Jay-Z
The Black Album (Roc-a-Fella/Universal)
Whether or not one of the greatest MCs of all time has really decided to hang up the mic for good remains to be seen. Does dropping seven albums in seven years, building Roc-a-Fella up from a maybe to a multi-billion dollar sure thing and still being able to flip a lyrical gem with no problem make Jay-Z eligible for retirement or just a well-hyped break? Whatever comes next, The Black Album is the perfect exit regardless. Jay walks out the door with no lyrical cameos, aided by the production of Just Blaze, Kanye West, the Neptunes, Timbaland, Eminem, 9th Wonder, DJ Quik and even Rick Rubin, making for a dramatic retreat that can only be followed by an accompanying comeback. Listen close, and you'll hear an older Jay-Z surveying his empire and trying to plan his all-important next move. 8.5/10 (Scott C)

Joel Plaskett Emergency
Truthfully Truthfully (MapleMusic/Universal)
Halifax continues to rock in the key of Joel Plaskett, who reteams with the Emergency, drummer Dave Marsh and bassist Tim Brennan, for this third solo album, produced by Plaskett's former Thrush Hermit bandmate Ian McGettigan. The singer-songwriter-guitarist takes a stroll through the halls of '70s classic rock, passing the likes of Cheap Trick, the Clash and Led Zeppelin, borrowing liberally but never imitating, rather gently incorporating these influences into his loose, leisurely style. The sound stays stripped down to accentuate Plaskett's lyrics and vocals, written and performed with the confident simplicity of a mainstream star in waiting. 7/10 (Lorraine Carpenter) With Pete Elkas at Petit Campus, Fri., Nov. 28, 9pm, $10

Alejandro Escovedo
With These Hands (Ryko/Outside)
This re-release of his 1996 record is nice but it's the accompanying live CD that proves to be the real deal here. Since this record first dropped, Escovedo has become one of America's greatest melancholic songwriters, but the overproduction of With These Hands tends to gloss over his natural shine. Escovedo's lyrics get lost in the glut of instrumentation. Thankfully, this set is saved by the stripped-down versions culled from his first three albums served up on disc two. Recorded in 1996, Escovedo lets the songs breathe with no safety nets or dense layers of superfluous string sections. It's no wonder that producer T.S. Burton, who wrecked the first three records, was canned after this. 8/10 (Johnson Cummins)

The 68's
Wonderful in the Afternoon (Gibraltar)
From Toronto, an adventurous garage rock party band with melodic and harmonic prowess to spare. Backed by guitarist Leon Patterson and drummer Judson Mackay, brothers Liam (guitars) and Carlin Nicholson (bass, keys) sing in relay and as a team, though their falsetto stylings are more Beatles than Everlys. And despite their moniker and myriad hints of that '60s sound, they're not strictly retro, or specifically '68. In fact, their sonic manoeuvring recalls the lofty likes of Supergrass and the Shins and, although it ends on a bum note, this debut suggests that the 68's could someday hit those heights. 8/10 (Lorraine Carpenter) With the Wells at le Swimming on Sun., Nov. 30, 10pm, $5

The Dorkestra
Merry Tales and Fractured Melodies (C0C0S0L1DC1T1)
A self-professed vinyl junkie, DJ Luv's latest effort as the Dorkestra is rife with sounds pillaged from his rich and varied record collection. One listen to Merry Tales and it's quite clear what kind of wax this guy is hoarding: funky breaks culled from ultra-rare groove and disco 12-inches collide with atmospheric, analogue space-movie soundtracks as Muppet vocals are twisted and processed almost beyond recognition. Armed with a sense of humour and playfulness, chunky and infectious head-bobbing beats and an adventurous spirit, the Dorkestra launches the funky break far into the stratosphere. If you're looking for a little personality in your music, the Dorkestra has it in spades. 7.5/10 (Raf Katigbak) CD launch at SAT, Sun., Nov. 30, 2pm, free

Michael Mayer
Fabric 13 (Fabric/Fusion III)
Okay, those of you who missed this guy's unsane set at the Kompakt night at SAT in September can officially stop kicking yourself and rush out to pick up this mix CD. While it only gives you one eighth or so of the total live experience, it's still head and shoulders above most minimal mix CDs out there. One reason is the selection of pop-tinged vocal tracks sprinkled lightly throughout the hour-long mix - including one track featuring Nena of "99 Luftballons" fame. Going from blissful (Richard Davis's "Bring Me Closer") to bouncy (Thomas Schaeben's "Busted") and back again (Ricardo Villalobos's "Easy Lee") to German neo-no-wave, this is a wickedly varied and groovy mix. 8/10 (Raf Katigbak)

Various
Desi Nation (Stern's)
Dancehall and hip hop (Timbaland, for instance) have in recent years revitalized themselves with elements of Bollywood and bhangra, the pop flavours of the Indian subcontinent. The energy runs both ways, it seems, if the material on this "nu-bhangra" comp is any indication. While overly intellectual Asian undergrounders like Talvin Singh disappear into their own navels, young bucks with no esoteric inclinations (Panjabi MC is one) graft their dhol drums and tumbi licks to vocoders and beats based in hip hop, R&B, ragga and garage. The possibilities are remarkable, and this CD is loaded with jump-up bumpers like A.DH's "Bhangra Garage" and Kuldeep Manak's "Haar." 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Jeru the Damaja
Divine Design (Redeye)
As you may remember, you can't stop the prophet, but you can breathe a collective sigh of relief now that Jeru has decided to lay off of his own production. Like his last album Heroes 4 Hire, Divine Design pales in comparison to his now classic The Sun Rises in the East and Wrath of the Math LPs, but it's the first sign of the firm, moral, forked-tongue flow that seemed to be missing altogether on H4H. The beats are tailored to let Jeru speak, which is all we really need, and Jeru lets us know that besides unearthing industry bullshit, he has a sense of humour. This is a great way to welcome a once wayward but ultimately skilled MC back into the fold. 7/10 (Scott C)

Missy Elliott
This Is Not a Test! (Elektra/Warner)
The state-of-emergency chic of the jacket art is the first sign. In stark contrast to the smarty-goofball exuberance of last year's Under Construction, the crossover queen of hip hop/R&B/"What the hell was that and why am I dancing to it?" plays it dark, sparse and cagey this time. The album suffers a bit for it, but not so much that jams like "Pass the Dutch," "I'm Really Hot" and "Pump It Up" with Nelly don't demand the nodding of the head. And to be fair, the spaciousness of her and Timbaland's productions this time highlights her intricate and eloquent toasts, boasts, roasts and frank sex chatter (check the disco vibrator anthem "Toyz"). Good stuff, but she needs to get her freak back on. 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Al Green
I Can't Stop (Blue Note/EMI)
Al Green has made some of the best soul records of all time. His legendary '70s albums, including Let's Stay Together and I'm Still in Love With You, joined a full-bodied, horn-driven sound with Green's signature exuberant falsetto. After years of recording strictly gospel albums, he's back to form with virtually the same classic style he popularized 30 years ago. It's no coincidence - he went back to the same Memphis studios he used back then and enlisted many of the same musicians that helped him craft that distinctive sound. The result is a modern, vibrant soul record that succeeds in being vintage without sounding dated. 8/10 (Gerard Dee)

Joshua Rager
Sextet (MMMP)
This is a superb debut release by a Montrealer, one equally adept as a pianist and composer. A McGill graduate, his music is now part of the repertoire of many of that university's bands. Rager is in the front rank of today's young writers and on this session, done in Montreal in August, he's surrounded himself with some of the top Canadian interpreters and improvisers. He's got Kelly Jefferson, Kelsley Grant, Fraser Hollins, Dave Laing and the outstanding Ingrid Jensen, who also scored Cole Porter's "Ev'rything I Love." That along with "Box of Moonlight," composed by Josh's wife Min (a fine pianist in her own right), six attention-grabbing compositions by the leader and his arrangement of "So in Love", another Porter piece, makes up the excellent program presented here. 9.5/10 (Len Dobbin) At Upstairs, Sun., Nov. 30, 9pm, $10

Various
Just Because I'm a Woman: Songs of Dolly Parton (Sugar Hill/ Festival)
Dolly sure doesn't have to prove herself as one hell of a crooner, but unfortunately her songwriting credit often goes overlooked. This compilation has Alison Krauss tackling "9 to 5," Melissa Etheridge taking on the mega-hit "I Will Always Love You," Joan Osborne's "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind," Sinead O'Conner back in the spotlight with "Dagger Through the Heart" and even Shania Twain coming down from her ivory tower to pay tribute with her horrid rendition of the classic "Coat of Many Colors." The real treat is Emmylou Harris's rendition of "To Daddy." Even Dolly makes an appearance and takes all of these gals (okay, maybe not Harris) to school with the title track. Not bad but it would've been nice if they hadn't concentrated on so many ballads and had hit on Dolly's recent foray into bluegrass. 7/10 (Johnson Cummins)

Mini CD Reviews

Mireille Proulx Le Jardin de nuit (Ars Musica) A marvellous violin-piano outing with John Sadowy - more first-rank compositions. 9 (LD)

AE Bootleg (Sonig) What happens when a female percussionist forms an electro-trash duo with a member of Stock Hausen & Walkman? Sonic mayhem of the highest order that's as cartoonish as it is brilliantly chaotic. 8 (RK)

The Burdocks Airplane Tracks (Out of Touch/No) There's little turbulence as this Halifax quartet flies high on smart, catchy, occasionally intricate indie rock. 8 (LC) With Helicopter Helicopter, Wax Mannequin at Casa del Popolo, Sat., Nov. 29, 9pm

King Kong The Big Bang (Drag City) Electrokitsch meets exotica on the planet of the ape. 7 (LC) With US Maple at Casa del Popolo, Wed., Dec. 3, 9pm, $10

TM Juke Maps of the Wilderness (Tru-Thoughts/ Outside) Somebody knows how to work the effects processor! 7 (SC)

Happy Kreter Paradigm Lost (Global Symphonic/Scratch) Guy leaves crappy band Gob to begin a career in independent wrestling and then returns with a solo record. Result: should've never left the ring. 5 (JC)

Blink 182 self-titled (Geffen/Universal) When Sum 41 are kicking your ass at your own game, it's time to start asking some serious questions. 3 (JC)

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