“Steely Dan’s Walter Becker hasn’t exactly made a habit of solo albums, and considering the muted reaction to his last one 14 years ago, you can’t say demand has overwhelmed supply. But “Circus Money” is an easy pleasure, 12 non-whack tracks largely co-written by Becker and producer Larry Klein, energized by a reggae rhythm base. Singing may not be Becker’s forte, but neither is it a terrible liability on songs that display his penchant for trenchant scene-setting and character sketch. His once pitiless cynicism is now leavened by compassion, whether in the portrayal of a none-too-attractive barfly (”Somebody’s Saturday Night”) or the accumulation of precise details that give ’70s Philly soul romance “Downtown Canon” its heartbreaking authority. Inveterate Dan fans will be perked by “Paging Audrey,” which sounds like a “Royal Scam”-era idea given a fresh dust-off. —Wayne Robins”
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