“Country Grammar”

Nelly In a mainstream rap world dominated this year by Dr. Dre, Eminem and Jay Z, here comes a new guy. With hooks as catchy as Dre and rhymes as flowing as Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Nelly is the new rapper on the block, and he is already making a buzz. Nelly’s debut single, “Country Grammar (Hot Shit),” has been a hit on radio, TV and on dance floors. But the catchy hip-hop anthem is just the tip of the iceberg for Nelly. His debut album, also titled “Country Grammar,” is filled with fluid raps, head-bobbing beats and some of the most creative musical loops around, not to mention some of the best rap songs since Dr. Dre’s “The Chronic.” Though “Country Grammar (Hot Shit)” is definitely a great song, by far the best track on the record is “Ride Wit Me” featuring City Spud. Its acoustic guitar background and foot-tapping beat are the perfect background to the melodic rapping. The chorus flows nicely and ends with the chant, “Hey, it must be the money.” Nelly is nothing but proud of his St. Louis roots as he raps about them frequently. The first song on the record, “St. Louie,” is a little slower with a driving beat and rhymes calling out to his hometown. “Luven Me” is also a wonderful track with some resemblance to Bone Thugs. It is filled with sentimental lyrics such as, “Hey mom, how ya doin’ it’s your son now/ and I, picked up the mic and put the drugs down/ now I’m, trying to do some things that will make you proud/ instead every time I call it’s to bail me out.” Nelly is one of the most original, talented, creative and keep-it-real rappers to hit mainstream rap since Dre and Snoop Dogg came in the early 1990s, and “Country Grammar” is the album to prove it. – Kyle Moss “The Menace”

Elastica Not quite up to par with their self-titled premier is the best way to sum up Elastica’s “The Menace.” Why it took five years to come up with this is a bit of mystery, but it’s best not to rush innovation. At least Elastica is a real band and not some corporate construct. However, for those looking to relive the glory that was “Line Up,” “Vaseline,” and “2:1,” this is not it. The new sound is softer. While the punk edge is still there, it is much more muted than before. It’s been replaced with an ethereal softness that comes from lead singer Justine Frischman actually singing more than screaming. She does have a sweet voice, but Elastica fans liked the edge. This album would have been better and more logical if it had come on the heels of the 1995 release because it doesn’t feel so much like a quantum leap that comes from an extended hiatus as it does a shaky sophomore effort. Elastica have been gone too long to do a close-to-the-original cover of “Da Da Da.” This would have been funny and cute two or three years ago, but now it just seems like they were hurting for material. The cover is more what one might expect from a bar band than a group of artists with something to say. Overall, “The Menace” isn’t original enough to impress anyone and not bad enough to be utterly panned. It’s a 2.5 on the Richter scale. It’s a vanilla shake. It’s what “Futurama” is to “The Simpsons.” Give it a listen if you are a die-hard Elastica fan, but the casual listener would do better to look elsewhere for their punked-out, hard-edged cross-Atlantic girl rock. – Greg Jerrett