You can take the boy out of Britain—and, apparently, a good deal of Britain out of the boy. Ray Davies, the once (and future?) Kinks frontman, has long been among rock's most strident social commentators, with a decidedly British flip to his characters and observations. But on his second proper solo album, Davies drops any sense of U.K. jive and draws on a residential tenure in New Orleans earlier this decade for what is decidedly the most "American" work of his more than four decades of recording. "Vietnam Cowboys" bursts forward with a gritty shuffle and ruminations about the impact of the global economy on these shores. "Hymn for a New Age" is an Americana-styled anthem calling for spiritual overhaul, while "Imaginary Man" has a rootsy richness that echoes Muscle Shoals. The net result is smart, personal and potent.—Gary Graff