Music

Artist: Brad Paisley's

Album: American Saturday Night

Grade: A-

Label: Arista Nashville

Brad Paisley's American Saturday Night plays as if the superstar country singer, songwriter and guitarist had an agenda. He needed to prove that 2007's 5th Gear, the first effort from this musical triple-threat that sounded rehashed, was merely a fluke.

Then he had to return to the purity of his debut album, 1999's Who Needs Pictures, and still advance his artistry.

Done. American Saturday Night blends everything that's great about Paisley without overdoing the positives. He delivers country-rocking concert anthems – the riveting "American Saturday Night" and the explosive "Welcome to the Future." He covers his down-home country roots with three tender, honest ballads – "Anything Like Me" about his son, "No" about his grandfather and "Then" about his wife.

We get humor in the form of "Water," "Catch All the Fish" and "The Pants." None of these songs wear out their welcome the way "Ticks" did. Paisley, usually a master of countrified hilarity, rewrote 2003's "Celebrity" too many times.

American Saturday Night challenges him, particularly on "Everybody's Here," a deceptively slow-burn ballad that's really a lonesome dirge in disguise, and "Oh Yeah, You're Gone," a fantastic, bluesy scorcher in which he trades killer guitar licks with six-string virtuoso Robben Ford.

The only minor problem with American Saturday Night is that Paisley runs too long. The CD passes the 62-minute mark. We'll forgive his excesses this time because the West Virginia native picks with such passion.

Björk, Voltaic (Nonesuch) – CD and DVD set from the always-experimental singer-songwriter from Iceland chronicles the tour supporting her 2007 disc, Volta.

Levon Helm, Electric Dirt (Vanguard) – Fast follow-up to 2007's widely praised Dirt Farmer continues the legendary Band member's creative renaissance.

Jeremih, Jeremih (Def Jam) – Newest R&B radio sensation is a 21-year-old from Chicago with a big hit called "Birthday Sex." This is his full-length debut album.

Moby, Wait For Me (Mute) – New York's best-known electronic artist gets a little more personal on his ninth outing and the successor to 2008's Last Night.

Rob Thomas, Cradlesong (Atlantic) – Second solo album from the famed Matchbox Twenty frontman features 14 songs that Amazon.com calls "percussive rock."

Tanya Tucker, My Turn (Saguaro Road) – The unflappable Texas-born country singer delivers cover versions of a dozen songs originally recorded by men.

Wilco, Wilco (Nonesuch) – Eighth studio effort from acclaimed band is said to be a stylistic merger of 2004's A Ghost Is Born and 2007's Sky Blue Sky.

Or should it be hot concerts? Beyoncé, Dallas native Demi Lovato and the Warped Tour all hit the Big D on Sunday. Decisions, decisions.