In Brief

* * 1/2 Grant-Lee Phillips, “Mobilize,” Zo/Rounder. Having broken up L.A.’s perennially on-the-verge Grant Lee Buffalo, Phillips seems glum in “See America,” the opener of his first full solo release, singing about “all these cracks for me to slip into.” But with a little wink (the album title and his Napoleon get-up on the cover), he marshals his gift for dreamy, Lennon-esque melodies and layered arrangements to explore his discouragement in poetically personal fashion.

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Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent). The albums are already released unless otherwise noted.