Artist: The Sleepy Jackson
Album: Lovers
Genre: Rock
Label: EMI Music

Just when you thought you’d gore your own eyes out at the mere mention of rap-rock hybrids and wannabe garage-bands, rock music has actually begun to present a lovely new movement. No one actually has the foresight or pretense to name it, but what about “Psychadelic Americana”? Well, whatever it is, The Sleepy Jackson’s album appears to be in the wake of the same rock meltdown. Some songs sound like a throwback to the Velvet Underground’s “Nico” or the Rolling Stone’s “Exile on Main Street,” while others seem to resemble a style closer to trippy disco-pop than anything remotely nostalgic. Although the album is laced with a few pretentious failures because of a combination of hook-driven melodies and studio tweaking, the band’s effort still comes out as a decisive victory.
-Tommy Siegel

Artist: Various
Album: Strictly The Best Vol. 31
Label: VP Records
Genre: Reggae

The title of this CD, Strictly the Best, is a bit of an overstatement. The album gives listeners some exciting tracks in the beginning with Sean Paul’s “Clap Your Hands Now” remix and in the middle with lesser-known artists like Beres Hammond, whose relaxed reggae sound in “Good Old Dancehall Vibes” is the best reflection of the album. But the end of the album is a tad boring. For a compilation, this album lacks the essential dance beats and rhythms that make it impossible to listen to and remain sitting still. Overall, about 10 to 12 out of the 20 songs are worth listening to more than once. But compared to most albums these days, that’s pretty good.
-Paris Holmes

Artist: Travis
Album: 12 Memories
Genre: Rock
Label: Epic Records

If Travis were a real person, you might imagine him as an unwritten character in a novel by Irvine Welsh, left out of “Trainspotting” for his lack of sufficient substance abuse, but just as simultaneously sad and hopeful as Mark Renton. With his angelic warble, lead singer Fran Healy belies the complex anatomy of entropic life. A sense of things spiraling out of control permeates this album, whether it takes the form of a political screed or commentary on individual failure. But the possibility of redemption also shines through. Travis’ 12 Memories is a solid piece of Britpop, fraught with optimistic melancholy from a band with sensibility inherited from mope-rock and literature alike.
-Jeffrey Parker

Artist: Various
Album: Barber Shop 2: Back in Business Soundtrack
Genre: Soundtrack
Label: Interscope/Geffen

The sequel to the hit movie “Barbershop” could be a funny sequel, but the real joke is the movie’s soundtrack. After Track 1, (“Not Today”), I regretted listening to this terrible collection of songs. Mya gives a great effort in her two tracks, but unfortunately, she allowed some executive to talk her into working with rappers Chingy and Sean Paul, who take away her signature light R&B sound. Tracks by G-Unit, D-12, Mobb Deep and Olivia are equally disappointing. If there is one track that has promise, it is Keyshia Cole’s “Never,” which also features Eve. Cole’s voice commands power, and the song is well-written and produced. But overall, see the movie and skip the soundtrack.
-Joshua Meredith