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En Vogue EV3 (Warner) Minus one original member, the reinvented funky divas throw down with a much harder edge than on their first two albums. At times rockish, at times downright folksy, "EV3" works to position the trio in a unique commercial and artistic niche. Tracks like "Right Direction" layer a funky base with wailing guitar work and EV's trademark vocals. Other selections like "Sittin' by Heaven's Door" offer a more traditional En Vogue sound. 7.5/10 (Gerard Dee)
No questing for the perfect pop song for these boys. Rather, they step back one degree for an objective study in colliding guitar lines. Sort of like the Clash and the P. Furs did in their early days, and the influence shows on tracks like "Mostly Always." Stuntman are distinctly American, though, in the way they give cold math a hot-under-the-collar snarl. 7.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg) The Wellwater Conspiracy Declaration Of Conformity (Third Gear) Well before Soundgarden ever dug themselves into a black hole, drummer Matt Cameron and bassist Ben Shepard were entertaining psychedelic demons and tossing jangly Conspiracy theories around in the form of limited edition 45s. Amplified by early Monster Magnet guitarist John McBain, WWC is basically the sci-fi flipside to their other spin-off band Hater, except here they come off like Redd Kross on a retro Byrds binge while desecrating Syd Barrett. 6/10 (Lorrie Edmonds)
If this comp of Studio 54-era disco is indicative of the book which inspired it, then A.H. Guest's The Last Party must be a decent read of good memory. There aren't only "Funkytown"s here (although "Funkytown" is included). Some more obscure projects like Don Armando's Second Avenue Rhumba Band ("Deputy of Love") are mixed into Latin clappers (Santa Esmeralda), early electro-dance (Material, Grace Jones) and sunny tempos (Patrick Juvet's "I Love America"). And you can practically sniff the Halston/coke throughout. 7/10 (Mireille Silcott)
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Stuntman The American Fadeout (Mag Wheel)
Various The Last Party (Island/Polygram)