In Brief

** 1/2 Brooks & Dunn, “Tight Rope,” Arista/Nashville. Country’s top-selling duo ever branches out musically in its sixth studio album (in stores Tuesday) with bits of country soul and R&B; along with its signature Eagles-lite country-rock. Some of it works, but thematically Ronnie Dunn, Kix Brooks and their slew of co-writers rarely rise above bland sentiments and generalized romantic losses or longings, leaving any listeners looking for emotional heft little to hang their Stetsons on.