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  This young Brooklynite has already achieved platinum successes with his first two albums, and is well on his way to standing out in a crowded field of R&B soul men. But his latest effort punches in and out, much like the horn section on the first single, "Get To Know Ya." The best tracks are the upbeat "Noone" and "Temporary Nite," featuring outstanding bass and keyboard lines that are downright infectious, and the soulful cover of Kate Bush's "This Woman's Work."

  Former New York DJ and house producer Roger Sanchez wanted his first album to move seamlessly from track to track, instead of just a bunch of singles put together. Though it's debatable whether he totally succeeded in the smooth transition thing, there's no doubt he's come up with a first-rate effort in his debut. Recently he held the #1 single position in the U.K. with "I Never Knew" and other notables on this effort are "The Partee" and "You Can't Change Me," featuring guest vocalist N'Dea Davenport.

After four albums as lead singer of The Cardigans, Nina Persson releases her debut solo CD with limited success. Recorded in Woodstock, New York, it's a quirky, quiet piece of work that finally gets off it's ass on track #7 ("Hard As A Stone"), but from then on disappears into a pool of private thoughts. Good to know that a new Cardigans album is due next year, which will hopefully wake her from this sleepathon.

One of bluegrass' premier acts - which has managed to cross over to audiences in pop and country - returns with a collection of soulful songs. Highlights include "The Boy Who Wouldn't Hoe Corn," featuring lead vocals by Dan Tyminski, who provided the singing voice for George Clooney in the film O Brother Where Art Thou?, and the solid banjo work of Ron Black on "Choctaw Hayride" and "Bright Sunny South."
A winner!

  One of the nicest surprises of the summer was this 16-track gem from Germany's De Phazz. Although this is their third album, it's their first with a worldwide release, and its fusion of jazz, dancehall, lounge and electronic should bring them an army of new fans. Particularly catchy is "Sabbatical," which effectively samples Tommy James' "Crystal Blue Persuasion," and "Something Special," which includes Pat Appleton's cheeky vocal line: "I would swim the waters, just like Brian Jones."

The L.A. based band returns with its best album to date. It manages to set itself apart from the crowd with its ability to strike a balance between conventional rock melodies and punk energy, without it seeming contrived. Highlights include "Fun Never Ends," "Save Yourself" and "Here Right Here." The only problem is that after a while it all starts to sound the same.