In Brief

*** Robert Plant, “Fate of Nations,” Es Paranza. It’s refreshing to hear a rock demigod avoid getting trapped in that boxed set of mind. Maybe all the pressure to fall in with Jimmy Page and fly the Zep again has spurred Plant to show that he’s no candidate for rock’s all-too-spacious Jurassic Park. He has responded with a warmly emotional, musically adventurous album that sparkles with mature craftsmanship, yet sharpens enough hard edges to remind you where he came from.

New albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor) to four (excellent).