Omar Souleyman
"Jazeera Nights: Folk and Pop Sounds of Syria" (Sublime Frequencies, 3 ½ stars).
Casual "world music" fans beware: Charismatic Syrian vocalist Omar Souleyman doesn't trade in pleasantly vague foreign background music. He peddles authentic, semi-lo-fi Arab street-pop and arrestingly exotic/electronic dance-jams, suitable for weddings, parties, etc. Unknown to the West no more, his third domestic collection on outstanding international label Sublime Frequencies again features SF compiler Mark Gergis' helpful liner notes.
Since 1994, Souleyman has produced more than 500 releases -- almost all on cassette, many recorded in performance. As sharp, slippery synth lines squiggle and quaver for a distinctly Arabic sound -- occasional oud-picking helps -- Souleyman sing-chants in brusque, cadenced tones of love's pains ("Stab Your Heart," a head-spinning highlight here) and pleasures ("Like the Sugar in the Tea," a more languorous delight). Strong, superb stuff.
Rick Ross
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"Teflon Don" (Def Jam, 3 stars)
Rick Ross isn't a lyricist. So it's alarming when he raps, "I stopped writing ... I'll do it mentally" on "Free Mason," a track featuring Jay-Z, another rapper who claims not to write down his lyrics. The difference is that Jay-Z is, well, Jay-Z. On his fourth album, Ross is still trying to say something, and his attempts to go deep drift toward the absurd -- he even mentions the three J's: Jesus, JFK and John Lennon.
Musically, though, he's never sounded so deliberate and cinematic, basking in lush, almost orchestral beat arrangements. And while Ross doesn't have a gift for words, he does have a way with them, invoking humor ("MC Hammer") as easily as triumph ("Tears of Joy").
Macy Gray
"The Sellout" (Concord 2 ½ stars).
You can't sell out if you don't buy in. That idea is at the center of Macy Gray's career. After she started the Neo-Soul '90s with its most eccentric vocal display (whiskey-soaked Eartha Kitt meets drowsy Ann Peebles) and epic hit melodies rife with psychedelic influences, audiences grew confused by Gray's occasionally bizarre behavior and increasingly odd albums.
With "Sellout," Gray has taken the reins and co-written most of the tunes. As a songwriter, Gray lacks the essentials to aid her wicked voice and effortlessly wild flow -- strong hooks, clever lyrics. But you can't keep the Gray lady down, and the Rodney Jerkins-produced "Help Me," the thrillingly intimate "Still Hurts" (written with Teedra Moses), and a tender duet with Bobby Brown ("Real Love") show that, as a vocalist, she's clearer than ever without having lost an iota of weirdness.
