Saïan Supa Crew X-Raisons (Source360/EMI)

Let’s hear it for this band of French jokers who flip between the conscious and the ridiculous, all the while taking their alter egos further than you ever thought an MC could. This Crew is not new, but the freshness and exuberance of a new group can be heard throughout X-Raisons. The range of beats here might annoy some heavy head-bobbers, but these dudes are getting away with some Pharcyde craziness, without sounding dated and tired. Any shortcomings on the mic are deftly masked by a variety of three-dimensional songs, where MCs Leeroy Kesiah, Specta, Sir Samuel, Feniski, Sly the Buddha and Vicelow cover each others tracks with playful and animated exchanges. It’s pretty obvious that a lot of their songs would provide the platform for a wicked live rendition, especially with these guys acting out their superhero fantasies on record, and hopefully on stage. 8/10 (Scott C)

With Muzion at le Spectrum tonight, Thurs., Aug. 1, 11pm, $8.50

Bruce Springsteen The Rising (Columbia/Sony)
If Sept. 11 couldn’t push rock music’s Captain America into reassembling his fabled E Street Band, nothing could. This album certainly recalls at times the grand, ragged, emotive epics of blue-collar rock that earned the Boss his crown. Sincerity was never a weak point for Springsteen, and The Rising’s meditations on love, life, loss and the Lord (lotsa religion here, likewise the word “kiss”) tend to err on the side of the maudlin. To be fair, he’s given matters some thought—while “Into the Fire” salutes NYC’s firefighters and cops, and several other tracks shed a tear for the departed, “Worlds Apart” and “Paradise” attempt to access the Muslim world’s mindset. Yet other tunes advocate fun and friendship as healing balms, generating the most genuine E Street moments, but overall, The Rising is a subdued and uncertain affair. 7/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Sam Roberts The Inhuman Condition (MapleMusic/Universal)
From Pointe Claire to Toronto and back to Montreal, the Sam Roberts fame trail is moving fast, and it’s no wonder. Although the six tracks on this disc are rumoured to be less than his best, they have a sharply infectious quality, attaching themselves to your brain like a cheap street chemical that won’t let you sleep. Listing genres and comparisons seems pointless in the face of this free-floating, radio-friendly pop rock (without the über-slick production), though the bio mentions Springsteen, Beck and Oasis. Huh? Whatever. 8/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

CD launch at la Sala Rossa, Thurs., Aug. 8

Kitchens & Bathrooms Utter a Sound (Sonic Unyon)
Did you fail math like I did? Don’t worry, these three smart guys from Hamilton are eager tutors, adept at precision guitar grit, anxious basslines, power drums and desperate vocals, a tidy equation for a sometimes untidy product. Produced by indie vet Daniel L. Burton (Songs:Ohia, Swearing at Motorists, Papa M etc.), this raw, hectic, sophomore album isn’t quite math rock by numbers (ouch!), crossing sub-genre lines with the occasional easy time signature or consistent riff. So come for the challenge, stay for the hidden butt-crack jokes. 7.5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

At Casa del Popolo, Wed., Aug. 7, 9pm

Beth Orton Daybreaker (EMI)
Her six-foot stature aside, Beth Orton stands tall among today’s crop of female singer-songwriters, and this third album is no slouch. The endearing, melancholic slant of her voice, the ease of her acoustic guitar lines, and the reliable ring of her house band and sleek session strings are further bolstered by impressive guests. Among them are singers Emmylou Harris and Ryan Adams, songwriter Johnny Marr, and producers William Orbit and old buddies the Chemical Brothers. Despite some easy-listening dead weight, the best of these classically crafted songs does wonders for modern folk. 8.5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

Linkin Park Reanimation (Machine Shop/Warner)
Here are some pretty heavy hitters from the hip hop world—Black Thought (!) of the Roots, Alchemist, Aceyalone, Dilated Peoples’ DJ Babu, Evidence and Pharaoh Monch—reinterpreting tunes from L.P.’s ridiculously popular debut Hybrid Theory. With the apparent winning combo of singer and MC (who still needs work), L.P. have carved a niche for themselves and this album definitely pushes them further, combining industrial-hop sensibilities, laced with techno and NIN-isms. Korn’s Jonathan Davis pops in for some melodrama on “1stp Klosr” while other guest such as Aaron Lewis, Planet Asia and Amp Live spice thing up further. 8/10 (Lateef Martin)

Filter The Amalgamut (Reprise/Warner)
Sustaining their trademark sound of thick, sinister riffage offset by Richard Patrick’s tinny voice, Filter’s The Amalgamut starts where ’99’s Title of Record left off, without leaving behind their ability to write the softies. The most powerful song is “Columbind,” which squirms under your skin like legions of ticks on speed, shaking a finger at the victim/predators. Recognizing the importance of balancing loud and quiet, The Amalgamut seems to weave various genres into each other on subtle levels, but fears to fully employ them—particularly the drum & bass touches that are relegated to intros here and there. Don’t be shy, boys, it worked for Incubus. 8/10 (Lateef Martin)

Slum Village Dirty District (Sequence/Barak)
Let’s just get one thing straight. This is not the new Slum Village LP. This is a collection of tracks from their extended Detroit family, produced mostly by SV members T3 and Baatin. Without former producer Jay Dee on board, new blood Wajeed, Young RJ, DJ Dez and Black Milk get to do their thing with D rappers like Phat Cat, Que-D and newest Slum Village addition, Elzhi. For real, this record contains a few ill tracks like Ten Speed and Brown Shoe’s “Real Life” and 3582’s “Yesterday,” but there’s some crazy weird leftfield joints on here that might take you some time to actually like. If anything, this smells like a 16-song staller, made to divert your attention until the new SV hits the shelves. 7/10 (Scott C)

Aphrodite Aftershock (V2/BMG)
Jungle fans will recognize the name Aphrodite (aka Gavin King). Remember “Some Justice,” the hardcore breakbeat anthem from back in ’91, and the whole jump-up style that dominated the scene in the mid-’90s? You can thank King for all of that gut-rumbling, hard-stepping stuff. On his latest full-length Aftershock, the London-based DJ/producer delivers more of the same hip hop, ragga-jungle-style drum & bass that made his 12-inch releases on the Urban Shakedown label so sought-after for the last decade. Although the production quality is on point, Aftershock does come off sounding somewhat dated, to the point where even the guest vocals by Schooly D, Big Daddy Kane and Barrington Levy can’t save it. 5/10 (Raf Katigbak)

Signer Low Light Dreams (Carpark/Phonics)
Coming from an indie rock background, New Zealand native Bevan Smith (aka Signer) is looking to inject a little more emotion into minimal experimental music. The results on Low Light Dreams are at once understated and stunning. Lush pads, real guitar and vocals generously sprinkled with DSP processing provide a textured soundscape for the soft undercurrent of pulsating bass drums and click shuffles. With Low Light Dreams, Smith blurs the lines between German electronic minimalism and Chicago avant-garde rock. Score another winner for NYC’s Carpark label. 9/10 (Raf Katigbak)

Various Néamoins, Various Artists (Natacha’s Recordings)
Back in January, I was trumpeting this unassuming local collective as they launched their first CD of kitchen-table tinker-phonics, assembled in various oddly-named team-ups. I liked the sense of experimentation without pretense, more preschool than post-grad, and this quick follow-up offers more of the same. Punctuated by bits of found noise, the comp collects a variety of humble, fascinating aural miniatures wherein lo-fi electronics bleed into acoustic abstractions most fluidly. Standouts are Hobo Divine’s narco-hop, Unipolar’s pleasantly hypnotic motifs, Pierre Crubes piano loops and newcomer Montag’s techno-pop for shut-ins. 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

CD launch with Cian Éthrie, Figues, Montag, Pierre Crube and Unipolar at la Sala Rossa, Sat., Aug 3, 8:30pm, $6

Various Hustle! (Soul Jazz/Fusion III)
As it did with Chicano rock, Big Easy BBQ funk and the primeval DJ culture of ’70s Jamaica, the Soul Jazz label again displays its knack for summarizing the vibe of a particular time-meets-place-meets-sound. The target this time is the intersection of reggae and disco, triangulating Kingston, London and NYC. Opening strong on bubble-dub versions of “Ring My Bell” and “Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough” (this Derrick Laro gives the young gloved one a run for his money), the comp collects extend-a-mix reggae covers of assorted glitterball klassix. The flow stumbles with Xanadu & Sweet Lady’s unnecessary remake of “Rapper’s Delight,” but Carol Cool’s subsequent go at Diana Ross’s “Upside Down” sets things in order again. 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)