Latest CD releases reviewed

MARK KNOPFLER

Mercury

Mark Knopfler has nothing to prove, and his solo albums - this is the fourth - are evidence of that. But this, for once, is no bad thing. Knopfler's unhurried, crafted style and his quietly intelligent and observant songs are not built to grab you by the throat. Instead, they repay repeated listening, revealing their subtle strengths and persuasive melodies in time. The former Dire Straits guitarist's recent work has explored his interest in Americana, both musically and culturally. Two of the strongest songs focus on two different sides of the American Dream: Boom, Like That is the tale of Ray Kroc, who drove McDonald's to feed the world, while Song for Sonny Liston is the grim story of the former world heayweight champion. Knopfler, as befits one trained to be a journalist, looks upon each life with a keen eye for telling detail, a skill he brings to the album in general. wwwmark-knopfler.com

LITTLE AXE

Champagne & Grits Real World

Little Axe is the flag of convenience for guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Skip McDonald, aka Bernard Alexander, the name that appears under all 13 tracks on this interesting album. McDonald is a 55-year-old American with blues in his veins and a long career flexing his rhythmic muscles. This began in 1979, when he was a member of the hip-hop label Sugarhill's house band before he moved to Britain to work on producer Adrian Sherwood's reggae and dub label On-U Sound. All these influences are stirred in this album - the fourth by Little Axe - which leans heavily on all the major black musics, from Gospel and blues to soul and hip-hop, in a dramatic display of mood and intent. Calling it 21st-century blues, as his press release does, might be a tad misleading, but it is correct that McDonald digs deep for the soul of his music. www.realworldrecords.com