Ken Tucker

The 86-year-old country star reflects on the passage of time on his new album. Ride Me Back Home is a lively, restless collection that contains solid new material and a keen sense of self-scholarship.

Springsteen replaces the E Street Band with string sections, oboes and French horns on his new solo album, which draws inspiration from the Southern California pop of the late '60s and early '70s.

In their recent releases, Nick Lowe (along with Los Straitjackets) and Wreckless Eric have created new music that connects to old music without maudlin nostalgia or huffy defensiveness.