Harps and Angels (2008)

The stunning title track — an orchestrated mini-epic about a lout's near-death experience — proves that Randy Newman, at age 64, has more healthy bile in him than 64 angry twentysomethings. Sitting at his piano and on his movie-soundtrack royalties, Newman jabs at our lousy economy and himself in the timely ''A Piece of the Pie,'' drawling, ''The rich are getting richer, I should know.'' In ''Potholes,'' a sad-sack husband and father bemoans his henpecked existence. Harps and Angels has a couple of duds, though. His obligatory un-PC, ''Short People''-ish novelty tune is the flat ''Korean Parents.'' And the intentional treacle of ''Feels Like Home'' would fit right in on American Idol. B+
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