Alicia Keys: ‘The Element of Freedom’
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The most consistent of her four albums, “The Element of Freedom” doesn’t break much new ground. But pianist/singer Alicia Keys has found a distinctive contemporary soul sound, blending R&B vocals with hip-hop-rooted crunch underneath; and she delivers it again while singing these songs of love.

In bygone days, “The Element of Freedom” would have been tabbed as a “concept album,” a disc on which she explores the pain and, occasionally, the bliss of love. Again, it’s nothing new, but Keys finds the heart of the theme and mines it for all it is worth.

Nowadays, however, the focus isn’t so much on whole records, but songs. Keys, delivers on that front. too, teaming up with Beyonce on the spark-filled “Put it in a Love Song”; revisiting “Empire State of Mind” — her hit with Jay-Z, minus the rap superstar; getting the sadness out of “Try Sleeping With a Broken Heart”; and almost coming apart on “Love Is My Disease.”
— L. Kent Wolgamott
Buy if you like: Mary J. Blige, Rihanna

Robin Thicke: ‘Sex Therapy: The Experience’
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Robin Thicke pretty much has one thing on his mind on this latest CD, and that one thing is apparent from the album title. It’s not exactly a novel concept, particularly in Thicke’s chosen genre of R&B. Fortunately, the songs on “Sex Therapy” are generally satisfying on a musical level.

Thicke isn’t breaking much musical ground – the freshest track is the rhythmically varied “Meiple,” featuring guest vocals from Jay-Z. But he finds a soulful sweet spot on “Mrs. Sexy.” He digs into a gritty and simmering groove on “Make U Love Me” and trades a light falsetto vocal with a distinctly punchy rhythm track on “Elevatas.”

Overall, “Sex Therapy” leans more toward hip-hop and edgy funk than his previous CDs and doesn’t cater as much to the pop dimension that has given Thicke considerable crossover appeal in the past. But considering top 40 radio can’t seem to get enough lyrically light hip-hop and soul these days, “Sex Therapy” may be the right kind of album from Thicke for the times.
— Alan Sculley
Buy if you like: R. Kelly, Jaheim

Phil Vassar: ‘The Traveling Circus’
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Despite writing hit songs for the likes of Tim McGraw and Jo Dee Messina, and then a string of hits on his own albums, Vassar has never been able to break through to the upper tier of country stars. The problem hasn’t been Vassar’s songs or his singing so much that as a hatless piano player, he doesn’t fit the mold of a country superstar.
Chances are “The Traveling Circus” won’t change things because Vassar is letting his maverick tendencies shine more than ever. He self-produced the CD instead of using a name-brand Nashville producer. He used his touring band instead of studio pros to play the songs.
The result is a CD that’s livelier and a bit rougher around the edges than most mainstream country CDs. And yes, there may be too much piano for radio. But songs like the vibrant rockers “Life,” “Tequila Town” and the should-be hit “Bobbi With An I” (about a cross-dressing linebacker who shows up at a bar as his female alter-ego), along with earnest ballads like “Everywhere I Go” and “A Year From Now” make for a well rounded, entertaining CD.
— Alan Sculley
Buy if you like: Kenny Chesney, Dierks Bentley

Cast Members: ‘Glee: The Music, Volume 1’ and ‘Glee: The Music Volume 2’
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Fox’s new musical comedy, “Glee,” has been one of the year’s breakout shows. It’s the story of a high school teacher who tries to prepare the school’s glee club for a national competition, and this gives the cast members plenty of chances to sing on the show. Now those performances have been compiled on two single CDs.
The music chosen for the show is plenty eclectic, running the gamut from songs by Kanye West, Journey and REO Speedwagon (on “Vol. 1”), to Bill Withers, Cyndi Lauper and Kelly Clarkson (on “Vol. 2”). The actors on the series do a credible job of singing the songs, although rarely do these renditions surpass the original versions of the songs. If the producers of these two soundtrack albums had taken more chances in re-working the songs to create versions that were more inventive, the “Glee” soundtracks would have more merit. As it is, the “Glee” soundtracks amount to little more than slick, big-budget karaoke albums.
– Alan Sculley
Buy if you like: “American Idol,” “Now That’s What I Call Music” collections.

Neil Diamond: ‘A Cherry Cherry Christmas’
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Neil Diamond adds three originals to a selection of traditional holiday offerings on this compilation which takes nine of its 14 songs from two Christmas CDs he made in the 1990s. This is the sometimes overblown, often majestic Diamond, not the hipster of his recent recording with Rick Rubin. That, however, is a perfect match for the material, particularly when he puts his swing on “Jingle Bell Rock,” or applies his vocal prowess to “Amazing Grace,” which isn’t really a Christmas song. Neither is “The Chanukah Song,” made famous by Adam Sandler, that ends the record.
“You Make It Feel Like Christmas,” a holiday romance, is the best of Diamond’s compositions. But neither it nor the other two songs adds much to the Christmas canon. They, however, aren’t offensive and as a whole “A Cherry Cherry Christmas” is a solid seasonal effort from the old pro.
— L. Kent Wolgamott
Buy if you like: Tom Jones, Tony Bennett

Michael McDonald: ‘This Christmas’
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The former Doobie Brothers singer, who has enjoyed a career resurgence with his two “Motown” albums, goes soulful on this holiday album. No surprise there. And the style suits McDonald and his choice of covers – such as “This Christmas” and a completely reworked and surprisingly rocking version of “Winter Wonderland” — just fine.
He also ups the ante by including three worthy songs he co-wrote – two earnest ballads and the sprightly “Every Time Christmas Comes Around.” All in all, this is one of the season’s best musical offerings.
– Alan Sculley
Buy if you like: Marvin Gaye, Paul Young