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By BRIAN ORLOFF
Published April 24, 2005

GARBAGE, BLEED LIKE ME (GEFFEN) The stakes are high - really high - on Bleed Like Me, Garbage's fourth album. Fans have been waiting for four years for new music and, as if that's not enough, the band broke up during recording sessions. Somehow, Garbage persevered and cranked up the emotional meter on this batch of 11 electronic-colored pop tunes. At times, the album sounds a little too produced, like with new-wave toss-off Run Baby Run, a sleek, if not too polished, pop gem. Garbage, like its name suggests, thrives more in rawer moments. Luckily for fans there are songs like the title track, a pointed story-song about insecurity and self-injury that sounds deceptively intoxicating with its lush orchestrations and Shirley Manson's saccharine croon. Her voice is pasted over itself and her cry, "you should see my scars," chillingly resonates over the guitar-drenched backdrop. There's also the coolly defiant sounding Metal Heart, which begins with a skittish electronic ticking and slowly simmers, incorporating a violin sample and sizzling electric guitar. B

M.I.A., ARULAR (XL) Sri Lankan rapper Maya Arulpragasam records under the moniker M.I.A., and it's no coincidence. Think of it as a political statement: Her emcee name reflects her exile from Sri Lanka. Fleeing to Britain because of ongoing political conflicts in her country, Arulpragasam's charmingly eclectic sound reflects her diasporic identity and draws on global sonic influences - everything from dance hall sounds to electro clash to rap beats that would not sound unfamiliar on, say, a Missy Elliott album. And her music is drawing early buzz from critics and fans lucky enough to catch her reportedly breathless live performances. Standouts on this excellent disc include Fire Fire, with its rapid-fire delivery and clanging backbeat, and Bucky Done Gun, a collage of erratic drumbeats, bursts of stately trumpet and Arulpragasam's chirpy delivery. Then there's Galang, Arular's infectious first single driven by a delicious electro groove which, midsong, gives way to an anthemic chant ("ya ya hey") that's positively exhilarating. A

MARTHA WAINWRIGHT, MARTHA WAINWRIGHT (ROUNDER) She comes from a rich musical pedigree - Rufus' sister, Loudon Wainwright and Kate McGarrigle's daughter - but it's finally Martha Wainwright's time. The title of her debut album makes that clear. But there's also Wainwright's evocative voice, which transforms from a wispy instrument into a powerful yawp at her whim. As a songwriter, Wainwright doesn't quite possess the lyrical gifts of her father or brother. But her torch songs brim with thought and obvious emotion. The relatively spare, airy arrangements - some organ, acoustic guitar and keyboard - let Wainwright's billowy voice breathe. She sounds especially strong on the stunning opener Far Away and This Life, with its wistful vocals and bucolic country flair. Ball and Chain plunges into stormy sexuality with its swaggering piano lines and Wainwright's tormented delivery. B+

[Last modified April 24, 2005, 06:20:11]