Chuck Ragan & the Camaraderie/Jonny Two Bags/Meridian

Till Midnight, the latest album from rootsy rocker Chuck Ragan, puts Ragan's gruff vocals up front in the sound mix, making him sound like a cross between Bruce Springsteen and Tom Waits as he intones "something may catch fire" on the anthemic album opener "Something May Catch Fire." With some fine backing from the Camaraderie, a group that features guys who've played with everyone from Social Distortion to Lucero, Ragan confidently veers from sparse ballads ("For Broken Ears") to righteous alt-country rockers ("Vagabond"). It's a departure from the punk rock of his other band, Hot Water Music, but Ragan makes it work. (Jeff Niesel)