New on CD 12/6/02

'Charmbracelet'The big question surrounding Mariah Carey's newest album, "Charmbracelet," is this: Does the 32-year-old multiplatinum pop princess have what it takes to return to superstar status?

The singer hasn't made any new music since her emotional breakdown and the release of "Glitter," her flop album and movie, last year.

"Charmbracelet," her first on Island Records -- her second label in two years -- doesn't have the tour de force performances one expects from the Grammy-winning diva. Instead, Carey seems frightened and bewildered, like someone stepping into the recording studio for the first time.

The album's first single, "Through the Rain," is a no-frills ballad that alludes to her breakdown. It's slow and simple, with Carey in control of her vocals. But instead of melodies and solos that race through five octaves of high-pitched whistles and deep, dusky lows -- as listeners know she can do -- the song sounds modest and reserved.

Sexier hip-hop tracks such as "The One," "Irresistible" and "Subtle Invitation" follow. But Carey just can't shake whatever reservations are holding her back. The beat carries the songs, and it's easy to forget who's singing -- certainly not the kind of impact she needs to make on a comeback record.

'Best of DJ Quik'DJ Quik's dirty lyrics have prevented him from getting the airplay he deserves, but the songs on "Best of DJ Quik" are a great introduction to his carefully cultivated combination of creative music and intelligent, ear-friendly delivery.

As a rapper, Quik has the wit to include reasoned arguments for condom use within his grotesque sex rhymes. As a producer, he's imaginative enough to add jingling sleigh bells to tales of shootouts.

"Tonite" is the best song ever written about smoking, drinking and shooting dice -- there's even a lesson about drinking too much. "Jus Lyke Compton" thoughtfully examines the influence of gangsta rap from his Compton, Calif., hometown on the rest of the country.

Though Dr. Dre is often called hip-hop's top producer, Quik's cosmopolitan sampling and rhythmic complexity make him the musical superior of his fellow Comptonite. The not-easily offended will find this a welcome accompaniment to any dice game.

-- From wire reports