Billboard CD reviews: Wisin & Yandel, Chris Brown

ARTIST: WISIN & YANDEL

ALBUM: LOS EXTRATERRESTRES

NEW YORK (Billboard) - After selling more than half a million copies in the United States of previous album "Pa'l Mundo," reggaeton duo Wisin & Yandel needed to somehow evolve while preserving its fan base. The result is an album heavy on classic reggaeton dance tracks like first single "Sexy Movimiento" and "Ahora Es" (which quotes from Colombian dance classic "La Noche"), but also full of ear-catching duets. Those include "Control," featuring Eve rapping in English, and the romantic "Oye Donde Esta el Amor" with balladeer Franco De Vita. There's social conscience on "Ya Me Voy," a plaintive tale of a life lost to gangs, and, naturally, rhythmic fusions, like the quick merengue on "Dime Quienes Son." While this is well and good, "Los Extraterrestres" will be a success thanks to W&Y's formidable ability to fuse rhythms without ever sounding contrived.

ARTIST: CHRIS BROWN

ALBUM: EXCLUSIVE (Jive Records)

It's often difficult transitioning from teen star to rub-'em-down R&B singer, and Chris Brown's "Exclusive" feels those growing pains. Fortunately, the balance of ballads and danceable grooves is enough to string Brown's audience from puberty to legal drinking age. "Take You Down" features frisky lyrics set to a winning melody. "Damage," another standout ballad, displays a stripped-down, Prince-esque bop with big keys. The will.i.am-produced "Picture Perfect" showcases Brown's ability to start the party, although Stargate's "With You" leans a bit too heavily toward Beyonce's "Irreplaceable." Lil Wayne, Kanye West, the Game and Big Boi each contribute verses to "Exclusive," though the best cameo goes to T-Pain. Even after heavy radio rotation, "Kiss Kiss" is still a gem.

ARTIST: LITTLE BIG TOWN

ALBUM: A PLACE TO LAND (Equity Music Group)

Refusing to limit itself to country conventions, this four-way-harmonizing Nashville group's follow-up to its platinum breakthrough, "The Road to Here," marks a huge leap in confidence -- not to mention, maybe, the best Fleetwood Mac album in 30 years. "Fury," the Eagles-riffed warning of a woman scorned, is basically hard funk; "Novocaine" and "Firebird Fly" remind you why folks used to dance to Sheryl Crow and the Doobie Brothers; "Vapor," which opens like Neil Young and features one verse about an unnamed Jesus, concocts a chorus by switching around John Mellencamp's "Paper in Fire"; "Lonely Enough" hitches theological doubts to a melody appropriately reminiscent of (but a lot warmer than) "Dear God" by XTC.