Four recent albums

Fallen Angels

Bob Dylan

The novelty shock having been absorbed by its immediate predecessor, this album frees listeners to assess soberly both Dylan’s way with Sinatra-era classics and his aesthetic priorities. Why, for instance, have these 12 songs been segregated from Shadows in the Night’s 10 when all 22 were recorded during the same sessions? Well, these 12 certainly feel less shadowy, enlivened as many of them are by jaunty rhythms. More importantly, those rhythms loosen Dylan up. “That Old Black Magic” features his most carefree vocal since “Must Be Santa.”

Perfect

Half Japanese

Half Japanese’s 2014 collaboration with Danielson gave rise to hopes that Jad Fair had become a Christian, hopes that suffered a partial setback on Half Japanese’s 2015 EP Bingo Ringo. This full-length offering could give those hopes fresh life. No less noisy or messy (or catchy) than Fair’s typical recordings, it kicks off with a celebration of “good news” that urges listeners to “throw the devil into a pit,” and the subsequent songs contain similar Christian-friendly expressions. The possibility, however, that they’re only optimist-friendly persists.

Classic Carpenters

Dami Im

When this Australian X Factor winner was born (in South Korea), the most recent of the Carpenters hits that she covers on this album was already 12 years old. Yet she has an affinity for each song that bridges the gap, delivering each well-known lyric and melody with affection and imagination (in that order). For that matter, her inclusion of such lesser Carpenters singles as “I Need to Be in Love” (which peaked at No. 25) and “This Masquerade” (a B side) shows imagination (and affection) too.

Santana IV

Santana

Carlos Santana, Gregg Rolie, Neal Schon, and the Michaels Carabello and Shrieve last recorded together when the Vietnam War was still going and Woodstock memories were still fresh. So, insofar as context matters, this attempt at rekindling old Latin-tinged, hard-rock/fusion-jazz fires risks falling unheard in a forest. It deserves better. The Spanish chants don’t sound corny. The lead vocals (whether Rolie’s or the cameo-making Ronald Isley’s) do the job. And the guitarists play like their 1971 selves—with 45 more years of practice.

Encore

The albums John Chelew produced for The Blind Boys of Alabama in 2001 and 2002, Spirit of the Century and Higher Ground respectively, sought to do for that venerable gospel group what the Rick Rubin–produced American albums had done for Johnny Cash: introduce a legendary act to a discerning and enthusiastic new audience. Chelew achieved his goal.

Omnivore Recordings has recently reissued both titles, expanding them with live cuts that demonstrate the fidelity of Chelew’s studio approach to The Blind Boys’ onstage sound. Accompanied by sympathetic instrumentalists (David Lindley, John Hammond, and Charlie Musselwhite on Spirit of the Century; Robert Randolph and the Family Band on Higher Ground), the group sounded reinvigorated and entirely at home with the material. More importantly, the material—including gospel-friendly songs written and originally recorded by The Rolling Stones, Prince, Tom Waits, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Jimmy Cliff, and Ben Harper—sounded reinvigorated and entirely at home with the group. —A.O.