In 'Circumstance,' 2013 Newton North graduate Alice Howe channels Raitt, Benatar

Alice Howe’s acclaimed 2019 debut album, “Visions,” stuck fairly close to the folk-style music she’d been performing up to that time, emphasizing her warm alto vocals and the wit and irreverence of her lyrics. But there were hints even then that the Newton native had a depth of emotion in her voice that suggested soul music had been a major influence too.

On her second album, “Circumstance,” released last week, Howe has taken the plunge, recording most of the record at rhythm and blues mecca Muscle Shoals, Alabama, at the legendary Fame Studios, and delivering a record of gripping, compelling rock ‘n’ soul that ranks among 2023’s best works.

Howe’s official local album release is Friday night at The Burren in Davis Square, Somerville, where she will unveil the new music with her full rock band. (The Burren is at 247 Elm St, Somerville. The show begins at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door, and may be purchased through the venue’s website, burren.com. Call 617-776-6896 for more information.)

The new album, like her debut, was produced by her friend and bandleader Freebo, best known as the fretless bassist in Bonnie Raitt’s classic band of the 1970s. That makes comparisons to Raitt inevitable, and the new tune “What About You?” evokes the rocking side of Raitt at her height, although listeners could also close their eyes and imagine Pat Benatar-with-twang when they hear it. Howe’s skill at songwriting has continued to develop, and “Somebody’s New Lover Now” is an intelligent look at a lost love, conveying a wistful acceptance. And a tune like “Love Has No Rules” is just a certified heartbreaker, as the singer intones lines like “you can run, you can hide, but you can’t live your life in disguise.”

As before, Howe’s voice is a marvelous instrument, strong and effortlessly musical, yet also capable of the sort of nuance that adds layers of meaning. With the backing of the Muscle Shoals musicians, like Clayton Ivey on B-3 organ, and talented cohorts like Jeff Friedman and Will McFarlane on guitars, Freebo’s producing skills have resulted in a work that should vault Howe into the front rank of American singer/songwriters, as well as introduce her to legions of rock and soul fans.

From Newton North to Smith College

Howe’s biography is surely unusual, as she went from Newton North High School to Smith College, where she graduated in 2013 with a degree in medieval history. She had always loved singing and hearing music, growing up with an affinity for Joan Baez and Joni Mitchell, as well as all the rock and R&B in her parents’ record collection. Incredibly, she never pursued it in a formal way until after graduation, where a period of reassessing what she wanted to so with her life led to trying for a career as a folk singer. It was at a Folk Alliance function, designed to showcase artists for college audiences, that she met Freebo in late 2016. They discovered an immediate musical bond, and the veteran Los Angeles bassist became a mentor, and usually a band mate too.

“I feel like fate led me to Muscle Shoals,” Howe said with a laugh by phone last week. “I was on a cross-country tour with Freebo, and while in Nashville, Will McFarlane – a kind of Hall of Fame member of the new generation of ‘Swampers,’ the regular Muscle Shoals players – asked us if we wanted to come down and tour the studios. I had no plans for an album at that time, although I had a couple new tunes. We figured how can we pass up a chance like that? So, we ended up booking two days in the studio at Fame.”

“Initially we went down and did those two days in September of 2019,” Howe explained. “We planned to go back and finish the album that next spring, but then the pandemic hit, so we ended up waiting until the summer of 2021. But they got us a great band, and we brought in our friend Jeff Fielder, who is from Seattle. We did a full week in 2021, and then mixed the whole album there. I’m especially excited to have this album finally come out, because due to the pandemic, it was three-and-a-half years from conception to album release.”

Becoming comfortable as a songwriter

Howe has been writing as long as she can remember, as well as singing whenever the mood struck her. But her songwriting ability has matured, and she’s also become comfortable with co-writing.

“Every record is its own journey, based on what I need to say at the time,” said Howe. “I feel that this one came out of a lot of growth and change in my life, and some personal transitions. I moved to California since the last record, and I also left a long relationship. I was exploring a new, independent period. That created a really vulnerable period, which allowed me to tap into creativity. Solitude left me really wanting to get it all down.

“The pandemic was initially challenging, because we’d been out on tour and were stopped in our tracks,” Howe added. “I felt totally stuck, but once I accepted the situation, I saw it as an opportunity to dig into my writing. It was nice to get some space from being on the road, and I need solitude and quiet to create. It was also a chance to do more pre-production with Freebo, so when we did get in the studio again, we could be much more efficient.”

And being efficient was certainly a concern when Howe got into the Fame Studios.

“I felt a good amount of pressure going into the sessions,” she admitted. “I knew I had to deliver, and all the songs were recorded live, with the whole band. The whole history and people who’ve been involved there were in my mind, and of course I wanted to leave my mark. They made me feel very comfortable.”

Music video goes viral

One of the most popular Howe videos on the internet is a cover of John Prine’s “Big Old Goofy World,” performed with just her and Freebo on tuba, for a delightfully offbeat version.

“That one really blew up and went viral,” Howe laughed. “That speaks to the power of John Prine, one of my favorites. Another popular video of ours is the cover of Joni Mitchell’s “A Case of You,” which I’ve been using to close my shows for a while now.”

The Burren show is one of three full-band concerts Howe will be doing, with the others in Nashville and Los Angeles.

“Touring with the full band is prohibitively expensive, so most of our dates will be the duo version of just me and Freebo,” Howe noted. “As nice as it is to have the colors of the B-3, and a six-piece band, for me as a singer-songwriter, it can be overwhelming onstage. I like to sink into the songs vocally, and put more emphasis on the words, and the duo allows me to do that. I still have family, friends, and classmates from Smith in the Boston area, so The Burren is kind of a big one for me.”

Silos make most of 90-minute set

Quite an expansive set from The Silos at the Narrows Center last Saturday, as they packed 20 songs into their 90-minute set. The quartet performed all of their second album, “Cuba,” celebrating its 35th anniversary, and then played a cross-section of their other works, even taking a request for their last encore. Walter Salas-Humera’s vocals were in fine form, and favorites like “Commodore Peter,” and their best-known tune “I’m Over You” showed their ragged-but-potent roots music to good effect.

Boston’s Jimmy Ryan's Wooden Leg was a revelation as openers, as the mandolin virtuoso and his quartet worked bluegrass, country and folk elements into what was mostly a torrid rock’n’roll stew. The interplay between Ryan's mandolin and Joe Kessler's fiddle was extraordinary, and great fun.

Upcoming shows: Tribute bands, Covet, Placebo

THURSDAY: Popsters Half Alive take over the House of Blues. Funk You with Datrian Johnson heats up Soundcheck Studios. Toronto’s Abigail Lapell sings at The Burren. "Math rockers" Covet shake up Royale. The acoustic trio City of the Sun headlines The Sinclair.

FRIDAY: With their roots in Kingston and Plymouth, the Delta Generators have established themselves as one of New England’s premier blues acts, and they’re coming home to The Spire Center. The Duppy Conquerors do their tribute to Bob Marley at Soundcheck Studios. Soul queen Toni Lynn Washington is at The C-Note, with her typically topnotch band, including Sax Beadle and Ed Scheer. SourPuss rocks Daddy’s Beach Club. Mac Ayres takes over Roadrunner. Malian singer/actress Fatoumata Diawara performs at City Winery. The jazz-funk sounds of Theo Katzman at the House of Blues. Pop band Saint Motel at The Paradise Rock Club. French pop chanteuse Lolo Zouai sings at Brighton Music Hall.

SATURDAY: Songwriter/guitarist Carsie Blanton is at City Winery, with special guest Stoughton’s Mike Viola. Rock/jazz/jam master Marco Benevento at Soundcheck Studios. Journeyman – an Eric Clapton tribute – at The Narrows Center. Badfish, and their acclaimed tribute to Sublime, at The Paradise Rock Club. Bankrol Hayden raps at The Sinclair. Hey Nineteen – a Steely Dan tribute – at The Spire Center. Screaming Females – a New Jersey rock trio – warms up Brighton Music Hall. Canadian metal band Spiritbox thunders into the House of Blues. Beat Street gets down at The C-Note. Big night for folk: John Gorka is at Circle of Friends Coffeehouse in Mansfield; while Patty Larkin is at the Maxwell Auditorium in Lexington.

SUNDAY AND BEYOND: Sunday has British alt-rockers Placebo at Roadrunner; while R&B star Ravyn Lenae is at The Paradise; and Georgia rockers Perpetual Groove visits Brighton Music Hall. Monday has Graham Parker solo at City Winery; Pedro the Lion at The Sinclair; and The Heavy heating up Brighton Music Hall. Tuesday catch rocker Alejandro Escovedo at The Narrows Center. Wednesday finds hard rockers Coheed & Cambria taking over Roadrunner; while Americana’s "first couple," Larry Campbell and wife Therea Williams delight fans at The Narrows Center. May 6, Roomful of Blues ought to fill The Spire Center.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Newton's Howe takes chance with second studio album, 'Circumstance'