What can we expect from Bridge, Jake's new CD?  Are Jessie Lee Montague's sometimes lilting, sometimes belting vocals as engaging as ever?  Do we get to enjoy Jake's knack for brilliantly recreating covers?  How about original rock tunes and searing ballads that challenge your soul with exquisitely intense emotions?  Yes, yes, yes!  Like their other CDs, Bridge is a cohesive, beautifully produced collection.

What makes it different is that the direction Snake Road started to explore has now come to fruition.  Strength and serenity flow through the songs with a powerful wave, as they seem to have come through the other side of difficult emotions depicted on earlier CDs.  Jake still moves us with candor in "Slo Motion."  Those who love the harder side of Jake will groove to "Standing Still."  "Liberty" is a funky, spunky dance tune sung with street savvy authority.  Indeed, liberty could be the theme here, as independence, freedom, and the celebration of connection are themes interwoven throughout.  (And yes, there is a version of "Summer Breeze" that feels mighty fine.)  Catch a live set at Forum in Kingston on July 17.  www.jakerocks.com

- Dina Pearlman

Two years ago, a local duo called The Migrants released a debut CD.  Performed by college radio darlings Chris Cubeta and Brian Cassidy, this was more brat rock than art rock, layered with superfluous, high-decibel feedback.  But beneath the dross was inspired and self-assured songwriting which begged repeated listening.

After nine years of club gigs with The Migrants, Brian Cassidy has launched Marigold.  Freed from his previous excesses, Cassidy soars without a net on 11 numbers recorded at Poughkeepsie's Oakwood Friends School.  The unpolished energy of this live CD is infectious and compelling, as is the sheer eclecticism of the cuts, from acoustic guitar love songs to a high-toned violin and piano piece to a Japanese blues ditty.  Half-Winter is Bruce Cassidy's Let It Be.

Okay, the term Beatlesque is ragged with overuse.  Let's say that Cassidy possesses the singer-songwriter chops of Crowded House's Neil Finn - as well as his sly humor.  Such unbridled talent can occasionally be gimmicky.  But who cares when the results are exhilarating pop numbers like "These Are Your Complaints," "Trying to Keep the Cicadas Away," and "Thanks Elsie."  www.marigoldtheband.com.

- Jay Blotcher

Hudson Valley bands often fall into the jam-trap, indulging in long extended solos in lieu of originality or clever songwriting.  Avoiding this pitfall are  The Trapps, a tight quartet of schooled players with a rock edge.  On their eponymous debut EP, The Trapps present well-crafted, four-minute songs that break the cycle of jam-adelica.  Lead singer/guitarist Sean Schenker, formerly of Athens, GA band Mishap, strolls a back country road on "It's Alright Now" while the band's vocal harmonies soar like the Eagles.  "Lose Your Head" is a straight-ahead rocker that displays the band's north-south rock union.  Bassist Jason Sarubbi shines on "Seize the Day", a jazzy kicker with blazing guitar leads by Warren Gold, and a tasteful soprano sax solo.  Take a "Moment to Prepare" and be soothed by Schenker's laid-back vocals and Gold's finger-picking perfection.  Their songs may sway like summer hay, but these boys can still rock you like a sunburn.  Let your rebel yell when The Trapps headline the post-fireworks concert at Ulster County fairgrounds on July 4 at 8:30PM.  CDs will soon be available at www.thetrappsband.com.

- DJ Wavy Davy