Album: Garland Jeffreys, The King of In Between (Big Lake)

Fabled NYC rocker, rolling with a talented session posse (including Larry Campbell and Steve Jordan), and making as much of a limited vocal palette as a fellow can who never makes an interval when he doesn't have to.

In Between is aptly titled: as ever, Jeffreys splits the difference between his R&B/reggae influences and his presiding taste for Stonesy guitar rock. The songs? Melodically flat, feel-driven jive from the hip. "Street poetry", I guess it's called.