Underwood, Spears release albums same day

Avenged Sevenfold, “Avenged Sevenfold”
Four albums into a steadily building career, Avenged Sevenfold steps up to make its Artistic Statement. “Scream” mixes drum machine rhythms with jagged guitar chords to industrial-strength effect, while strings weave in and out of “Afterlife.” “Gunslinger” kicks off with acoustic guitar and deftly blends the melodic and metallic; arpeggiating piano and operatic backing vocals mark the Goth-flavored “Unbound (The Wild Ride)”; and pedal steel brings a cowboy-from-hell vibe to “Dear God,” which ends with a guitar duel that’s equal parts “Hotel California” and “Freebird.” “A Little Piece of Heaven,” meanwhile, is a wildly theatrical piece — the band’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” if you will — that incorporates Eastern European melodies, keyboards and horns. Such tracks as “Critical Acclaim” and “Almost Easy” keep the crank factor high — but as part of a bolder, broader and more engaging soundscape.

Playaz Circle, “Supply & Demand”
While acts continue to break into the rap scene with fun, youthful tracks that boost singles and digital sales, Tity Boi and Dolla Boy of Playaz Circle keep things a bit traditional. The Atlanta natives’ Disturbing Tha Peace/Def Jam debut, “Supply & Demand,” is packed with insightful storytelling and sharp production that keeps the album engaging from start to finish. On “Dear Mr. LA Reid,” the duo rhyme about its longtime struggle to break into the music business and its endless love for rap. Absentee fathers and strong single mothers get their due on the piano-laced “Let Me Fly.” Even when it’s boasting about usual subjects like street life (the Lil Wayne-assisted “Duffle Bag”) or wealth (the violin-heavy “Paper Chaser”), Playaz Circle’s way with words stands tall.

Toni Price, “Talk Memphis”
Before abruptly pulling up stakes for San Diego earlier this year, Toni Price owned Tuesday evenings in Austin. The singer was the attraction at “hippie hour,” an after-work musical workout that kept the Continental Club packed for 15 years. On what appears to be her seventh album, she digs into the deep soul catalog but avoids the obvious: Covers include Bert Russell and Jeff Barry’s “Am I Groovin’ U,” a 1960s R&B hit for Freddie Scott, and Isaac Hayes & David Porter’s “Leftover Love,” a relatively obscure Mabel John track. “What I’m Puttin’ Down” is the showstopper here, largely due to David Grissom’s guitar solo, which sounds as spontaneous as it is inspired. Unlike other spotlight rock-blues singers, Price is not a shouter or shrieker. She is a musical conversationalist, whose matter-of-fact delivery is her great allure. She never sings at you; she sings to you.

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