Tie-dyed summer rocking is abound with the Allman Betts Band’s new album, “Bless Your Heart” (BMG). Group namesakes Devon Allman and Duane Betts ably carry the baton with 13 new tracks that prove that lightning can strike twice. (Their 2019 record, “Down to the River,” blew the embers, as that was the first time that the seven-member ABB played together.) Allman has said the sound is of “a band being in love with being a band.” And it shows. Their collective power shines on tracks like the opener, “Pale Horse Rider,” a mind-bending southern-charmer, with a chill mid-tempo groove. Recorded at Muscle Shoals Studio in Alabama, it’s apparent that the members of the band are playing their cards close to the vest. The first single, “Magnolia Road,” is chock full of slide guitars and dual vocals, beckoning the likes of the Dead and the Band. This record is probably the closest thing any audiophile can find that will spark old spirits, so bless your heart with a listen or two.

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Alannis Morissette sings, “These are the reasons I drink/the reasons I tell everybody I’m fine even though I am not/These are the reasons I overdo it/I have been working since I can remember, since I was single digits.” That track lets everyone know that Morrisette is not one to forget.

The album, “Such Pretty Forks in the Road” (RCA), finds the Canadian chanteuse still railing against the machine while being adamant about being ironic. As a whole, “Forks” finds Morissette a bit more subdued- after all she’s a mom and a grundgy mom at that. And although it’s been 25 years since her breakthrough “Jagged Little Pill” was released, the once omnipresent pop icon still has some barbed-wire to climb through and she lets you know it. There are a few jangly singer/songwriter tricks, like on the tracks “Ablaze” and “Sandbox Love,” but overall, the album sparkles – it just doesn’t spark.

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Morse-Pornoy-George’s third installment of covers, “Cov3r to Cov3r” (Inside Out), is predictable, as the trio plays it safe with tracks by Yes, Jethro Tull, David Bowie, Ringo Starr (!), and two by Squeeze. The series of cover albums by Neal Morse, Mike Portnoy and Randy George is a safe bet, but a boring bet at best. They rarely introduced new takes on old classics and keep the car center lane at all times. Yes vocalist Jon Davison even makes an appearance on the Yes hit, “No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed,” but why? With little effort made to reinterpret classic rock songs, you’re better off just listening to the originals and save yourself a couple of bucks and an hour of your life that you’ll never get back.

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Somber and affective, the Avett Brothers drop “The Third Gleam” (Loma Vista Recordings). Following suit with their first two “Gleam” records, the third time comes close to being a charm. After the mixed reception with 2019’s “Closer Than Together,” the brothers Avett, Seth and Scott, get back to their bluegrass roots with varying results. A soft and easy listen, “Gleam” is bare-boned with nary a pop flourish. Their introspective storytelling is what is at the forefront here, and not any razzle-dazzle musicianship. “I Spent the Day with my Family,” and “Prison to Heaven” are dark and emotional. It really isn’t until the second half of the album do the boys, joined again by bassist Bob Crawford, hit a current and stick with it. “Back in the Light” marks a turning point, upbeat and offering promise. Alternatively, “Untitled 4” and “I Go To My Heart” get more philosophical as they ask questions about finding happiness within. As Avett albums go, this one is a gamble; as folk and bluegrass go, “Gleam” offers a few glimmers of light.

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