New Music : November 17 - 23

Norah Jones "The Fall"
Jones returns with the slow-dances-and-love-scenes café jazz that made her a star. Far from her modest 2nd album, she really experiments with her trademark sound. Working producer Jacquire King (Modest Mouse, Kings of Leon), Jones seems inspired in this new album - check out shuffling opener "Chasing Pirates". "Light As a Feather," a collaboration with Ryan Adams, nails the sweet spot between blues, torch song, and raw country with one of Jones' finest vocals. Additional musicians and co-writers of note include Marc Ribot, Smokey Hormel, Joey Waronker, and Will Sheff of Okkervil River.

50 Cent "Before I Self Destruct"
This is the 4th album from hip-hop's mogul and he is still able to get so much mileage out of the same formula: rhymes about firearms, premium spirits, attitudes toward women that make cavemen seem like radical feminists, and all of the accompaniments of the gangsta lifestyle are still here. Pop-leaning cuts with sledgehammer hooks, and production from heavyweights like Dr. Dre and Polow Da Don. Eminem drops by, making loco fingers around his ears on the wheezing "Psycho."

John Mayer "Battle Studies"
Recorded primarily in his private California home where he lived and worked simultaneously, this 45-minute set features a pairing with Taylor Swift ("Half of My Heart"), his own variation on Robert Johnson's "Crossroads", and the recent singles "Who Says" and "Heartbreak Warfare." Mayer even critique's his own album via Twitter on @johncmayer. Here's a tweet posted from Nov. 10: "It's been extremely uncomfortable at times to stay open and honest, but I feel like 'Battle Studies' may be proof it was worth it."

Leona Lewis "Echo"
After the global success of "Spirit," and its best-selling single "Bleeding Love," the pressure to solidify her status as the Universe's Next Top Diva with her sophomore release must be intense. Despite its title, Lewis' sophomore set isn't a rerun of her first, although ballads like "Don't Let Me Down" (co-written by Justin Timberlake) won't shed those pesky Mariah/Whitney comparisons. Dance floor banger "Outta My Head" comes courtesy of Swedish pop wunderkind Max Martin, while "Love Letter" shoehorns Lewis into a Kelly Clarkson-style rocker with mixed results."Brave," with its subtle Middle Eastern flourishes, displays the nuanced drama of a classic James Bond theme song.

Annie "Don't Stop"
Amidst your big names shines an underground artist who's become synonymous with contemporary pop at its finest, even if she's hardly a household name. Hip kids on both sides of the Atlantic have embraced Norwegian electro-pop artist Annie since her 2004 breakthrough singles "Heartbeat" and "Chewing Gum." After numerous delays, her inventive yet accessible second album finally arrives, spanning a gamut from the mysterious "Marie Cherie" to the drill team stomp of "Hey Annie." In a perfect world, "My Love Is Better," featuring guitar by Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand and giddy production by Xenomania (Girls Aloud), would flood the nation's ears as quickly as Britney's mind-numbing "3" did.

Crooked Vultures "Self Titled"
The self-titled debut from the kick-ass triumvirate of Dave Grohl, Josh Homme, and Led Zeppelin vet John Paul Jones packs a heavy wallop, yet also incorporates plenty of eyebrow-raising weirdness. Hints of glam creep into "Reptiles"; "Caligulove" dives into gut-bucket soul-rock a la Black Keys; and "New Fang" throws down some hard-driving boogie.

Other New Releases Worth Checking Out:
(Have not listened to, but please feel free to post a review)

Kid Sister "Ultraviolet"
Robbie Williams "Reality Killed the Video Star"
Rakim "The Seventh Seal"
Dilana "Inside Out"
Jace Everett "Red Revelations"