In Brief

** 1/2 Roger Hodgson, “Rites of Passage,” Unichord. Echoes of the old Supertramp can be heard on the first record in 10 years from the group’s former singer. It’s a combination of loose pop ditties and cheerful versions of old hits, recorded live with the help of Supertramp’s John Helliwell on sax. A pleasant effort, although a return to the icy perfectionism and biting irony of the past would be more welcome.

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Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent).