Best likely sounding pick this week is Lyle Lovett and His Large Band, It's Not Big It's Large. This is Lovett's eighth original studio album, and his first in four years. As suggested by the title and the album cover, this goes back to the big band/Western swing of the 1990 Large Band album. He starts with a cover of Lester Young's "Tickle Toe" before heading off into his original songs. Lovett's never particularly been a big commercial powerhouse, but I note that this album is as high as #3 currently on Amazon.

Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals Lifeline is Harper's eighth album in twelve years. Those criminals on the album cover don't look so innocent, though. The promo guys are making a big point of how this album was recorded quickly (seven days) without much in the way of modern high tech recording gear. Listening to some samples, I don't hear anything particularly memorable. "In the Colors" distinctly sounds like a watered down Van Morrison pastiche. "Needed You Tonight" sounds like imitation Otis Redding. He'd probably have been better off just covering Morrison and Redding.

Photograph: The Very Best of Ringo Starr is the first Ringo solo compilation since 1975. This contains all of those excellent songs, a couple left off that original vinyl album, and a few more recent things. When the Beatles broke up, Ringo was actually the biggest solo act for the first couple of years. That was in significant part because of songs written by his old bandmates. These early solo songs were quite good, and particularly well chosen and engineered for Ringo's voice and persona. "I'm the Greatest" for one would likely have come off far less effective if it had been sung by John Lennon, the author. This is some excellent stuff.

Here's the complete list of this week's major new album releases, courtesy AMG:

Aesop Rock None Shall Pass Definitive Jux
Underground Rap, Alternative Rap

Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals Lifeline Virgin
Contemporary Singer/Songwriter, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Country-Soul, Folk-Rock, Urban Folk

Liars Liars Mute
Indie Rock, Experimental Rock, Post-Rock/Experimental

Lyle Lovett and His Large Band It's Not Big It's Large Lost Highway
Alternative Country, Singer/Songwriter, Contemporary Country

Ringo Starr Photograph: The Very Best of Ringo Starr Capitol
Pop/Rock

Leif Ove Andsnes Ballad for Edvard Grieg EMI Classics
Post-Romantic Music for Piano

Paul Anka Classic Songs: My Way Decca
Vocal Pop, Vocal Jazz, Adult Contemporary

Atreyu Lead Sails Paper Anchor Hollywood
Punk Metal, Alternative Metal

Jorge Ben Forca Bruta Dusty Groove America
Samba, Brazilian Pop

Dickey Betts & Great Southern Official Bootleg Evangeline
Southern Rock, Boogie Rock, Blues-Rock, Rock & Roll

Beyonce Irremplazable Columbia
Contemporary R&B, Urban, Latin Pop

Dennis Brown Best of the Joe Gibbs Years Shanachie
Smooth Reggae, Lovers Rock, Roots Reggae

Circus Devils Sgt. Disco Ipecac
Indie Rock

La Clave La Clave Dusty Groove America
Rock en Español, Latin Soul, Salsa, Funk

Joe Cocker Classic Cocker Capitol
Adult Contemporary, Soft Rock, Pop/Rock

Simone Dinnerstein Bach: Goldberg Variations Telarc
Baroque Keyboard Music

The Fall The Fall Box Set Castle
College Rock, Post-Punk, Indie Rock, British Punk, Punk, Alternative Pop/Rock

Fred Frith/Evelyn Glennie The Sugar Factory Tzadik
Free Improvisation, Avant-Garde

Frank Frost/Sam Carr The Last of the Jelly Roll Kings SPV
Juke Joint Blues, R&B, Electric Delta Blues, Soul-Blues

Stan Getz The Smoothest Operator JSP
Cool, Bop, Ballads

Victoria Hart Whatever Happened to Romance? Sony
Vocal Jazz, Adult Contemporary, Standards, Vocal Pop

Heaven & Hell Live from Radio City Music Hall Rhino
Album Rock, British Metal, Heavy Metal

The Howling Hex XI Drag City
Indie Rock

Sarah Johns Big Love in a Small Town SBMG Nashville
Neo-Traditionalist Country, Contemporary Country

Cledus T. Judd Boogity Boogity: A Tribute to the Comic Genius of Ray Stevens Curb
Country Comedy, Contemporary Country, Novelty

Paavo Jarvi Tuur: Magma Virgin Classics
Contemporary Orchestral Music

Emily King East Side Story J-Records
Neo-Soul, Contemporary Singer/Songwriter

Kottonmouth Kings Cloud Nine Suburban Noize
Rap-Metal, Alternative Metal, Funk Metal

Michael McDermott Noise from Words Oli
Americana, Contemporary Folk, Roots Rock, Singer/Songwriter

Mr. Vegas Hot It Up Delicious Vinyl
Dancehall, Contemporary Reggae

New Young Pony Club Fantastic Playroom Modular
Indie Electronic, Indie Rock, Dance-Rock, Alternative Dance

Northern State Can I Keep This Pen? Ipecac
Left-Field Hip-Hop, Indie Electronic

Odd Nosdam Level Live Wires Anticon
Indie Electronic, Left-Field Hip-Hop, Ambient, Experimental Ambient, Underground Rap

United States Marine Band Ives: Variations on America; Old Home Days; The Alcotts Naxos
Modern Music for Band

Frances White Centre Bridge: Electroacoustic Works Mode
Contemporary Electroacoustic Music

Johnny Paycheck Take This Job and Shove It/Armed and Crazy Raven
Outlaw Country, Traditional Country, Honky Tonk

Prinzhorn Dance School Prinzhorn Dance School Astralwerks
Indie Rock

Queensryche Sign of the Times: The Best of Queensryche EMI
Progressive Metal, Prog-Rock/Art Rock, Album Rock

Paul Robeson On My Journey: Paul Robeson's Independent Recordings Smithsonian/Fol
Spirituals, Folksongs, Traditional Folk

Anoushka Shankar and Karsh Kale Breathing Under Water Manhattan
Indian Classical, Indian Folk, Experimental Ambient, Indian Pop, Electronica, Raga

Matthew Shipp Piano Vortex Thirsty Ear
Avant-Garde Jazz, Modern Composition, Post-Bop

Sly & the Family Stone Greatest Hits [Bonus Tracks] Epic/Legacy
Psychedelic Soul, Pop/Rock, Funk, Soul

John Stewart California Bloodlines Capitol
Contemporary Folk, Folk-Rock, Singer/Songwriter

The Subdudes Street Symphony Back Porch
Americana, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Roots Rock, Rock & Roll

Jamie T. Panic Prevention [Bonus Tracks] Caroline
Indie Rock, Indie Pop, Alternative Rap

Toots & the Maytals Light Your Light Fantasy
Contemporary Reggae, Roots Reggae, Rocksteady

VHS or Beta Bring on the Comets Astralwerks
Indie Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock

Various Artists Bullet Records Blues SPV
Jump Blues, Electric Blues, Piano Blues, R&B

Yung Joc Hustlenomics Bad Boy
Hardcore Rap, Southern Rap, Gangsta Rap