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Josh Gracin helped prove re- rest ( "End of the Land," "Song brat -pack jubilation. A rol- GEORGE STRAIT ality show stars could find a R.E.M. of Home ") is resigned, re- licking good time. -MW Troubadour home in country music. But Accelerate flective and spiritually at- Producers: Tony Brown, after scoring three top five Producers: Jacknife Lee, R.E.M. tuned, but not always keenly

George Strait singles, including 2005 No. 1 Warner Bros. focused. -WR DAY26

MCA Nashville "Nothin' to Lose," Gracin Release Date: April 7 Day26 ACCLLCRATF in 7® Release Date: April 7 struggled to reconnect --at first four years Producers: various aGeorge Strait is one of radio, and his second album shoehorns 11 tracks of jagged guitars, quick and dirty FERRAS Bad Boy music's most consistent has been long in coming. Now drums, and Michael Stipe's gruff keen into 34 minutes, Aliens & Rainbows Release Date: March 25 hitmakers for a reason -he on the strength of a coming - rocking with a blacker, blunter edge than Producers: the Matrix, Gary CICertain members from knows a hit song when he of -age title cut, fans will be "Document," "Green" or "Monster." Armed with dead- Clark Day26 clashed while on hears one and he only sings it happy to know this solid fol- pan "wow's" and "T -Rex moves" honed from 1996's Capitol MTV's "Making the Band," the

if it fits him. "Troubadour" is low-up is at hand. "Favorite "Wake -Up Bomb," Stipe limns politics, the media and Release Date: April 1 reality show that brought chock -full of classic Strait. "I State of Mind" stands out for the velocity of modern life with gimlet eyes, from the ©This Los Angeles -based them together. But on its Saw God Today" is a perfect its sheer energy, while "Livin' strutting "don't turn your talking points on me" of singer got a boost last debut, the Sean "Diddy" example of a track that It Up," which includes the "Living Well's the Best Revenge" to the candid month when "American Idol" Combs -chosen quintet comes speaks to the country core, much -used line "I can sleep "uncertainty is suffocating" of the title track. A '70s used his single "Hollywood's together harmoniously to de-

while the title cut finds the when I die," has an '80s rock jukebox grit dominates "Mansized Wreath," while Not America" to bid farewell liver a sultry, midtempo- singer reconciling his age with feel. And the simply written Peter Buck's cool riff for first single "Supernatural to contestants departing the driven set pleasantly sugges- how old he feels. "When "Unbelievable (Ann Marie)," Superserious" strikes like a cartoon mallet. show. Judging by the sound tive of former Bad Boy group You're in Love" cleverly which Gracin penned for his "Accelerate" may not stun on impact like some R.E.M. of his first full -length, 112. There's little doubt what's equates romance with a va- wife, might be this decade's records, but it's still habit -forming. --JL though, it seems likely that on its mind on tracks like "I'm cation destination ( "There's "Amazed. " -KT Ferras (who was born in the Reason," the piano -laden so much to see and do when small -town Illinois before "In My Bed" and "Co Star" ( "I you're in love "), and "River of records by stretching gospel Voces del Rancho, Los Tu- being whisked away to Jor- just want to be a part of your Ñ Love" will have women samples into lush sonic pas- canes de Tijuana and Jenni dan by his recently divorced show," they sing). Luckily, a swooning at King George's in- Last Night tiches is still here -just listen Rivera (on a clever English - dad) thinks America is Holly- more nuanced take on phys- vitation to a "stream of kissin' Producer: Moby to "Live Tomorrow." But so is language track). With its per- wood. "Aliens & Rainbows" icality can be found on the about 10 miles long." "House Mute the one who created '92 rave petual change of pace in is an action -packed collec- Bryan -Michael Cox -produced

of Cash," with Patty Loveless, Release Date: April 7 anthem "Go" -the frantic music and lyrics, "La Novela" tion of high -gloss piano -pop "Are We in This Together," is a powerful tribute to the Madonna, Seal: Big pop piano riff and snare rolls of is riveting, and it works as a production numbers in which questions a lover's loy- loss of the Cash family home stars who started as "Stars" give him away. Then vehicle for singles and as a which the scenery counts for alties over a pulsating beat, to fire a year ago. -KT dance artists have circled there's the best '80s -style stand -alone piece of music. just as much as the senti- and on the regretful "Since back to the floor on their lat- radio -friendly house track Equally important, it's an ex- ment. Like Mika (a fellow You've Been Gone," about JOSH GRACIN est . But "Last Night," since the '805 ( "Disco Lies "), ample of on- target evolution Westerner with Middle East- missing a past flame -MC We Weren't Crazy Moby's homage to /recon- and Kudu vocalist Sylvia Gor- within a niche genre. -LC ern roots), Ferras is rarely Producers: Marty Williams, struction of New York dance don closing it down with an satisfied with just one mood Brett James music during the course of his apocalyptic torch song. For- or mode; the dozen tracks THE ROLLING Lyric Street 42 -year lifetime, is the only get "Play." This is the defini- VAN MORRISON here juxtapose loud grunge STONES

Release Date: April 1 one that causes the desired tive Moby album. -KM Keep It Simple guitars and sleek synth -rock Shine a Light aBefore Carrie Under- effect: making you feel about Producer: Van Morrison beats, while his lyrics swirl Producers: The Glimmer wood and other "Amer- the artist the way you did Lost Highway drama -kid melancholy with Twins

ican Idol" alumni came to when you first heard him. The AKWID Release Date: April 1 Nashville, season -two finalist guy who sold millions of La Novela Forty years on, a new Van Producers: Francisco Morrison album is still wel- BLACK [ETS, Gómez, Adolfo Valenzuela, come. "Keep It Simple" is his April THE BLACK KEYS I Asiwse c tEUAsc Omar Valenzuela first collection of all -new ma- Producer: Attack & Release Univision terial since 2005, and as the Ca /do Verde

Producer: Danger Mouse Release Date: March 71 title hints, there's not a lot of Release Date: April 7 Nonesuch T-his-- sib,i-ng .duo- of embellishment, jsst -a kind-of With a Modest Mouse covers col-

Release Date: April 1 brothers Sergio and basic, rhythmic and melodic lection out of his system, Mark Kozelek is back to Throughout the course of four Francisco Gómez broke flow. "That's Entrainment" is sketching his signature tales of love poisoned by proper albums, the Black Keys hewed to a no- ground nearly a decade ago one of the better tunes, the expectation on his second album as Sun Kil Moon. nonsense formula: guitar, drums, vocals, period. It was by blending traditional title referring to Morrison's Evenly divided between the distorted guitar epics of so satisfyingly simple and raw it's likely the duo could banda beats with rap and word for hitting the sweet the last two Red House Painters albums ( "The Light ") have successfully deployed it again. But, to para- hip -hop. Here, the brothers spot in a situation or perform- and spartan voice -and -acoustic confessionals ( "Lucky phrase the old saying, you can't know what you've expand their sound by incor- ance. "How Can a Poor Boy" Man "), "April" is the aural equivalent of that heart- been missing until you've had it, and on "Attack & porating a broad variety of shows his streetwise side, break that never heals. "Moorestown" and "Blue Release," we have it. Danger Mouse, the first produc- regional Mexican rhythms - with what sounds like a Ham- Orchids" set the bar high, with Kozelek's fixation on er to work with the Keys, takes on a role akin to gar- from norteño to cumbias mond B -3 providing the mus- little details ( "Her walls are Mediterranean blue /Her dener: He nurtures the duo's innate musicality, allow- adorned with rippling accor- cle. "Don't Go to Nightclubs baby sister picked the hue ") setting crystalline ing its elemental blues -rock to bloom into something dions-as the basis for tales Anymore," a declaration of scenes. Kozelek never sugarcoats; the sting is almost far grander. Clever but tasteful arrangements and an of growing up poor in the domestication, is either a tangible when he chronicles a failed romance on impeccable shine make songs like "Same Old Thing" hood. This mix of grittiness brazen rewrite or affection- "Tonight in Bilbao," and the loss of a loved one is lit- seem anything but. The heavy, dirge -like "Lies" and and sophistication strikes ate tribute to Duke Ellington's erally as haunting as a ghost on "Unlit Hallway," the the playful, faux -spooky "Psychotic Girl," which melds just the right note, achieving "Don't Get Around Much Any- first of two ace pairings with . whimsical keyboard with earthy banjo and slide gui- cohesiveness despite a more." The album is front - Throughout, Kozelek connects memory to emotion tar, are but two of many highlights. --SV changing cast of guest acts loaded with these relatively with masterful strokes. -JC that includes Fidel Rueda, energetic tracks. Much of the

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