N*E*R*D In Search of… (Virgin/EMI)
Okay, you know from the Neptunes, right? Virginians Pharell Williams and Chad Hugo, production prodigies who’ve made everyone from Jay-Z and ODB to Britney, Kelis, Limp Bizkit and even Air sound presentable? Well, here’s their own long-awaited solo bag, a hard-rock-hop-pop potpourri that’s smart, dumb and dead on target. It’s in part a pisstake/counterattack on the increasing bling-bling factor in black music, in part an overmacho gangsta cartoon, in part a heartfelt luv-pop attention-grabber and, in large part, an exquisitely crafted goof of the first order. The testament to the Neptunes’ production skills (and the competence of their backup band Spymob) is that each tune stands firm on its own, fighting the others for purchase on your headspace. This is gonna annoy a lot of people, but plenty more will wear out multiple copies. 8.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Rival Schools United by Fate (Island/Universal)
Singer Walter Schreifels cut his teeth with hardcore legends Gorilla Biscuits and the influential Quicksand, and even hit the top-40 with CIV, so United by Fate could be the most highly anticipated debut since the Strokes. Thing is, Rival Schools has more in common with U2 (“Everything Has Its Point”) or Radiohead (“Undercovers On”) than any of Schreifel’s previous bands. The twin guitar attack and mature writing is all top-notch, but it’s the familiar sense of urgency in Schreifel’s voice that really marks this for greatness. Considering how many modern rock bands borrowed so liberally from the Quicksand template, it would be great to see Rival Schools have their day in the sun. 8/10 (Johnson Cummins)

Billy Bragg and the Blokes
England, Half
English (Outside)
Still steeped in heavily politicized pop, Billy Bragg lifts the title for this, his first proper album in six years, from Colin MacInnes’ collected essays examining multi-cultural, post-war England (substitute post-Thatcher for post-war and the thematic transposition works perfectly). Fair and inclusive from the lyrics to the rhythms, these songs reference upbeat ska and reggae, wistful Celtic sea shanties, bouncy African chants and Indian melodies, ever-infused with rapid-fire strumming and bursts of Hammond organ. Playful, confrontational and reflective, this album almost makes white guilt fun. Go figure. 8/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

Fu Manchu
California Crossing (Mammoth/Universal)
These stoner riffmeisters have realized that their staple sound can get a bit tiring after a while, and try to stretch out a bit here with rock anthems. Matt Hyde’s über-production can get a bit overwhelming at times, but songs like “Mongoose” proves that Fu Manchu can still deliver the riffage. Singer Scott Hill still couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket but he gives it a shot on “Thinkin’ Out Loud,” “California Crossing” and “Separate Kingdom,” which ends up sounding like vintage Kiss. Less bombastic than previous releases, but the concentration on melody is a nice change and bonus points for Circle Jerks/Black Flag singer Keith Morris guesting on “Bultaco.” 7/10 (Johnson Cummins)

Various Queen of the Damned soundtrack (Reprise/Warner)
Whatever happened to Korn? Bassist Fieldy released a rather lacklustre, clichéd hip hop solo album, and now singer Jonathan Davies has composed music for the dismal Queen of the Damned. Korn guitarists Munky and Head provide distorted backdrops to vocals from Marilyn Manson, Wayne of Static-X, Disturbed’s David Draiman, Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington and Jay Gordon of Orgy. The result is Kornesque melodrama with various singers sounding a lot like Jonathan Davies. On top of that are songs from the rapcore and metal favourites Papa Roach, Disturbed, Earshot, Godhead, Dead Cell and Tricky. The only highlights are the inclusion of the Deftones and Kidneythieves. Hopefully Korn’s fifth offering, due out this summer, will move the undead, because this soundtrack surely won’t. 5/10 (Lateef Martin)

Tanya Donelly Beautysleep (4AD/Select)
Opening with a gently haunting lullaby set to a heartbeat, Beautysleep finds this former Belly frontwoman on the other side of motherhood, and the five-year hiatus sounds good on her. Though several songs flirt with Women and Songs banality, Donelly’s lengthy 4AD training (remember, she co-founded Throwing Muses with her half-sis Kristen Hersh) saves her from that easy trap. Loops, mellotron, autoharp, glockenspiel, and reverberating, “Southern gothic” riffs, used sparingly, provide variety and texture to this mellow, meditative piece of work, also notable for featuring the last vocal recording by Morphine’s late singer Mark Sandman. 7.5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

Buffalo Daughter I (Emperor Norton)
The new joint from Japan’s “new rock” proponents owes more than one might care to admit to hoary old rock. Prog jamming and riff-rock runs pop up throughout, devoid of irony. Of course, the rockist element is sandwiched between, if not crammed into, equal doses of vocodered neo-electro (“Robot Sings”), orchestral manoeuvres and celestial harmonies, folksy strumming and awkward, Germanic vacuum beats. Then there’s the natural high of “Discothèque du Paradis,” an un-fucking-touchable mix of tribal house, spiritual organ and wistful vox. With I, the Daughters continue to press the question, “What exactly constitutes rock, anyway?” 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Park Avenue Music To Take With You (Devil in the Woods)
Symphonic framing and freefalling, ethereal vocals (Jeanette Faith, classically trained) meet fuzzy electro-tweaking and slouching beats (Wes Steed, bedroom experimenter) on this beautifully staid debut disc. With an impressive array of vintage keys, guitars, effects and downtempo beats, this duo balances fragility with confidence in these rich, melodic soundscapes, whose well-woven foundations frequently threaten to fall apart. Some of these lethargic, open-ended tracks risk becoming tiresome, so they’re well-suited to hazy-brained loungers with no attention spans to speak of. 7.5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

X-Ecutioners Built From Scratch (Loud)
It’s pretty much a given that the importance of the DJ in the the hip hop world has taken a severe beating over the years, bowing out first in favour of the MC, and now the producer. Built From Scratch is a combination of things. The X-Ecutioners represent first and foremost turntablists who consider themselves as much a part of all this as the artist with the multi-platinum history. They re-created Public Enemy’s classic Yo! Bumrush the Show cover art that features living legends Kool Herc, Grandmaster DST and Grand Wizard Theodore. They also managed to produce a varied, skillful look into the sounds that make up this powerhouse crew. Guests include Shortkut, Apollo and Vinroc, as well as MCs Pharoahe Monch, Xzibit, Large Professor, MOP and Linkin Park for you hard heads. This is not a battle record, but the X-Ecutioners are definitely ready for war. 7/10 (Scott C)

Various No Categories 5 (Ubiquity)
With 2002 ringing in 12 years of music for San Francisco’s Ubiquity Records, the label that made a name for itself by having almost no set focus is still going strong. Unfortunately, No Categories 5 isn’t the best way to sample all that they have to offer—they’ve chosen what seem to be several forgettable tracks for the comp instead of giving us the goods. Championing the U.S. nü-jazz sound, as well as Latin, jazz, and hip hop flavours, Ubiquity has managed to continue to bring new sounds to the table for years. It’s just too bad that this collection missed the mark by about 10 tracks. Better luck next time. 5/10 (Scott C)

Various Digital
Mestizo (Revelde/Ozone)
It ain’t hard to dig the steez of Digital Mestizo. As the title implies, information-age culture crossing is the common factor here, as a two-disc audio jaunt around the planet uncovers myriad mix-ups of hip hop, reggae, raï, bled, samba, salsa, Afro, bhangra and styles perhaps as yet undefined. Kicking off on Sly & Robbie’s Latin jam “Softcore Surge,” the comp connects the dots to Freddy Fresh, Zuco 103, Manu Chao, Asian Dub Foundation, U-Cef and many more, sustaining a sunny world beat groove. These things have a way of being too earnest and self-congratulatory, but Digital Mestizo is about as sober and serious as the cool cartoon characters peppering the packaging, so you know fun is job one. 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Soul Designer Walking on a Little Cloud (F Communications/Outside)
Belgian-born Fabrice Lig has no qualms about releasing an album that sounds ever so similar to the music produced by the Belleville three (Juan Atkins, Kevin Saunderson and Derrick May). He even has a track called “Detroit Sound,” which is essentially what it’s all about. The album covers the spectrum of full-bodied, bass-heavy beats with the occasional signature electro handclap, topped with fidgety synths and a relatively warm soulful vibe. The constant rhythm is offset by a variation in melodies and random tweaking. Obviously respected by the godfathers of techno, his musical production includes a remix for Kevin Saunderson. 8/10 (Heidi Chapson)

Brandy Full Moon (Warner)
Since the untimely passing of Aaliyah, the role of R&B ingénue rests more heavily on the shoulders of frontrunners Mya, Monica and covergirl/actress/singer Brandy Norwood. Just as producer Timbaland revolutionized Aaliyah’s sound, credit producer Rodney Jerkins for taking Brandy to the next level. Quirky sound effects blend with state-of-the-art production and off-centre beats, most noticeable on lead single “What About Us,” the bumpin’ “Anybody” and the crunchy “Can We.” Equally strong are the mid-tempo jams, like the beautiful “He Is,” and the completely engaging “WOW,” which pretty much sums up this disc. 8.5/10 (Gerard Dee)

Nat “King” Cole Cool Cole: The King Cole Trio Story (Proper Box/SRI)
This Sunday is not only St. Paddy’s Day but also the 85th anniversary of the birth of Nat Cole. Cole was not only a superior singer but influential as both a combo leader and as a jazz pianist. His name and importance were strangely absent from Ken Burns’ TV documentary on jazz. This most reasonably priced four-CD set contains 104 examples of the Cole sound. The period covered here is December, 1940, through August, 1950, from a trio look at “Sweet Lorraine” to “Orange Colored Sky” with the Kenton band. In between standards, originals and numerous outings on blues changes is a nice mix of instrumentals and vocals, the latter including “Lost April,” “Nature Boy,” “A Portrait of Jennie,” and “Lush Life,” and for those “Jazzbo” Collins fans, “Blues in My Shower.” 9/10 (Len Dobbin)