Billboard CD reviews: RZA, Los Lonely Boys

ALBUM: DIGI SNACKS

NEW YORK (Billboard) - Wu-Tang Clan mastermind RZA returns for a third time to his Bobby Digital alter-ego, his new rhymes ranging from pseudo-standard gangsta cliches to a dizzying mash-up of pop-culture references (Jabba the Hutt, mogwai and Hunt's Ketchup all get name-checked in a matter of 10 seconds) to bizarre boasts ("When I was young/I slept with a battery under my tongue/so when I spit/the impact with a sting of a stun gun"). But it's the beats and production that really define an RZA release, and they're as intoxicating as ever on "Digi Snacks." Bass lines and obscure samples lunge in and out of slithering, off-kilter rhythms, illustrating the virtuosity of this one-of-a-kind rap artist.

ARTIST: LOS LONELY BOYS

ALBUM: FORGIVEN (Epic Records)

Los Lonely Boys have reached the liberation point. They've had the multiplatinum, Grammy Award-winning major-label debut in 2003, and they had the sophomore slump with 2006's "Sacred." With expectations tempered for "Forgiven," the sibling trio from Texas doesn't panic but rather retrenches, returning to the easy-grooving, harmony-laden Carlos Santana-meets-Stevie Ray Vaughan feel of its first album. "Forgiven" kicks off with the lost-my-baby Latin blues of "Heart Won't Tell a Lie" and mines plenty of familiar terrain from there on out, including the smooth brotherly vocal arrangements of "Staying With Me," the philosophical big-picture lyricism of "The Way I Feel" and the swinging acoustic groove "Loving You Always." Stick around for two unlisted bonus tracks, the soulful "There's a War Tonight" and the grinning "Guero in the Barrio," which is about as loose as Los Lonely Boys have ever sounded on disc.

ARTIST: WALTER BECKER

ALBUM: CIRCUS MONEY (5 Over 12 Records)

Steely Dan's Walter Becker hasn't exactly made a habit of solo albums, and considering the muted reaction to his last one, 14 years ago, you can't say demand has overwhelmed supply. But "Circus Money" is an easy pleasure, 12 non-whack tracks mostly co-written by Becker and producer Larry Klein, energized by a reggae rhythm base. Singing may not be Becker's forte, but neither is it a terrible liability on songs that display his penchant for trenchant scene-setting and character sketches. His once pitiless cynicism is now leavened by compassion, whether in the portrayal of a none-too-attractive barfly or the accumulation of precise details that give '70s Philly soul romance "Downtown Canon" its heartbreaking authority. Inveterate Dan fans will be perked by "Paging Audrey," which sounds like a "Royal Scam"-era idea given a fresh dust-off.

ARTIST: VANESSA HUDGENS

ALBUM: IDENTIFIED (Hollywood Records)

"Last Night," the first track of Disney star Vanessa Hudgens' second full-length release, shows such promise. It's a lightly produced bit of poppy blues in 5/4 time -- somewhere between Christina Aguilera's big-band phase and Bonnie Raitt's 19-year-old acoustic twang -- that Hudgens manages to pull off with some level of soul. First single "Sneakernight" is in a similar vein, with upright piano and an organ providing a smart backdrop for what is essentially a paean to hip-hop-style dance. The rest of "Identified," though, panders to the preteen demo with stop-start pop that ranges from pleasant (the title track) to dull ("Amazed") to off-putting ("Hook It Up"). But for little girls, it's a nonstop sing-along.

ARTIST: GERALD ALBRIGHT

ALBUM: SAX FOR STAX (Peak Records/Concord Music Group)

On this follow-up to his 2006 Peak debut, "New Beginnings," Gerald Albright salutes legendary Memphis soul label Stax. But the sax guru does more than simply toot out contemporary Muzak facsimiles of such classics as "Knock on Wood" and "Cheaper to Keep Her." Rhythmically intertwining his jazz and R&B roots within fresh, creative arrangements, Albright brings a welcome snap, crackle and pop to the proceedings. He adopts a big-band approach on Isaac Hayes' obscure 1972 single "Theme From 'The Men'," then sways Latin on the Dramatics' "Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get" (with guest Philip Bailey). And Albright's emotive horn paired with Ledisi's killer vocals ratchet the Staple Singers' "Respect Yourself" to another level.

ARTIST: EARLIMART

ALBUM: HYMN AND HER (Majordomo/Shout Factory)