LILY ALLEN “ALRIGHT, STILL…”

(Capitol Records, $12.98, www.lilyallenmusic.com)

The sugar sweet sound of Lily Allen’s hit single “Smile” deceptively fronts a badass album about lousy credit, sleeping around and clubbing that is laugh out loud brilliant! Yes, laugh you will. “Alright, Still…” combines ska-pop, Allen’s British lilt and brazen lyrics (including numerous, well-placed expletives) that make for a startlingly refreshing debut. The snare drum-led track “Knock ‘Em Out” finds Allen using any excuse (pregnancy, herpes, syphilis) to get rid of a guy who’s hitting on her. “Not Big” hones in on a soon-to-be ex she’ll tell the world is “small in the game”. Ouch! A “proper” English girl she’s not. Allen’s cartoon sass is appealing because she wraps her thug-like lyrics in the girliest of pop, creating one big commentary on the reality around her. The track “LDN”, as in “London”, finds old women getting mugged while pimps and crack whores hang in the city’s streets. Allen’s calliope-driving tunes (“Alfie”), sweet reggae (“Nan, You’re A Window Shopper”) and sharp rock beats (“Take What You Take”), along with 5 million plus hits on MySpace where she debuted her music, makes for the start of a career that is undeniably one to follow.

PATTY GRIFFIN “CHILDREN RUNNING THROUGH”

(ATO Records, $15.98, www.pattygriffin.com)

A quintessential Patty Griffin song starts out gently, longingly until it builds and builds to dramatic heights. It’s the sound of your heart breaking…or the joy of falling in love. Either way, Griffin has cornered the market on hauntingly beautiful songs, especially on her new CD, “Children Running Through”. With a powerful gospel-tinged voice, Griffin also belts out a tune like it’s Sunday morning services on “Heavenly Days” and the Martin Luther King inspired “Up To The Mountains (MLK Song)”, where Griffin’s world-weary vocals soar with the determination of the late civil rights leader. She also rocks like a roadhouse veteran on the rollicking “Getting Ready” and the mariachi trumpeting “No Bad News”. And no one weaves a lyrical tale like Griffin. A natural born-story teller, “Stay On The Ride” finds an old man riding a bus (his life) without destination and “Trapeze” is an allegory for having the courage to live and love. Emmylou Harris, who harmonizes on “Trapeze”, is one of many, including The Dixie Chicks and Solomon Burke, who have covered Griffin’s tunes. You’ll understand the attraction when you hear the final track “Crying Over” and if you don’t shed a tear, you best check for a pulse.

THE SHINS “WINCING THE NIGHT AWAY” (SubPop, $15.98, www.theshins.com)

“You gotta hear this one song, it’ll change your life.” So goes the ringing endorsement Natalie Portman gave The Shins song “New Slang” in the 2004 film “Garden State”. Whether the band from Portland has life-altering powers remains to be seen. What The Shins do have is a talent for brilliantly shifting the conventional pop song. On their third album, “Wincing The Night Away”, songwriter/singer James Mercer steers clear of the “verse/chorus/verse” formula by writing cryptic, poetic run-on sentences. Each song is fresh and appealing thanks to twists and turns that veer in surprising directions. “Turn On Me”, where vocals and drums march happily along, side-by-side, is a prime example. The most engaging track “Australia” is a kicky 60’s-inspired sing-along that includes the requisite “la, la, la” refrains you can’t help but bounce along to. The Shins create dreamy, ghostlike tones on the trippy fairy tale “Red Rabbits” and “A Comet Appears” which features waves settling ashore as a chorus of birds tweet like instrumental accompaniment. Led by Mercer’s sincere, sensitive vocals, “Wincing The Night Away” is a smart, substantial pop album loaded with joy and charm from beginning to end.

LUCINDA WILLIAMS “WEST” (Lost Highway, $13.98,www.lucindawilliams.com)

Lucinda Williams is in mourning. The death of her mother and the end of a relationship frames her most low-key release to date, simply titled “West”. Sparse instrumentation, Williams’ unhurried Louisiana drawl and her exceptional ability to convey the most brutal and heartbreaking of human emotions adds up to the best blues album you’ll hear all year. Williams’ eloquent poetry spills out on “Mama You Sweet” along with her tears and pain, while “Fancy Funeral” nails the futility of extravagance spent on the death of a loved one that could never buy their return. “Everything Has Changed” finds Williams lost in a world permanently altered by the death/departure of her loved one. Yet she rises from the depths of despair to provide hope, turning her gaze outward to the state of the world on “What If” and by extending an invitation to a lover to visit on the title track. The line “Who knows what the future holds/or where the cards may fall/but if you don’t come out west and see/you’ll never know at all” leaving listeners with the universal truth that, to paraphrase another noted poet, “’tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.”

RECOMMENDED LISTENING:

ENDLESS HIGHWAY: THE MUSIC OF ‘THE BAND’ (429 Records, $18.98 www.429records.com/endlesshighway)

This tribute to “The Band” proves their cross-genre appeal thanks to a “who’s who” of country, college rock and Top 40 acts. Roseanne Cash, Death Cab For Cutie and Bruce Hornsby are among the twenty-one acts offering renewed appreciation of The Band’s classic songs. The Allman Brothers’ live version of “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” echoes with a world-weariness, befitting a song about the Civil War. John Hiatt & The North Mississippi Allstars dig deep for a bluesy “Ain’t No More Cane” while country singer Lee Ann Womack sings with clear-as-a-bell enthusiasm on “The Weight”. Jakob Dylan, whose own father handpicked The Band in 1965 for his first electric tour, does a sweet rendition of “Whispering Pines”.

OF MONTREAL “HISSING FAUNA, ARE YOU THE DESTROYER?” (Yep Roc Records, $15.98, www.ofmontreal.net)

If you missed (or miss) those heady, crazy days of New Wave, no worries. Of Montreal’s synthesizer-strewn pop recalls the 80’s and all of its skinny tie glory. With oddly named tracks (“Faberge Falls For Shuggie”), a bit of psychedelic sparkle and throbbing beats, front man Kevin Barnes hosts one non-stop rollercoaster of a ride. Barnes wrote and recorded 90% of the music by himself and used his own experiences with depression and loneliness as subject matter. “Hissing Fauna…” plays like the soundtrack of Barnes’ artistic, complex and multi-colored mind.

THE APPLES IN STEREO “NEW MAGNETIC WONDER” (Yep Roc Records, $16.98, www.applesinstereo.com)

Pop at its “poppiest” is what “The Apples In Stereo” deliver on “New Magnetic Wonder”, the band’s fifth album featuring a whopping 23 tracks (14 songs plus 12 musical segue-ways). Dreamy girl/boy harmonies shine on “Play Tough” while “Open Eyes” shimmers with classic Beatles orchestration. Influenced by the likes of ELO, The Beach Boys and Pavement, The Apples In Stereo’s 21st century college pop (and enhanced CD featuring bonus films) is a blast.

THE SILOS “COME ON LIKE THE FAST LANE” (Bloodshot Records, $15.00, www.thesilos.net)

Twenty-plus years after emerging on to the fledgling alt-country scene, The Silos guitar driven, roots rock is as bright and robust as it was in those early days. Stand out cuts from the trio (whose current lineup has remained the same for the past 7 years) includes the power pop anthem “Tell Me You Love Me”, the ZZ Top sounding “Behind Me Now” and the defiant, punkish “Out Of Our Way”. “Come On Like The Fast Lane” recalls the Canadian band Blue Rodeo (who probably learned a thing or two from The Silos) and is the best example of what rock sounds like when “adults” play it.