For well over 30 years, Alejandro Escovedo has made his name as one of the chief architects of insurgent Americana, his strident, unrepentant energy cutting a swath across rock and roots with deliberate defiance. Consequently it’s little surprise to find him returning to his roots with an album that nods toward his punk beginnings and his tenure in bands such as the Nuns and Rank and File—early outfits that paid homage to the roughshod rockers inspired by New York’s CBGBs club scene and Britain’s new wave rebellion. “When I was a young man, I made a lot of noise,” Escovedo reminds us in “I Don’t Want to Play Guitar Anymore.” Nevertheless, with producers Peter Buck and Scott McCaughey knowingly guiding the proceedings, he plays with a fury and frenzy that summons the spirit of Lou Reed, demonstrating a grit and determination that frequently brings the Velvets to mind. The tenuous ballads “Farewell to the Good Times, “Suit of Lights, “Thought I’d Let You Know” and the reflective “Redemption Blues” aside, these songs survey a raw, raucous and harrowing terrain, resulting in buzz saw rockers “Horizontal,” and “Luna De Miel” and the sing along choruses of “Heartbeat Smile,” “Shave the Cat” and “Beauty of Your Smile.” Drawing no quarter, these songs also don’t seek any in return, making Burn Something Beautiful as searing and inflammatory as its title implies.