Billboard CD reviews: R. Kelly, Them Crooked Vultures

ARTIST: R. KELLY

ALBUM: UNTITLED (Jive Records)

Outside of the hits "Same Girl" and "I'm a Flirt," R. Kelly's last album in 2007, "Double Up," was a guest-heavy exercise in boredom. But the singer-songwriter redeems himself on his newest release, "Untitled." Predictably, sex and love are both displayed in ample measure. But this time around, Kelly eschews the interplanetary sexcapades of "Double Up" for fewer cameos and more down-to-earth fare. Beyond top 10 lead single "Number One" (featuring Keri Hilson), the album is signature Kelly: fantasy-filled romps, club jams and heartfelt ballads brought to life by the singer's ear for catchy beats and melodies and mood-setting lyrics. Leading the charge are the playful "Echo" (abetted by Kelly's sexy yodeling) and "Whole Lotta Kisses," the lively "Be My #2" (a nod to his stepping roots) and the sincere ballads "Religious" and "Elsewhere." The one constant throughout: Kelly's soul-dripping tenor. With 18 years and counting under his belt, he reminds us why he remains an R&B force.

ARTIST: THEM CROOKED VULTURES

ALBUM: THEM CROOKED VULTURES (Interscope Records)

With Queens of the Stone Age's Josh Homme on guitar and vocals, Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl on drums and Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones on bass/keyboards, Them Crooked Vultures' self-titled debut comes with a high pedigree and even higher expectations. Like Monsters of Folk, this rock supergroup delivers by drawing upon each member's talents and creating a sound that's refreshingly singular and remarkably fun. "Them Crooked Vultures" features technically polished, bluesy guitar-driven bar rock, with the song "Mind Eraser, No Chaser" and first single "New Fang" relying on start-stop tempos and punishing solos. While Jones adds depth on bass and Grohl's drumming is predictably top-notch, Homme commands the spotlight with sexually charged yet haunting vocals. "I don't need a reason, baby/Put your arms around me," he sings on "Caligulove" before an unexpected keyboard solo sweeps the track in a different direction. The set may be a one-off experiment, but the band's chemistry points to a potentially bright future.

ARTIST: ANNIE

ALBUM: DON'T STOP (Smalltown Supersound)

Working with a host of producers on her second release, "Don't Stop," Norwegian pop singer/DJ Annie continues to balance her carefree playfulness with darker themes of struggling love to create a bittersweet dance party. But regardless of the mood, Annie steals listeners' hearts with her light-as-a-feather vocal delivery and infectious beats. On the electro-tinged "I Don't Like Your Band," she reveals her distaste for her lover's band ("Your latest 7-inch sounds obscene/Unless you spin it at 45") and suggests seeking inspiration from the "cosmic songs" of Kraftwerk, Bobby O and Giorgio Moroder. The haunting Timo Kaukolampi-produced "Marie Cherie" is a dark journey through the life of an abused girl who commits suicide and goes unnoticed. Annie lightens the mood on tracks like the swirling Brian Higgins-produced "Loco" (featuring cameos by Franz Ferdinand's Alex Kapranos and Nick McCarthy) and "The Breakfast Song," on which she repeatedly asks over snare taps and heavy synth, "What do you want?/What do you want for breakfast?" The album includes a five-track EP, which features several songs that originally were intended for a 2008 version of the album that was halted after Annie's split from Island Records.

ARTIST: TORI AMOS

ALBUM: MIDWINTER GRACES (Universal Republic)

With past references to "the little g," the incriminating questions of "God" and a penchant to debate spiritual issues, Tori Amos hardly seems the type to make a holiday album. But the Methodist minister's daughter rarely ceases to surprise. Her latest release, "Midwinter Graces," is a typically provocative -- in the best possible way -- entry in the yuletide canon. Amos reaches deep into the world of carols for ancient and less obvious fare that she recasts on string-laden songs like "Candle: Coventry Carol," "Jeanette, Isabella," "Holly, Ivy and Rose" (which features her daughter, Natashya) and "Emmanuel." The lush, big band-style "Pink and Glitter" is the most interesting of Amos' five originals, though on the album-closing "Our New Year," she appears to express hope, but not expectation, for a messianic visitation.

ARTIST: WALE

ALBUM: ATTENTION DEFICIT (Allido/Interscope Records)

Washington, D.C., rapper Wale owns the distinction of being the most well-rounded of hip-hop's latest class: He packed quirky smarts into last year's "Seinfeld"-themed "The Mixtape About Nothing" before splashing onto radio with the hook-laden Lady Gaga collaboration "Chillin'." He continues to show his range on "Attention Deficit," his long-delayed and dazzling proper debut. Working with an all-star list of producers, Wale sounds as comfortable on indie fare like the Dave Sitek-produced "TV in the Radio" as on sizzling stereo-bangers like Cool & Dre's "World Tour." His lyrical themes also cover a lot of ground, from the lothario come-ons of "Pretty Girls" to the cautious tale of superficiality on "90210." Luckily, Wale never spreads himself too thin on "Attention Deficit" and maintains the urgency of his mixtapes to ensure that the set contains little filler. With an immediate likability and a penchant for innovative pop music, Wale could soon reach Kanye West-esque heights of artistic and commercial viability.

ARTIST: ALEJANDRO SANZ

ALBUM: PARAISO EXPRESS (Warner Music Latina)

The sound of Spanish pop star Alejandro Sanz's new studio set, "Paraiso Express," is more melodic and commercial than his past two, more ruminative efforts -- and this is a good thing. Sanz wrote most of the new songs at the piano, and it shows on tracks like "Sin Que Se Note," which conjures vintage Elton John in its big choruses and melodies. Sanz's quirky, inventive side is heard on the reggae-tinged "Mala," with its punctuated guitars -- a mix of flamenco and rock -- and on the moody "Lola Soledad," a vampy tango imbued with melancholia and awash in a multiplicity of surprising arrangements. The songs on "Paraiso Express" veer in many directions, from solo piano to walls of electric guitar to a predilection for the Hammond B-3 organ. The least surprising track is the bilingual single "Looking for Paradise," which features Alicia Keys. Take it as the light sorbet that cleanses the palate before a gourmet meal.

ARTIST: MELANIE FIONA

ALBUM: THE BRIDGE (Universal Motown)

Although the release date of her debut album, "The Bridge," was pushed back numerous times, singer Melanie Fiona didn't miss her opportunity for greatness. On the set, Fiona brings the same sultry vocals and self-assured antics atop soulful instrumentation that fans fell in love with on the first single, "Give It to Me Right." Over tambourine clings and hollow drums on "Bang Bang," she taps into her crooked ways, singing, "I don't give a damn 'cause I'm a rebel kind." With the help of flamenco guitar on "Teach Him," Fiona attempts to tenderly school her partner about how to build a healthy relationship, while standout track "It Kills Me" reveals the singer's vulnerable side, as she cries out over bluesy piano strokes, "I know you're messing around/But who the hell else is gonna hold me down?" Those who aren't believers after listening to this 13-song masterpiece may want to re-evaluate their definition of talent.

ARTIST: NIRVANA

ALBUM: LIVE AT READING (Geffen Records/UMe)

A humbling moment of Nirvana's 1992 performance at England's Reading Festival comes during the intro to the powerful rocker "Lithium." Dressed in a white medical gown and blue jeans, frontman Kurt Cobain hits a wrong note and is forced to restart the tune. It wouldn't be the first instance during the band's 90-minute set that Cobain flubs a song (he struggles to tune his guitar throughout "Love Buzz"), but the thousands of concertgoers who sung along in unison to "Lithium" proved that a few mistakes couldn't spoil this historic event. Cobain isn't remembered for his technical chops, but this Reading appearance -- released for the first time on the CD/DVD package "Live at Reading" -- captured the trio's skill at turning simple power chords into some of the most memorable rock anthems of the '90s. Filmed less than a year after the release of "Nevermind," the concert features intense performances of "Aneurysm," "Tourette's" and "Territorial Pissings," mixed with such alternative gems as "All Apologies," "Polly" and "Come As You Are." For those who missed Nirvana in the flesh, "Live at Reading" preserves the band's commanding stage presence during its short-lived career.

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