taken his title’s advice.