MUSIC

POPThe Evening of My Best Day by Rickie Lee Jones (V2). The enigmatic beatnik chanteuse is back with an album that manages to be both searingly topical and endearingly musical -- no easy task. Sentiments such as 'time to take the country back' and 'tell somebody what happened in the USA' add an occasional well-placed punch to Jones' swinging jazzbo sound. -- Keith Goetzman

Chutes Too Narrow by the Shins Sub Pop). Here's hoping the hype that's been swirling about these New Mexico auteurs doesn't distract them from their quest for the perfect pop song. Their music carries a whiff of '60s psychedelia and '80s alt rock, but their sound is undeniably now and catchier than the flu. -- K.G.

JAMAICACedric Im Brooks and the Light of Saba (Honest Jons). Brooks is a relentlessly creative saxophonist who in the '70s fronted a group playing an expansive jazz-reggae hybrid inspired by Sun Ra, Hugh Masekela, and Fela Kuti. These resurrected recordings, previously the province of reggae freaks and record-store geeks, exude a deep Rastafarian joy and an adventurous musical spirit. -- K.G.

FOLKGreg Brown: The Essential Greg Brown (Red House). Let me put it to you straight: This 'best of' album confirms the soulful Iowa singer-songwriter as one of the truly great musicians of our time. His quirky, profound songs and rootsy musicianship make him the peer of Lucinda Williams, U2, Johnny Cash, Lauryn Hill, Moby, Bruce Springsteen, and Bob Dylan. -- Jay Walljasper

SOULI Can't Stop by Al Green (Blue Note). Some might call it a throwback, but in these days of overslick R&B, Green's classic Memphis soul style is a welcome relief. Green reunited with Willie Mitchell, the Hi Records president who produced his big hits, to summon a sound that still resonates. -- K.G.

JAZZBlood Sutra by Vijay Iyer (Artist House). This young Indian American pianist knows his Ellington as well as his Monk, and his vibrant music deftly bridges the pre- and post-bop worlds while adding a fresh Asian twist. Recently relocated to New York from L.A., Iyer is an intellectual yet passionate player to look out for. -- K.G.