Billboard CD reviews: Katy Perry, Trace Adkins

ARTIST: KATY PERRY

ALBUM: TEENAGE DREAM

NEW YORK (Billboard) - Don't be fooled by the first two singles and the candy-covered "California Gurls" video: Katy Perry's second album, "Teenage Dream," is not all sugar and rainbows. Two years after "One of the Boys," the hit-loaded debut that made her a star, Perry is tempering all that innocent light with a bit of more experienced dark. Tracks like the delectable "Gurls," "The One That Got Away" and "Teenage Dream" have more texture than anything on "Boys," conjuring the high school fairy tale promised by the album title. But "E.T.," "Who Am I Living For?" and "Circle the Drain" get heavier sonically and lyrically, with a boom-boom-pow electro punch and Perry discussing more toxic relationships. With a co-writing credit on every track, she name-checks biblical heroine Esther and classic novel "Of Mice and Men" and uses pearls and pyramids as metaphors. But this new depth shouldn't surprise; for all the pomp and watermelon costumes, Perry is primarily a smart and personal pop songwriter. And "Teenage Dream" shows -- in carefully selected spots -- that she's ready to grow up.

ARTIST: TRACE ADKINS

ALBUM: COWBOY'S BACK IN TOWN (Show Dog/Universal)

The country veteran's first album for Toby Keith's Show Dog label seems well suited to Keith's manly-man worldview. After offering up "Hold My Beer" and "This Ain't No Love Song," Trace Adkins closes "Cowboy's Back in Town" with a plain-talking ditty called "Whoop a Man's Ass," in which he admits that the high road isn't always his preferred route. Truth be told, Adkins' ninth studio disc contains its fair share of thoughtful sensitivity, too: It's demonstrated in "Still Love You," where the former "Celebrity Apprentice" contestant describes a devotion longer-lived than the moon or the ocean, and "Break Her Fall," a finely observed account of an angel's helpless attraction to "a long-haired country boy." (Think "Wings of Desire" crossed with "Splash.") The album's liveliest cut is the delightfully titled "Ala-Freakin-Bama," which recalls the hard-rocking boisterousness of Big & Rich. "I grew up on Skynyrd, and I'm a Bear Bryant fan," Adkins sings. Yep, sounds about right.

ARTIST: WEEZER

ALBUM: HURLEY (Epitaph Records)

"Hurley," the veteran alt-rock band's speedy follow-up to last year's "Raditude," should mollify old-school Weezer fans horrified by that album's oddball forays into shiny top 40 territory. Instead of punching up his tunes with help from the likes of Dr. Luke and Lil Wayne, here frontman Rivers Cuomo emphasizes Weezer's core values: fuzzy guitars, catchy melodies and self-pitying lyrics. "That's the story of our lives," he sings at one point, "We are trainwrecks." Not that "Hurley" -- which was named after either the clothing company or the "Lost" character, depending on which member of the band you're talking to -- is entirely free of Cuomo's well-known eccentric streak. The song "Unspoken" features a cameo from smooth-jazz saxophonist Greg Vail (on flute, no less), while peppy lead single "Memories" contains at least one surprising reminiscence ("Watching all the freaky Dutch kids vomit and then have sex"). But as the band's first disc for Epitaph after a 15-year major-label run, the stripped-down "Hurley" mostly delivers what you'd expect.

ARTIST: LITTLE BIG TOWN

ALBUM: THE REASON WHY (Capitol Nashville)

The star of any Little Big Town album is the harmonizing, a four-part treat that's offered in abundance on the group's latest release, "The Reason Why." The openings to "Why, Oh Why" and "All the Way Down" approach a cappella and are so tight and melodious that it's easy to get stuck on those two parts alone. But "The Reason Why" boasts plenty of other reasons to recommend it. The 12-track set plows some new ground for Little Big Town, from the way Karen Fairchild and Jimi Westbrook's duet intertwines with the group harmonies on the title track to the traditional country flavor of "You Can't Have Everything" and the bluegrass tinge on "Little White Church." "Life Rolls On," "Runaway Train" and "All the Way Down" are buoyant bursts of joy, while "Kiss Goodbye," "Shut Up Train" and "Rain on a Tin Roof" are bona fide heartstring shredders.

ARTIST: RA RA RIOT

ALBUM: THE ORCHARD (Barsuk Records)

Syracuse, N.Y.-based rock act Ra Ra Riot has been tiptoeing around the cusp of major fame since the release of its 2008 debut, "The Rhumb Line." The quintet's follow-up, "The Orchard," is a polished effort that blends syncopated pop beats with a sophisticated string section. Lead vocalist Wes Miles really stretches his pipes on the set, pushing it to an even higher register on tracks like "Massachusetts" and "Foolish." Elsewhere, cellist Alexandra Lawn takes the lead on "You and I Know," where her smoky-voiced delivery creates a welcome change from other material on the set. Popping drum rhythms and Miles' sharp vocals drive the tune "Boy" to full speed, while Lawn and violinist Rebecca Zeller drench it with melancholy accompaniment. Ra Ra Riot also does a fine job of juxtaposing slow-paced folk (the title track) with danceable rhythms ("Too Dramatic"). The set might not be as catchy as Ra Ra Riot's well-received debut, but fans should appreciate the band's musical growth.

ARTIST: !!!

ALBUM: STRANGE WEATHER, ISN'T IT? (Warp Records)

!!! (pronounced chk-chk-chk) makes music for the body. The California dance-punk outfit's slick bass lines, pounding polyrhythms and uncomplicated lyrics make it easy to shut off your brain and lose yourself in the grooves. Its 2007 album, "Myth Takes," included some memorable dance jams. But on its latest release, "Strange Weather, Isn't It?," the band wholeheartedly commits to upbeat movement. The track "The Most Certain Sure" combines Talking Heads-esque guitar licks with a sweaty techno beat, while "Jump Back" uses a sinister undercurrent to expand the album's lighthearted aesthetic. !!! hopscotches across multiple styles, but Nic Offer's deep, breathy vocals give the group a defining sense of danger that similar acts like the Rapture and LCD Soundsystem lack. "Strange Weather, Isn't It?" is not life-altering fare, but the album's 40 minutes of club-approved funk-rock signals another noteworthy entry in the band's discography.

ARTIST: APOCALYPTICA

ALBUM: 7TH SYMPHONY (Jive Records)

Finnish orchestral metal band Apocalyptica's latest studio album is befitting of its title; "7th Symphony" is the seventh symphonic offering from the classically trained cellists and percussionist. This time around, the act boasts even more impressive instrumentation than 2007's "Worlds Collide." The 10-track album contains strong guest vocals by Bush's Gavin Rossdale, Shinedown's Brent Smith and Slayer's Dave Lombardo, but the instrumentals are just as gripping. The set opens with "At the Gates of Manala," the first of five instrumental tracks that make up half of the set. Later, Rossdale lays an anthemic chorus over descending power chords and cello injections on the first single, "End of Me," while "2010" (featuring Lombardo) opens with an eerie-sounding cello and guitar before sliding into grandiose metal percussion. With production by Joe Barresi (Coheed and Cambria, Queens of the Stone Age) and Howard Benson (Three Days Grace, My Chemical Romance), Apocalyptica continues to impress with its unique ability to meld classical with metal.