Various Fiat Lux Racing Team 99 (Fiat Lux/Ultra Records)

The French just can't seem to shake that crunchy, filtered electro bass house music thing. Well, I guess if it ain't broke then don't fix it. This funky compilation by Parisian label Fiat Lux features 13 tracks of very French house from very French producers, who all have names like Superfunk, Sexy Kool and Caesar Palace. That should give you some idea as to the overall theme of the CD. Kojak, Paul Johnson and Romanthony make cameo production appearances. 8/10 (Krista)

Winans Phase 2 We Got Next (Myrrh Records)

The first family of gospel has spun off numerous incarnations, including Mom & Pop Winans, the Winans, Angie & Debbie and its most successful configuration, BeBe & CeCe Winans. Now here come the teens, well-groomed to take over the reins. Clearly, this ain't your momma's gospel, owing as much to hip hop as religious praise. Phat beats support music with multiple interpretations, both secular and spiritual, like the breezy "Just for a Day," or the ridiculously infectious Bee Gees remake "Too Much Heaven." 8/10 (Gerard Dee)

Yolanda Adams Mountain High... Valley Low (Warner)

Gospel's best-kept secret, and one of its most potent voices, makes her auspicious major label debut. Beyond the list of noteworthy contributors--Vanessa Williams, Richard Smallwood, Debbie Winans, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Kelly Price, Fred Hammond--the lion's share of credit for this stellar release goes to Adams. Oscillating between contemporary urban tales ("Time to Change," "Yeah") and traditional gospel ("That Name," "In the Midst of It All"), Adams bridges mountain and valley with lyrical sincerity. 9/10 (Gerard Dee)

Cinematic Orchestra Motion (Ninja Tune/Outside)

Here, with thanks to Ninja's Mr. Jefferson, is J. Swinscoe's recipe for this Motion disc:
*1 part pure samples from vintage jazz platters
*2 parts samples reproduced live by Swinscoe's 5-piece band
*1 part straight-up jamming by the band
*Shake it and bake it and give it a kick in the ass, and you get lush, haunting passages underscored by intricate, bubbling rhythms and cymbal crashes, punctuated sporadically by episodes of thick, gluey groove. Remarkably solid and organic, this is one for jazz lovers and jazz haters alike. 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Mark Elf New York Cats (Jen Bay)

This is the fourth in a series by a marvelous, underappreciated guitarist. Elf, a veteran who's played with the likes of Dizzy Gillespie, Jimmy Heath, Joe Henderson, Lou Donaldson, Joe Williams and Jon Hendricks, is at the top of his game here in the strong company of Jay Leonhart and Dennis Mackrel. From a Clifford Brown variant on "I Got Rhythm" to a blues for Elf's daughter Jenny, this 12-cut outing is a winner. 9.5/10 (Len Dobbin) Mark Elf and trio at Upstairs, Oct. 8 & 9, 10pm

Barbra Streisand A Love Like Ours (Columbia)

Whoa, this is a truly scary CD. Adorned with photos of she and hubby no. 2 (James Brolin), this thing is some sort of dedication to their undying love (or something like that). Aside from the vile e-z listening style of this schlock, A Love Like Ours has got to be one of the most mundane and repetitive albums ever recorded; just listen to these titles: "I've Dreamed of You," "If I Never Met You," "It Must Be You" and "If I Didn't Love You." Saddest part of all is what Streisand's become--a martyr to kitsch. 1/10 (Matthew Hays)