ALBUM REVIEWS

Sam Smith The Thrill of It All Capitol

The Thrill of It All is simply that — a thrill — as Smith’s piercing voice and vivid lyrics tell stories about his relationships and experiences — the good, the bad, the sad and more.

There’s not a miss on the 10-track album. Say It First, about wanting your partner to say they’re in love before you do, is soft and relatable, while No Peace, a duet with singer YEBBA, is a winner. There are groovier jams, including One Last Song, and Baby, You Make Me Crazy. Smith co-wrote each of the 10 songs, recruiting collaborators to help. Malay lends his magic to Midnight Train and Say It First; Poo Bear co-wrote Burning; Timbaland co-produced Pray; and Cam co-wrote Palace. Jimmy Napes worked on seven songs.

But at the core is Smith, and the voice that perfectly emotes the lyrics.

Kid Rock

Sweet Southern Sugar Broken Bow/BMG/Top Dog

The 10 tracks have Kid Rock’s signature stew of Southern rock, rap and country, layered with expletive-laden lyrics that evoke Old Glory patriotism and redneck culture. It’s sweet with just enough sour to keep it interesting.

There are satisfying arenaready rockers like Greatest Show on Earth, along with Southernfried tunes like Tennessee Mountain Top and the bluesy Raining Whiskey.

Kid Rock revels in his political incorrectness. “I’m a thrift store of filth/I was built to enrage,” he sings. His rock-rap anthem Grandpa’s Jam bizarrely namechecks Taylor Swift, J. Paul Getty, Wolfgang Puck, The Doobie Brothers, Chelsea Handler and a yeti. He gets serious with the wistful, suicide referencing Back to the Otherside and a dark cover of the Four Tops’ Sugar Pie Honey Bunch. Yes, Kid Rock can go deep, too.

Boyz II Men

Under the Streetlight Sony Masterworks

The guys who gave us MotownPhilly in 1991 make fun of themselves in a Geico ad in which they harmonize gross digestive sideeffects at a pharmacy. “If you’re Boyz II Men, you make anything sound good,” says the announcer. And on a new CD, they prove they can make already good songs sound very good indeed.

On Under the Streetlight, the Boyz tackle covers of classic tunes by the likes of Carole King, Sam Cooke and Randy Newman.

This is dangerous territory in the wrong hands but Under the Streetlight manages to give each song the Boyz’ soulful barbershop quartet treatment with respect and admiration for the originals, especially with a superb version of Why Do Fools Fall in Love. Boyz II Men mined the tradition of Motown boy groups like the Temptations and the Four Tops and evolved it.

There’s even a welcome new edition — the original song Ladies Man, which is a slice of multiharmony sunshine.