Music

Everclear
The Vegas Years

Collections of cover songs are a love-it-or-hate-it affair for fans.

Offering a slew of covers recorded between 1994 and 2007, Everclear wears their influences on their sleeves on The Vegas Years. Frontman Art Alexakis and his mates are no strangers to radio-friendly hits ("Santa Monica," "Father of Mine") so it isn't surprising when they offer their take on pop-rock hits of yesteryear such as Hall and Oates' "Rich Girl," and Tom Petty's "American Girl."

That being said, they fail to offer a new take or something fresh here, and it relegates The Vegas Years to the status of an amusing aside for hardcore fans only.

They may grab your attention on of live tracks, but these tracks are elevated mostly because of the crowd's sing-along energy.

The better bet is to wait on a batch of new material from the band — reportedly, a new disc will be released later this year.

Lady Antebellum
Lady Antebellum

The name Lady Antebellum may suggest a graceful image of the old South, but the new vocal trio performing under that name is as contemporary as country music gets. Consisting of two men and a woman, Lady Antebellum feature a progressive blend of middle-American grooves, rootsy harmonies and lyrics that probe relationships with a youthful point of view.

Together, they present snapshots of relationships that boldly go beyond the boundaries of most current country music themes; "Lookin' for a Good Time," for instance, finds a couple convincing themselves not to take a one-night stand as anything serious.

As with Sugarland and Little Big Town, two other mixed-gender vocal groups, the emphasis is on energizing rhythms, upbeat fare and personal empowerment and they sound ready to take on the world.

The Kooks
Konk

When you name your band after a David Bowie song and your album after the Kinks' recording studio, you're proudly flying the flag of classic British rock but also are painting a fat target on your chest. If you don't make a respectable run at those standards, you'll end up looking a little silly.

The Kooks aim to take their place in the Brit rock tradition, not monkey with it a lot. They believe that tangy, tuneful songs built on guitars, bass and drums, "ooo-oooh" and "sha la la" harmonies and syncopated hand-claps is still all you need to express the bittersweet brew of youthful emotion.

This vote for constants and continuity signals a choice to remain sealed from the ferment that's reshaping pop at street level these days, but for those who speak this language, Konk should elevate the Kooks near the level of Franz Ferdinand among the current practitioners.

Hilary McRae
Through These Walls

On the lovely ballad "Waiting," when Hilary McRae sings "You probably won't even like this song," she couldn't be more wrong.

McRae has a chance to make a big splash on her debut album, in part because she enjoys the backing of Starbucks Entertainment. Also in her favor: She's a terrific talent, which Through These Walls makes clear.

The 21-year-old native of Boca Raton, Fla., is a PG-rated Amy Winehouse, channeling retro pop and R&B into something original.

This Hilary is apolitical, her subject matter limited to the pursuit and heartache of romance. But there's plenty of range in the music — punchy horns here, Latin percussion there, dance grooves in abundance and winning ballads, too.

McRae wrote all 12 songs and delivers them in a warm, husky alto. With music this good, McRae knows there's no need to showboat.