Pop concerts: Alan Jackson, Reigning Sound, Polyphonic Spree

The commercial country world may be dominated these days by shallow, paint-by-numbers "bro country" (hello, Luke Bryan), but, as you'd expect, Alan Jackson is having none of it. The country superstar's low-key manner has always masked a steely resolve and a disdain for artifice (see his 1994 hit "Gone Country"), and almost as if in response to what's going on, his last two albums have been a second volume of spirituals and a bluegrass set. But his last collection of country material, 2012's Thirty Miles West, was as good as anything he's done. And of course he has a long backlog of hits that manage forthrightly to champion country traditionalism while packing plenty of radio-friendly appeal - providing some profound lessons for his younger brethren.

- Nick Cristiano

The name may be wishful thinking, but Reigning Sound is certainly built on some sturdy foundations - timeless sound may be the more apt description. The group's new album, Shattered, was recorded in the Brooklyn studio of Daptone Records, the vintage-soul label, but it often reflects Reigning Sound's Memphis roots. Tight, punchy garage-soul numbers such as "You Did Wrong" and "Baby, It's Too Late" carry echoes of Stax Records. And on numbers such as the gentle, strings-kissed "Never Coming Home" and the smoldering "I'm Trying (to Be the Man You Need)," singer-guitarist Greg Cartwright manages to slow the pace and soften the edge without losing any of the feeling.

- Nick Cristiano

With nearly two dozen members dressed in choir robes, the Polyphonic Spree aren't your typical rock band. The Denton, Texas, group, led by Tim DeLaughter, creates orchestral, choral, psychedelic music to fend off darkness. From their sunny debut, 2000's The Beginning Stages of . . ., through their Christmas album and their reenactment of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, to last year's joyful Yes, It's True, the Spree have proclaimed optimism and exuberance as their mission. But dark undercurrents lurk beneath the giddy surface. The songs often present happiness as the end of a struggle or battle with opposing forces, and those dark undercurrents rise to the surface of Psychophonic, the new collection of remixes of Yes, It's True. But light will prevail Wednesday night at the Prince: Polyphonic Spree shows are manic, communal celebrations.

   - Steve Klinge