Entertainment

So Much Better

(Indie, 2007)

Carl Thomas may no longer be a "Bad Boy," but he's still the emotive and authentic Chi-Town crooner that fans discovered and championed since his 2000 debut on the now-beleaguered record label. Mr. Thomas and songwriter-producer Mike City are a dynamic duo, and Mr. Thomas' range is explored with infectious abandon, whether it's on the bouncy "Somethin' Bout You" with Brandy, the nostalgic "Thought You Should Know" with Lalah Hathaway or on the club-ready confessional "2 Pieces." "Late Night Rendezvous" is so creamy and chivalrous that you almost forget that rendezvous is in the title, and the title track so vividly asks for forgiveness that one can picture him singing it in a driving rain with flowers and candy in hand. With vocals like his, Mr. Thomas wins either way.

Lorrie Irby Jackson

Rise

(Shout! Factory, 2007)

Let's time-travel to 1979. Disco still ruled, even if its reign was nearing the end, and trumpeter Herb Alpert jumped on the bandwagon for what proved to be one of his most successful solo excursions. Reissued, remastered and resequenced with two bonus tracks, Rise radiates again 28 years later. The CD sounds crisper than the original. There's no denying the smooth groove allure of the title track as well as "Rotation" and his cover of the Crusaders' "Street Life." Pop this in, put on the platform shoes and satin pants, then boogie under the glitter ball.

Mario Tarradell

Gloria

(Gutterth, 2007)

What is it about Denton that spawns such great lo-fi ballads? A decade after Centro-matic comes Daniel Folmer, another act with a knack for slow, dreamy songs and haunting melodies. The Paper Chase's John Congleton helped produce the CD, but the 21-year-old Mr. Folmer did just about everything else, from singing and playing guitar and keyboards to writing the tunes. And he's not a happy-go-lucky type (sample title: "Sorry for Being So Sorry"), but his wry humor often creeps through.

Thor Christensen

Daniel Folmer plays July 7 at J&J's Pizza in Denton.

Fables From a Mayfly: What I Tell You Three Times Is True

(Serjical Strike/Universal, 2007)

Since its birth as an offbeat world-rock duo in 1998, Fair to Midland's done two things: held up for years as one of Dallas' brightest bands and incubated into an uncommonly intense progressive-rock act. But it's not just ours anymore. The content of Fables From a Mayfly, its big-label debut, contains some expected (evened-out production, more prominence for Darroh Sudderth's awesome vocals) and unexpected (the semi-hidden carnival-ride intro to "A Seafarer's Knot," which is the highlight) twists. To be fair: only four songs are new, and a few of the re-recordings round off some cutting edges (most notably on "Upgrade Brigade" and "Vice/Versa") as well as cream up Cliff Campbell's big-bore riffing. But as a whole, this CD is more than fine enough to introduce to the world the most promising Dallas hard-rock product since Toadies.

Mike Daniel