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Nine Inch Nails The Fragile (Nothing/Universal)
Everything But The Girl Temperamental (Atlantic/Warner) The last landmark for stately singer-songwriters Everything But The Girl wasn't so much their turn toward drum & bass on 1996's Walking Wounded but the preceding Todd Terry house remix (and massive hit) of the song "Missing," and it's largely back to the 4/4 thump on the follow-up. Yeah, there's a couple of hard-steppy d&b numbers here, along with some ballads backed by breakbeats (a reminder that despite Ben Watt's new DJ status, EBTG are still a pop group), but the remaining house-lite tracks do shine, and I don't think it's just because Watt and Thorn are mugging for another #1 in America. 7/10 (Chris Yurkiw)
Arsonists As the World Burns (Matador/FAB) I kind of like picturing Bobbito sitting back in a nice leather executive's chair while his team of mic vandals burn all MCs within range to a crisp. Ripe from a slew of unforgettable 12" releases comes this smoldering piece of work that has the Arsonists right up in your face. These are MCs who like to play--okay, "have fun"--with their music, while still lacing it with all the essentials needed for a hittin' record. Check the high school-inspired "Lunchroom Take-out," reminiscent of the cafeteria table drumbeat that even the worst MC can remember. There are some nice beats here, but the strength is one of a lyrical nature, on fire from start to finish. 7.5/10 (Scott C)
Ol' Dirty Bastard Nigga Please (Elektra/Warner)
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Over the years since NIN dropped the uncategorizable masterpiece The Downward Spiral, Trent Reznor said his new work would piss off NIN fans, and even called it pop. Although far from it, The Fragile is not the album one would expect after hearing the drum & bass-styled "The Perfect Drug." NIN's double CD is very subtle, with more acoustic instrumentation and less hip hop and breakbeat influence than The Downward Spiral (I suspect the absence of producer Flood and drummer/programmer Chris Vrenna has a bit to do with it). A few themes remain intact, but the harshness and intensity of Downward is left behind for reflections on relationships (!), like the incendiary "Starfuckers Inc.," supposedly aimed at ex Tori Amos(!!). 8/10 (Lateef Martin)
I practically begged Scott C to let me review the new ODB, Nigga Please/Now more than ever Wu Tang's rep is under pressure like Seaz/Once-tight raps turned to drooldrunken rants/Dirt Dog's skillz? Duller than Al Gore's pants/Add crack hos off the street for background vocals/Ol' skool ODB come back and put this weak muthafuckah in a chokehold/Admissions of nosepowder use/Confirm my suspicions of nasal abuse/Five years of stealin' shoes and dodgin' the boyz 'n blue ain't no excuse loose goose/The title of the year is on the worst album out here/But never fear, Raekwon's got next, it appears. 3/10 (Lateef Martin)