Marketed as a blues-rock prodigy early in his career, Jonny Lang had considerable success at a young age -- in 2004, A Tribute to Jonny Lang was released, arriving nearly a decade into the guitarist's career when he was just about to turn 22 -- so perhaps it isn't a great surprise that the first decade of the new millennium found him a little lost. He found religion, then tried to fuse his beliefs with hard rock on a series of transitional releases, before righting himself with 2013's Fight for My Soul. If the title suggests Lang may still be sorting out spiritual issues in his songs, the album itself bears no conflicted musical personality. Ditching the lingering hard rock along with any outright blues jams, Lang dives headfirst into classic soul and R&B, its elastic, funky grooves allowing the guitarist plenty of space to solo, but this isn't a record where the intent is to showcase instrumental virtuosity. Working closely with co-producer and co-songwriter Tommy Sims, Lang puts the focus on song and, with it, allows himself plenty of little stylistic detours. The album opens exuberantly with "Blew Up (The House)," which brings to mind a harder-edged, streamlined Sly & the Family Stone; later, Lang does a full-on Motown pastiche on "River," and the gently acoustic "All of a Sudden" suggests Babyface's '90s productions. At times, his emphasis on stuttering funk and thick sheets of guitar recalls Lenny Kravitz -- "Breakin' In" and "We Are the Same" are in that mold, while "I'll Always Be" suggests the candied psychedelic ballads that are Kravitz's stock in trade -- but that is by no means a bad thing, as Lang and Sims have given Fight for My Soul a similarly appealing gloss, so the album is enjoyable as sheer ear candy, but underneath the surface this is Lang's strongest set of songs yet. It took a little while for Jonny Lang to find his groove, but Fight for My Soul proves that he needed the journey so he could arrive at this destination.© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo

Passions of a Man: The Complete Atlantic Recordings (1956-1961) presents an interesting problem. There's little arguing that the music on Passions of a Man is seminal, ranking among his very best recordings. The question is whether the six-disc set is indispensable, considering that it is low on unreleased material and boasts one full interview disc. All of Mingus' Atlantic recordings between 1956 and 1961 are included in session order, with alternate takes of "E's Flat Ah's Flat Too," "My Jelly Roll Soul," "Tensions," and "Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting" being added to disc three. The interview is interesting, yet most listeners will be content to hear it only once, so it simply adds time to the set. Still, the cost is justified -- Passions of a Man is beautifully produced, sporting sparkling remastered sound, new liner notes as well as the original album liner notes, a complete Atlantic discography, and rare photos. For fans who have yet to purchase copies of The Clown, Mingus at Antibes, or Oh Yeah, it's an essential purchase, but those who already own those discs might find too much repetition and not enough bonuses to make it worthwhile.© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo

Norwegian singer-songwriter Ane Brun's second album features impeccably constructed folk-pop soundscapes and Brun's fragile-yet-tough vocals in a spare, fresh-sounding production. On "To Let Myself Go" her voice curls around the listener in smoky spirals, while "Song No. 6" hymns the soul-baring intensity of new love and "Laid in Earth" showcases her idiosyncratic, compelling songwriting skills.© TiVo

In the mid-2000s, fans, critics and the Recording Academy couldn't heap enough praise on Kanye West's brilliant, visionary fusion of rap/hip-hop with classic pop textures. But long before West was dominating the pop scene, Kirk Franklin was bringing this same type of cross-genre genius to the gospel world. While he was something of a breakout superstar of his genre in the '90s, he also was creating amazing faith based projects well into the 2000s. Beginning with a boxing ring bell and running close to 80 minutes over 16 tracks, The Fight of My Life packs a multi-faceted emotional punch that might challenge fans of only feel-good, happy expressions of "God is Great, all the time" type songs. Exulting in shouts, interjections, and his trademark talk-rap style over an exuberant female choir, bright orchestrations, and edgy scratches, Franklin uses a brilliant reworking of the Kenny Loggins-Michael McDonald lite pop classic "This Is It" to fashion his upfront statement of faith "Declaration (This Is It)." Through this track, he attributes his ability to come through all his trials to the Almighty's grace, but later, he (or rather, his female entourage) reflects refreshingly on his doubts on the gorgeous, heartfelt ballad "Help Me Believe." Then comes "Hide Me," in which he feels lost in life; while not understanding God's ways, he seeks shelter to help his faith grow. More than simply, wonderfully honest, ultra-hip gospel, this is modern-day Psalming at its best. Blending grooves, horn textures, choir textures and in your face rap, the fight constantly balances trust ("He Will Supply," "Jesus") with the darker issues confronting the idea of maintaining faith in a difficult world. The angry, blistering rock guitar driving "I Am God" underscores the tension of wanting to break free while God keeps pursuing and asking for our trust; this track breaks the typical Franklin mold and sounds more like crackling, anthemic Christian rock. The message is always the artist's focus, but with so many tracks, the stylistic diversity (from buoyant, atmospheric '70s disco on "Still in Love" to the tribal African vibe of "I Like Me" and the torchy ballad "Chains") makes the disc a soul-stirring blast from start to finish. This is one fight that will leave the listener smiling through the bruises. All contemporary gospel should be this musically joyful and lyrically raw and honest.© Jonathan Widran /TiVo

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The 2013 collection called Icon is simply a retitled, "rebranded" version of 1992's What Hits? It's a good collection of the Red Hot Chili Peppers' time at Capitol/EMI -- i.e., the years before they became superstars -- containing the early punk-funk staples "Higher Ground," "Fight Like a Brave," "True Men Don't Kill Coyotes," "Knock Me Down," and "Taste the Pain," plus "Under the Bridge" from the Warner-era Blood Sugar Sex Magik. These aren't the biggest Chili Pepper hits but they're arguably the best and most vital, and it's a good way to hear them at their earliest and nerviest.© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo

Soulsville U.S.A. was the Memphis neighborhood where the great Stax label was located during the ‘60s and ‘70s, so it only makes sense that Huey Lewis & the News decided to call their album-length salute to Stax Soulsville, saluting a place that has, some 40 years later, turned into a state of mind. The group headed to Memphis to cut this 14-track album but since the Stax studio has long since shuttered, they went to Ardent, yet another legendary Memphis studio, to record with producer Jim Gaines, who helmed the band’s big ‘80s hits Sports and Fore! Not surprisingly, Soulsville winds up like a bunch of old friends having fun revisiting their favorite tunes. It’s an unhurried, affectionate tribute, the News riding grooves that are considerably cleaner than the classic Stax sides they love so much, but they nevertheless wind up with a warm, soulful vibe. They don’t reinvent or reinterpret these songs but stay true to the spirit of Stax, and what makes the album successful is that Huey Lewis & the News don’t choose the obvious tunes (only the Staple Singers’ “Respect Yourself” was a genuine crossover smash); they cherry-pick their favorite sides from the label’s deep catalog. It’s clear that the bandmembers love this music, and their love is infectious, making this a nice, relaxed good time.© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo