Peter Gabriel's first studio album in eight years is a musical mutual admiration society. The idea is simple: Gabriel covers the songs of artists he admires, and they in turn cover his songs (the results of which will be released on the forthcoming "I'll Scratch Yours" later this year). Not a bad way to shake the publishing royalty tree. Gabriel's song list is as eclectic as you'd expect from a man who's spent his life exploring sounds from Motown to Mali. His covers range from Paul Simon to Radiohead -— all sans rhythm sections. Gabriel is accompanied only by orchestra arrangements. Yes, "Scratch My Back" is a bit somber and precious, but it's a serious lesson in the art of reinvention.

LISTEN to Peter Gabriel discuss the songs on "Scratch My Back."

See more of this week's new music releases.