ALBUMS REVIEWS / POP

** 1/2 BR5-49, “BR5-49.” Arista. This quintet joins the growing ranks of retro honky-tonkers with an album divided between spirited versions of country and rockabilly chestnuts (Webb Pierce’s “I Ain’t Never,” Moon Mullican’s “Cherokee Boogie”) and uneventful originals. The energy is contagious, but enthusiasm alone doesn’t elevate BR5-49 to the terrestrial heights of a David Ball, much less the stratospheric ones of a Junior Brown.

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