The Reverend Al Green
Everything's OK (Blue Note/EMI)
The Reverend's triumphant 2003 disc I Can't Stop marked the return of one of the great soul voices of all time after almost 10 years' absence. Like that set, his latest was produced at Hi Studios with Willie Mitchell, the same producer who was at the helm when Green's artistic output yielded such classics as "Let's Stay Together" and "I'm Still in Love With You." This one is even more consistent than his '03 release. Green sounds confident, vibrant and, most importantly, like he's really having a good time on songs like "Nobody But You" and the title track. Everything's better than okay, it's great. 8.5/10 (Gerard Dee)

Fischerspooner
Odyssey (Capitol/EMI)
A lot is expected of this NYC act, whose debut #1 and famously snide, over-the-top live shows defined and in fact overshadowed the brief electroclash episode. Sure, there's still the slick, superior-grade synth-pop, all pulsing bass, needling highs and grandiose harmonies, in tunes like the opener "Just Let Go," co-produced by Mirwais. But there's also full-on rock guitar, nods to high-tech '70s FM fare (paging Alan Parsons!), even a fucking flute. Bottom line is, FP's sophomore "surprise" is a well-considered, radio-ready pop album - no clever tricks or calculated poses, just a number of solid tunes like the expansive psychedelic workout of the closing Boredoms cover and the brooding "We Need a War," with lyrics by the late Susan Sontag. 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

P:ano
Brigadoon (Mint/Outside)
Like the 1954 musical of the same name, Brigadoon is full of beans, curious colours and interesting ideas, but its fragmentary structures, silly sing-song numbers and conspicuously cheap backdrops tarnish its good intentions. It's the third album (and Mint debut) by this Vancouver quartet, whose once-masterful, melancholy chamber pop has been pared down and goofed up. Nothing wrong with a little pep in the step, and the band manages about half a dozen excellent pop songs here, but many of these 22 tracks are merely toddler fare, if that. Tellingly, their next album, out in August, was written in two days. 6.5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

The Deceberists
Picaresque (Kill Rock Stars)
Imagine a refined, restrained version of Victoria's Frog Eyes, theatrical ornamentation, linguistic perversity and anecdotal tendencies intact. While that comparison doesn't sum up this Portland quintet completely - Frog Eyes' U.S. counterparts are much more partial to pop, for instance - a kinship could easily come of their shared passions and pretensions. Co-produced by Death Cab for Cutie's Chris Walla, the band's third LP is a lush but lithe soundscape populated by diverse instrumentation, grand arrangements, masterful stylistic variations and fascinating characters, bound together by singer Colin Meloy's charmingly creaky narration. 8.5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

Corrosion of Conformity
In the Arms of God (Sanctuary)
With their first record in five years, "America's volume dealers" make up for lost time with a nod to their mid-period days, though they still deliver their latter-day sludge. The ante is upped by adding even more Southern groove, with Skynyrd harmonies and Gov't Mule jam tendencies hovering over the Sabbath/Clutch behind-the-beat punch. Guitarists Pepper Keenan and Woody Weatherman's pushing bluesy funk through the Marshall crunch is guaranteed to get heads nodding, but the raga groove on "Dirty Hands Empty Pockets" and the jam on "Never Turns to More" are what make other Southern-groove bands like Down and Crowbar seem like snotty kids in short pants. 7.5/10 (Johnson Cummins)

Vulgar Deli ...
Kill Rock 'n' Roll (Indica/Outside)
Hungry there, kid? How 'bout a heapin' hard-fast-loud sandwich with a big damn side order of "go fuck yourself," eh? That's what Montreal's Vulgar Deli have on the menu - furious, classic-style hardcore with shades of stoner boogie and psychobilly (bonus points for the acoustic closer "In League With Satan"), blistering, brutal but nonetheless tuneful. Feel free to relax and enjoy the hospitality of frontman Uncle Costa, whose scouring-pad vocals and too-far-ain't-far-enough lyrical inclinations (blood and butchery, rage and rectums) are long since familiar to local lovers of unadulterated raunch. 7.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Robbie Fulks
Georgia Hard (Yep Roc/Outside)
Fulks plays the type of country that gives a healthy wink and nod to the humour of Roger Miller but steers clear of the rodeo clown's yee-haw yuks. It's not all grins either, as Fulks proves himself quite the picker on the "Gatemouth" Brown/Junior Brown instrumental "Right on Redd." The inclusion of insurgent and alt-country elements may relieve us from the new-country scourge, but Fulks manages to avoid all tags altogether by including '70s-style string sections and delivering a real country record with enough lyrical pearls that he truly can proclaim to be "Countrier Than Thou." 7/10 (Johnson Cummins)

Preach
Relic Mix Compilation (Relic/Statik)
From the opening salvo of pulsating tribal techno, you know Montreal DJ Preach's first proper mix comp will be a peak-hour mindfuck. On this 73-minute-long CD, the young Aria resident shows exactly why he's turning every big-name jock from Carl Cox to Paul Van Dyk on his ear. These 24 dark, dense and driving tracks full of filtered peaks and valleys (including six either produced or co-produced by the man himself) will certainly enhance any car cruise along the Main or Ste-Catherine. 7.5/10 (Raf Katigbak)

F.S. Blumm
Zweite Meer (Morr Music)
While it's a stretch for the accompanying press sheet to compare F.S. Blumm to Brian Wilson (Blumm doesn't have the same sophisticated yet catchy pop brilliance), Blumm also concerns himself with creating "pocket symphonies." For Blumm, this means less the triumphant sunshine exploding out of your asshole type of symphony and more the rainy-day, gazing-out-the-window-in-contemplation sort. Using an assemblage of acoustic instruments like guitar, piano and accordion and with minimal processing, Blumm manages to create gentle, breezy, incidental moods that, while never mindblowing, should serve nicely as a meditative bedroom mood enhancer. 7/10 (Raf Katigbak)

Will Smith
Lost and Found (Universal)
America's most likable media-hopping star takes a break from blockbusters to drop the obligatory LP. Even though the Fresh Prince may have taken over the box office, I'd have to put it down to cross-marketing savvy if this record gets any critical acclaim. From the Spider-Man-inspired opener "Here He Comes" to the Snoop collab "Pump Ya Brakes," most of these songs employ Will's simple, friendly and non-threatening flow, which he occasionally updates for the kids. The production, although derivative, is club-ready and primed for the radio, so once again, Will can't lose. My only qualm is that four or five of these tracks seem to be Will's character from the movie Hitch rapping. Doesn't that shit belong on the Hitch soundtrack? 7/10 (Scott C)

Masked Avengers & Maylay Sparks
So Wonderful (Day by Day/48)
This EP is a sweet breath of fresh air from Maylay Sparks, who unfortunately left me hangin' with his last LP Greymatter. So Wonderful gets straight to the goods, with the Masked Avengers (Fico and Hands Solo) setting the musical backdrop for some of Sparks' tightest moments on record. "Small Time Thing" points out that "the right line/will get you signed," but Maylay takes it deeper than that on "Love Supreme." Overall, this EP is a one-two combo of choice words and comparable beats. Don't sleep on the "Too Much" remix. 8/10 (Scott C)

Blind Boys of Alabama
Atom Bomb (Virgin/EMI)
Ever since '01's excellent Spirit of the Century returned the Blind Boys to prominence, they've been extremely prolific, releasing a barrage of reissues and original albums. Like past efforts, this one is a mixture of spiritual and secular material, all of which gets the Blind Boys' touch courtesy of lead vocalists Clarence Fountain, Jimmy Carter and George Scott (who sadly passed away just before the album was released). The songs are decidedly eclectic, ranging from old-time gospel hymns like "Moses" and "Old Blind Barnabas" to covers, including an excellent version of Blind Faith's "Presence of the Lord." No surprises, but the Boys continue to deliver the goods. 7.5/10 (Gerard Dee)

Kate Hammett-Vaughan
Eclipse (Maximum Jazz)
Born in Nova Scotia, Hammett-Vaughan moved to Vancouver in 1979 and there developed into one of Canada's most adventurous singers. Once a third of vocal group Getting Off Easy, she now leads a wonderful quintet of Jim Pinchin, Chris Gestrin, André Lachance and Tom Foster, and this CD captures them live at the Cellar Jazz Club. The title tune is by Charles Mingus, while "Tatamagouche Tango" is by Tina Palmer and John Geggie. She also puts a distinctive stamp on wonderful standards like Kurt Weill's "This Is New" and Jack Lawrence's "All Or Nothing At All," as well as a pair by Joni Mitchell. 9/10 (Len Dobbin) At Upstairs, Sun., April 17, 9 p.m.

Mini CD Reviews

Billie Holiday At Jazz at the Philharmonic (Verve/Universal) One of the most moving CDs of Billie that I've ever heard. Material dating from 1945 to 1958, including a "Strange Fruit" that you won't want to miss. 10 (LD)

Brandy Best of... (Atlantic/Warner) From baby-funk to grown-woman blues, the definitive hits collection from the singer/actress/reality star. 8 (GD)

Common The Corner (Geffen) Before you dis Com's slow, rollin' flow, check how he kicks it up with each additional verse. 8 (SC)

Rhonda Vincent and the Rage Ragin' Live (Rounder) Proudly steeped in the tradition of Bill Monroe, Vincent's mandolin prowess proves she's not just another pretty face. 8 (JC)

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds B-Sides and Rarities (Mute) Like Bela Lugosi's eyes, this three-CD set is pleasantly disturbing, roguishly alluring, a little tired and sometimes just plain silly. 7.5 (LC)

DJ Heather Fabric 21 (Fabric/Fusion III) This Chicago native delivers more deep and jacking vibes for sunny soulful house aficionados. The summer is magic! 7.5 (RK)

N2U Issues (Virgin/EMI) Yet another urban boy band foursome sing about the typical issues: love, sex and, of course, baby mamas. 7 (GD)

Lisa Marie Presley Now What (Capitol/EMI) Trite but surprisingly sufferable FM rock, pop and balladry from the beneficiary of the sneer. 6 (LC)

The Street Dogs Back to the World (Brass Tacks/DRT) Buyer beware: Pop punk disguised under the whoa-whoas of street punk. 3 (JC)

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