New on CD 6/6

'In the Pursuit of Leisure'Far from reflecting the fun produced by a night of club-hopping, "Mr. Bartender (It's So Easy)" the first single from Sugar Ray's "In the Pursuit of Leisure," is about as much fun as a hangover. That goes double for "Bring Me the Head Of ... ," the spoken-word intro preceding it.

A cover of Joe Jackson's "Is She Really Going Out With Him?" doesn't fare much better. Sugar Ray's version isn't as much bad as it is bland.

Not a great way to start out, but things do get better. The rest of "In the Pursuit of Leisure" is a pleasing, mellow affair, utilizing, among others, the sounds of violins, piano and steel drums.

It's easy to see why Sugar Ray became successful after they ceased to be a metal band. Frontman Mark McGrath and the rest sound far better when they keep it low-key.

McGrath's weird gravelly voice sounds almost sweet on "Photograph of You," a melancholy ode to a breakup. Next up is the haunting "56 Hope Road," which shows a uniqueness that is particularly impressive coming from a band that has produced a lot of sound-alike songs.

Sugar Ray should keep pursuing (the sounds of) leisure; clearly, it's what they do best.

'Terence Trent D'Arby's Wildcard!'Where has Terence Trent D'Arby been for the last decade or so? Well, the short answer is -- getting stranger and stranger. The now 40-year-old D'Arby has recently changed his name to Sananda Maitreya -- a moniker he claims came to him in a dream, but also happens to be the Buddhist names for Jesus Christ and messiah.

Egomania is nothing new for D'Arby (he uses both names). When he burst onto the pop scene in 1987, he declared his Grammy-nominated debut "Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D'Arby" better than the Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper." However, D'Arby, whose style drew comparisons to Prince and Michael Jackson, hardly the staying power of the Beatles, and faded into obscurity after his follow-up flopped.

But once you cut through all the layers of self-promotion and controversy, what emerges on "Wildcard!" with arresting clarity is a multitalented performer, composer and arranger who, with his rich soaring tenor, somersaults through some of the most beautifully lush pop material he has ever created.

D'Arby's vocal acrobatics on tracks like "My Dark Places" and "The Inner Scream" are enough to give a listener goosebumps.

--AP