Music

B

Hard Candy

(Warner Bros.)

NEW, AGAIN: Once again, Madonna has reinvented herself. On her 11th studio album and swan song on longtime label Warner Bros., the Queen of Pop veers toward hip-hop by recruiting ubiquitous producers Timbaland and Pharrell Williams. But fans who might wince at the thought of Madonna relinquishing control can relax – the results sound surprisingly natural.

DANCE, BABY: Though Hard Candy is a radical departure from Madonna's Grammy-winning Confessions on a Dance Floor, which was a continuous mix of disco and house-tinged dance songs, its goal is mostly the same – to get your feet moving. The cool, slick percussion of "Candy Shop" helps continue Confessions' theme but with a more hip-hop feel and Prince-style backup harmonies. The first single, "4 Minutes," a duet with Justin Timberlake that features Timbaland on backing vocals, offers a different take on "Dancing in the Streets": "We only got four minutes to save the world/Grab a boy and grab a girl."

BOTTOM LINE: Even pushing 50, she keeps us guessing.

Michael Hamersly, McClatchy Newspapers

B+

Rising Down

(Def Jam)

I GOT SO MUCH TROUBLE ON MY MIND: Global warming, African genocide, consumerism gone wild: Philadelphia's legendary Roots crew keeps a bumping-if-apocalyptic vibe going on Rising Down. The ominous beats grind and pound as frontman Black Thought and a host of guests, from rap vets Mos Def and Common to up-and-comers Truck North and Chrisette Michele, drop science on a world gone mad.

AND YET ...: Somehow it's still hip-hop to the bone, right down to the rough-and-raw freestyle that flows over the disc's "hidden track." ?uestlove keeps the syncopation flowing from his drums, and the sonic styles switch on the drop of a dime: "Rising Up" glides seamlessly from Ms. Michele's lush, radio-hatin' vocal hook to Black Thought's demand to "get paper like John Travolta" (a little dated but who's counting?).

BOTTOM LINE: Down doesn't quite groove like 2006's Game Theory, but it still frees the mind and the butt in equal measure.

Chris Vognar

A-

Third

(Mercury/Island)

BACK FROM THE FUTURE: In the mid-1990s, Portishead fomented the trip-hop subgenre – a potent combination of romantically classic melancholy and retro-futurist electronica – but never acted as though it wanted to exist on the leading edge of the new. Perhaps that's why the trio was able to disappear for a decade, and why it has emerged with a third studio album that sounds all but untouched by the years of absence.

SHADOWY THIRD ACT: However, Third does sound touched, indeed heavily embraced, by the darkness that has always been Portishead's aura. Beth Gibbons still sings with haunted strangeness, even on the short, old-fashioned lullaby "Deep Water." Bandmates Adrian Utley and Geoff Barrow seem more ready than ever to surround her with noise that emphasizes her human fragility. In the deserted fun-house prog rock of "Small," the dots-and-loops folk of "The Rip" and the postmodern groove clatter of "Magic Doors," Ms. Gibbons sounds as if she could be the only woman left alive. Third makes that apocalyptic possibility beautiful.

BOTTOM LINE: Portishead's unsettling, fascinating return

Jon M. Gilbertson

B+

VYP: Voice of the Young People

(Jive)

ONE-, TWO-, THREE-HIT WONDER?: Brooklyn's Niatia Kirkland, a.k.a. Lil Mama, was downright ubiquitous last summer thanks to her hit, "Lip Gloss." Her sweet, sassy image and skills on the mike were touted, but even with three chart singles and guest appearances on remixes with stars such as Mary J. Blige and Avril Lavigne, there was no CD release date in sight. Now that People is finally out, is "Lip Gloss" all that's worthwhile from Lil Mama?

"WHAT IT IS": Thankfully, no – the 18-year-old Lil Mama surrounds herself with some of today's hottest producers (Cool & Dre, Scott Storch and T-Pain) and possesses enough lyrical finesse and rhyming intensity to put some older rappers to shame. Her style hearkens back to the party-starting era of hip-hop, before the supersexed, girl gangsta Foxy Brown and Trina types overshadowed the genre. Heads will nod and bodies will rock thanks to tracks such as "Shawty Get Loose," featuring T-Pain and Chris Brown, "One Hit Wonder" and the autobiographical challenge "Stand Up." "College" and "L.I.F.E." also offer glimpses into a not-so-glossy past.

BOTTOM LINE: This young voice is worthy of the hype and prolonged wait.

Lorrie Irby Jackson

A-

This Kind of Love

(Hear Music)

THE SONGWRITER RETURNS: After two well-received discs of covers, 2005's Moonlight Serenade and 2007's Into White, Carly Simon dusts off her tunesmith muse for a beautiful, lush and heartfelt album of originals. She penned 10 of the 13 tracks, and then interprets one song each from her kids, Ben and Sally Taylor, as well as a cut from co-producer Jimmy Webb. The record finds her exploring Brazilian music styles, pop-R&B and even funk while still delivering her signature melodies and confessional lyrics.

LIKE YOU'VE NEVER HEARD HER: Ms. Simon speaks-sings the bass-heavy funk workout "People Say a Lot," an angry number inspired by the plot of the 1950 movie All About Eve. On "So Many People to Love," she turns in her sultriest performance ever on a pop-R&B ballad that should be on the radio. "Hola Soleil" is a jubilant samba, while "Island" is a heartbreakingly stunning piece. The title cut is quintessential Carly, richly melodic and rhythmically soothing.

BOTTOM LINE: There isn't a dud here. Note to Ms. Simon: You're too good for covers. Write some more gems.

Mario Tarradell

C

Nine Lives

(Columbia)

AN AGING CAT: Through his days in Traffic and as chiefly a solo artist for the past 30 years, Steve Winwood has been questioned as often as praised. Beginning with 1981's Arc of a Diver, he was slick and overtly commercial; his 1990s stuff edged into jazz and world music. This project aims to recapture the live feel of Traffic while distilling his complete past into a soothing sonic amalgam.

A WILY CAT: As such, Nine Lives succeeds on some levels. Its production is sparkling without sounding cleansed; the live-to-tape intent works out, even when the balance is off (Mr. Winwood's Hammond B3 on "At Times We Do Forget," Eric Clapton's scraggly and ominous guitar on "Dirty City"). However, the CD flirts with sameness of rhythm and intent, common pitfalls when songs are written as extended jams as most of these were. Mr. Winwood's vocals are patchy in places, too. The joy here is in the arrangements, which are often fascinating ("Hungry Man," "I'm Not Drowning"), and Mr. Winwood's assured rhythm guitar.

BOTTOM LINE: It still tastes like Steve: smooth, fluffy and served in big bites. But now there are fewer calories and production fat.

Mike Daniel