Ken Tucker

Husband and wife duo Cecil and Linda Womack's new album Conscience updates the classic soul sound for the 1980s. Rock critic Ken Tucker says it reveals the pain and devotion associated with long-term relationships.

It's a quandary many musicians face: Create material that explores new territory or give variations of the same? Tom Jones, Jackson Browne and John Mayer each answer that question in new releases.

Chrissie Hynde sings Bob Dylan and Shannon McNally performs songs associated with country singer Waylon Jennings. They both use the structures the men built to create their own rich emotional spaces.