Graham Parker was often at his best with The Rumour. Something in his chemistry with the band took solid songs and turned them into grand anthems of pure British soul. Three Chords Good is their first album together since 1980's underrated The Up Escalator. Cast as the band in Judd Apatow's film This Is 40, Graham Parker & The Rumour are armed and ready to meet the mainstream one more time. The updated, more mature version of the band still plays acoustic-laced, organ-powered rock 'n' roll that recalls a British version of The Band. Parker still rasps about the world around him with a smart, caustic eye, but he's also learned sweetness. As a happily married family man, Parker isn't eager to put up a front. "Long Emotional Ride" and "She Rocks Me" bring into focus a man who's learned to count his blessings. "Last Bookstore in Town" reflects the feelings of a literate human being in the modern world. "Coathangers" breaks into a Stones-like romp for some purebred rock 'n' roll.