In Brief

*** Pennywise, “Straight Ahead,” Epitaph. Because Pennywise understands the value of subtlety in the ham-fisted genre of hard-core punk, its music has evolved beyond mere mosh fodder. On its latest album, understated grooves and melodic gusts temper the weighty one-two grind, and singer Jim Lindberg tackles topics such as alienation and disaffection without resorting to juvenile gags or political poses--all of which keeps “Straight Ahead” (due Tuesday) right on target.

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Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent). The albums are already released unless otherwise noted.

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* Excerpts from albums reviewed and other recent releases are available on The Times’ World Wide Web site. Point your browser to: https://www.calendarlive.com/soundclips