Days in Avalon

The platinum-selling Richard Marx was a radio staple in the late '80s and early '90s; he's continued to keep his hand in as a songwriter for the likes of 'N Sync ("This I Promise You"). Days in Avalon, his first album since 1997, isn't likely to change anyone's mind about Marx. But anyone who has enjoyed him in the past will appreciate this disc, whose only real surprise is the closing duet with Alison Krauss, "Straight from My Heart." Elsewhere, Marx indulges his passion for melodramatic storytelling (remember "Hazard"?) on "Boy Next Door," the tale of a Midwestern teenager who goes on a shooting spree. --Rickey Wright