Blink 182

“Blink 182” (Geffen)

Compare to: Face to Face, Unwritten Law

Simply put, the boys of Blink are pissed off. Maybe all the screaming TRL tweens drove them mad. Perhaps it was the pressure to follow the juvenile themes of their last three albums. Or maybe they’re just sick of shitty four-chord pop-punk.

Regardless of the reason, Blink 182’s sixth studio release is anything but thoughtless, trivial ear candy. That’s not to say the Mark, Tom and Travis show have suddenly become the Wagners of the Vans crowd — they haven’t. “Blink 182” is more like the diary of three men whose success came a little too fast, a trio of musicians who were sick of being pigeonholed into writing love songs and dick jokes.

For every conceivable reason critics and fans gave up on Blink in the past, there’s a darker, deeper response to it on this album. Tired of silly junior high breakup songs performed by guys old enough to father their own middle schooler? Listen to “Always.” Like the catchiness of “What’s My Age Again?” but hate its hackneyed premise? Check out “Asthenia.” Don’t like the self-loathing of “Adam’s Song?” Too damn bad — this whole album sounds like that.

Blink 182 obviously wanted to prove a point with their eponymous release, and “All of This,” guitarist Tom Delonge’s duet with Cure frontman Robert Smith, is the knife pinning it to the wall. Brooding and dark, Delonge and Smith’s pairing even shows similarities between both bands — great singles, mediocre albums (excluding “Disintegration”).

As usual, most of Blink’s credibility would be lost without Travis Barker, arguably the best drummer in mainstream music and the only member of the band with any stand-out skills. But for the first time in the band’s 10-year history, it’s the overall aural effect of each song that sets the album apart from the crowd.

Even Delonge’s bumblebee-in-a-cheese-grater vocals somehow manage to come out sounding, well, not annoying as hell. Bassist Mark Hoppus’ sing-song chorus in “Down” pairs well with Delonge’s perfected whine, especially over the smoothly layered drums and whispered transitions. Production, and possibly over-production, played a heavy role in this album, but the result is worth its Pro Tools makeover.

Every lyric on the album has been honed to a sharper edge, for better or for worse. On “Easy Target,” the perpetually puny Hoppus struts a bit with biting lyrics like “Holly’s looking dry looking for an easy target/ Let her slit my throat give her ammo if she’ll use it/ Caution on the road lies lies and hidden danger/ Southern California’s breeding mommy’s little monster.” Sure, it’s heart-core bandwagoning   la Brand New or Taking Back Sunday, but it’s a refreshing departure from the canine fornication and elderly incontinence of “Take Off Your Pants and Jacket.”

For all the former fans who never thought they’d waste money on another Blink craps shoot, think again. They may have taken a decade to get it right, but SoCal’s most juvenile middle-agers have finally grown up.

— Aaron Ladage

Britney Spears

“In the Zone” (Jive)

Compare to: Hilary Duff, Mandy Moore, Jessica Simpson

Anyone who listens to even a few tracks from Britney Spears’ latest album is fully capable of discerning her goal — to prove to the world she’s back and better than ever.

But unlike her pop foil Christina Aguilera, who literally stripped her girlhood image in her “Dirrty” video, Spears has opted to make the transition through provocative lyrics and, oh yeah, swapping spit with Madonna.

Love her or hate her, the poptart is back with her fourth album and she’s brought some new friends.

In “(I Got That) Boom Boom,” Spears teams up with lewd rappers the Ying Yang Twins. Spears’ more notable guest performance is the long-anticipated duet with Madonna in “Me Against the Music.” This song proves the lesson J.Lo and Ben learned from their “Gigli” disaster — two superstars collaborating on the same project does not automatically equal a smashing success.

The racy lyrics shine through the most in two tracks. In “Showdown,” Spears coos, “I don’t want to be a tease/ Would you undo my zipper please.”

“Touch of My Hand” is Spears’ ode to self-gratification. For example, take the less-than-G-rated lyrics: “Another day without a lover/ The more I come to understand the touch of my hand.”

Spears’ answer to ex-boyfriend Justin Timberlake’s “Cry Me A River” is evident in the self-written ballad “Everytime.” Instead of seeking lyrical revenge on Timberlake, Spears opts for an apologetic voice singing, “My weakness caused you pain/ And this song is my sorry.”

One high point on the album is the magnetic “Toxic,” with its catchy nightclub guitar beat. But honestly, on several of the album’s tracks, Spears’ voice sounds far too over-processed and barely recognizable.

Overall, the album is a step up from her last album, “Britney,” and a step backward from her sophomore album, “Oops! … I Did It Again.” Although Spears is trying relentlessly to make the move from teen pop star to a sexy adult performer, her dim lyrics prove she’s still stuck in the middle — not a girl, not yet a woman.

— Jolene Hull

IRS

“Welcome to Planet IRS” (Avatar)

Compare to: Big Tob, Under Survalance, Lil’ Troy

“Planet IRS” is sort of similar to Alice’s Wonderland, but in a street ball, heart-of-the-Westside, free-styling way that takes listeners to a place that is far from as obnoxiously happy the other side of the rabbit hole.

From the beginning, listeners are led down the path toward another world. IRS takes you down the back alleys and side streets of some big city. Each different element of the street has its own unique meaning.

The other element missing from rapper Wonderland is the Cheshire Cat; however, IRS’ main rapper calls himself “Black Cat.” That’s close enough.

His demeanor, as well as his rap skills, are top-notch and his job, like the Cheshire Cat, is to guide you through his world.

There are no overdubbed, fake-sounding tracks on this album. The whole disc has been recorded with scratching and cuts from DJ T.R.A.C.K.S.’ electric bass and acoustic drums. There are samples every so often, but not enough to distract the listener from this journey.

The intimacy of having acoustic instruments gives “Planet IRS” a raw and comfortable feel. The music seems laid back even though the lyrics are hardcore. The lack of computer-generated loops means the absence of stress even though the message behind the music is dead-serious.

Black Cat and Korry Deez give it to you straight, uncut and uninfluenced by major label executives demanding them to be more “family-oriented.”

The lyrics are something all their own. Both MCs trade rhymes back and forth in nearly every song. For some of the tracks it sounds like Black Cat and Deez improved all the rhymes as they went along.

The freestyling vibe adds to the controversy and brings the listener better understanding of street life.

The music and lyrics are good, but the production quality sounds underdone in a few places, giving some otherwise solid tracks unneeded sloppiness. The women that sing backup in some songs get really annoying.

— Dan Hopper

Jay-Z

“The Black Album” (Def Jam)

Compare to: Nas, 50 Cent, Tupac

In his tenth and, in his words, final album, Brooklyn rapper Jay-Z does what most artists can only dream of — go out on top of his game.

“The Black Album” is perhaps the best effort the rapper has put out since his debut LP, “Reasonable Doubt,” and he did it all by himself.

On “The Black Album,” Jay-Z eliminates what has almost become a staple for any modern hip-hop album — guest rappers. Throughout the entire CD, Hova is the only emcee you will hear, a refreshing thought today with every song on the radio featuring eight guys who just scream about hoes and clubbin’.

The Jigga’s new album is a bit different than most of his previous efforts, giving off more of an underground vibe than most mainstream rap. Granted, his first single, “Change Clothes,” is still his Neptunes-produced album-launcher, but the rest of the CD digs deeper into Shawn Carter’s musical repertoire.

“Black” has everything from the slow, soul tracks like “Allure” to the club song in “Dirt Off Your Shoulder” to the hardcore beats on “Threat.” Jay-Z even dabbles in the ways of the rap-rock hybrid on “99 Problems.”

The fact that every track on this album is different is what makes it such a strong release. Every song stands by itself and could more than likely be released as a single. In fact, half of the songs on the CD would probably be album-driving singles for other artists.

Jay-Z is truly one of the best MCs alive and well in the game today, if not the best, but that may be the only downfall to this album. It seems that every song has at least one snippet with Carter proclaiming how he’s the best there is now and ever was, creating a bit of overkill. J-Hova needs to quit reminding us how good he is in every verse and just let his music speak for itself.

As to whether or not this will be Jay-Z’s final album, it’s hard to say with most rappers saying one thing and doing the next. Only time will tell if he retires like John Elway — or Michael Jordan.

— Josh Madden