CD reviews: The Kills; North Mississippi Allstars; Snoop Dogg

Not only are the Kills coming off the career-defining "Midnight Boom" -- the 2008 record that solidified the duo as gritty rock royalty -- but the album also follows singer Alison Mosshart's lauded time in the Dead Weather. Somehow, Mosshart and bandmate Jamie Hince come through with a CD that triumphs as a natural follow-up to their back catalog and a smart alternative to Mosshart's two albums with Jack White's latest band.

While "Blood Pressures" doesn't have the natural indie hits of "Boom," it's a solid effort that favors fuzzed-out guitars and stark percussion as much as its minimalist predecessors. "Heart Is a Beating Drum" best displays this record's highs and inadequacies. Mosshart's vocals are a natural fit for this simple, '60s-aping musical dynamic, but the song and its simple melody aren't as memorable as past efforts.

CD-starter "Future Starts Slow" shows off the sexy interplay of their intertwined vocals. The mellower "Wild Charms" and "The Last Goodbye" provide keen balance for the group. And "Satellite" is the kind of sludgy, druggy jam you want to hear from this band.

The Kills perform May 5 at First Avenue.

North Mississippi Allstars, "Keys to the Kingdom" (Songs of the South)

The liner notes say "Keys to the Kingdom" was "produced for Jim Dickinson." It's a disc made in memory of the late Memphis music legend by his sons, Luther and Cody, who make up the Allstars with Chris Chew.

Hard as the loss was for the Dickinsons -- and you can hear that here -- it was obviously also a mighty source of inspiration. With lyrics by singer/guitarist Luther, "Keys" is a meditation on death and mortality that is as unvarnished and moving as the trio's music, a tour-de-force trip through rock, blues, country, gospel, string band and echoes of second line. Such guests as Mavis Staples, Ry Cooder and Spooner Oldham help flesh it all out. But it's the Allstars, especially Luther, who fuel the arc of this record, from loss and longing to its ultimate spirit of undeniable transcendence.

Snoop Dogg, "Doggumentary" (Priority)Will anyone else release an album this year that features Willie Nelson, E-40, Gorillaz and forgotten Cali rapper Kokane? Unlikely -- and it certainly won't match what Snoop does on his 11th solo album. Taking a cue from 2009's hit "I Wanna Rock," he relies on familiar, feel-good melodies to remind us he's still here, producing his bounciest, breeziest material ever. Part ode to L.A., part legacy tribute, "Doggumentary" fills the weed and pimp quotas through a lot of guest spots, but it evolves Snoop's agenda, too. There's space-age reggae in "Sumthin' Like This Night," a collaboration with Gorillaz, and a taste of mortality on "Eyez Closed."