Harmonic 33 Kaleidoscopic Sounds EP (Groove Attack/Alphabet Zoo) Easily the best collection of hip hop instrumentals I've heard in a while. Cop it. 9/10 (SC)

George Shearing Back to Birdland (Telarc/Universal) The new Quintet--George, three Canadians (including Reg Schwager) and a single American. Musical and entertaining. 8.5 (LD)

Murry the Hump Songs of Ignorance (Too Pure/Select) Lovely debut by Welsh quartet ranges from quirky and raucous to quaint and rural. Shades of Super Furries, Stone Roses. 8 (LC)

The Wolfgang Press Everything is Beautiful (A Retrospective 1983-1995) (4AD/Select) Some of the WP's most accessible dark funk/pop-house flirtations. Hit and miss. And no one should cover "Respect," okay? 7.5 (LC)

Canyon Creep Hijack the World! (Canyon Creep) Bad timing with this title, fellas! 7 (JC)

Mayhem U.S. Legions (Renegade) Burned churches, a guitarist murdered by their previous bassist and a singer who blew his lid off with a shotgun finally behind them, Mayhem prove the tunes aren't anything to sneeze at either. 7 (JC)

Jack Breakfast Rock and Roll Album (Troubled Cat) The bio calls this Toronto dude's disc "sad and happy times lullaby waltz rock for sugarplums." Throw "silly" and "decent" in there and it's perfect. 6.5 (LC)

Project Wyze Misfits. Strangers. Liars. Friends. (Sony) How 'bout "Project We Really Suck Serious, Veiny, Clammy, Great Ontario Moose Nut"? 2 (LM)

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