VARIOUS ARTISTS -- ULTRA NOIR

Music critics like to use "noir" to describe moody, visceral and eccentric music that deserves a place on the soundtrack to some bleak film noir feature. For once, those terms can aptly be put to good use with Ultra Noir, a collection of snippets taken from the scores of a wide range of films. Film noir is less a "genre" than it is a mood, so the scores touched upon with this compilation are fittingly from a disparate collection of modern and classic celluloid. While the compositions collected share a loose ideal of "dark," the tone shifts and the approach varies from track to track. So you get grand, orchestral fare from Laura, North by Northwest and Double Indemnity (each of which feature arrangements that appropriately seethe confusion and delusion), and a small amount of slow-strutting Jazz romps (Farewell My Lovely), which is surprising, given the cartoon-y stereotype of the noir sound. Dramatic, ambient creepiness seems to be the most popular motif for Noir composers, as the snippets from Shattered, Blink, The Pledge, Mullholland Drive and Blood Simple prove. A common theme that runs throughout most of the tracks is tension, and it's interesting to see how the different composers go about conveying it without simply resorting to the cliché high-end, discordant violin stabs (the dynamic selection from L.A. Confidential, "Bloody Christmas," is one of the best, with its rumbling, overpowering drum stampede, bookended by sensual, burning Jazz). There's surely an audience for this CD, but it's probably limited to film buffs, like-minded composers and cultured criminals. This is classic "mood music," though not the kind you'd put on for a quiet, romantic night at home with your loved one ... unless you're planning to murder him or her later on. The music of Ultra Noir is mostly stellar, but the appeal is limited. (Mike Breen) Grade: B

· ROOMFUL OF BLUES -- STANDING ROOM ONLY (ALLIGATOR).

ROOMFUL OF BLUES -- STANDING ROOM ONLY

For perspective on Roomful of Blues' astonishing legacy, note that when guitarist Duke Robillard and keyboardist Al Copley first conceived the band, The Beatles had just released Sgt. Pepper. Over the subsequent 38 years, Roomful of Blues has become less a band and more of a franchise; Robillard and Copley have departed, and no less than 44 different musicians have put a stint with ROB on their resumes. And yet each band iteration has remained true to the pioneering Blues spirit of the original, exploring every facet of the form, from smooth swing to gritty urban to soulful R&B. Roomful of Blues' current lineup, exemplified by Standing Room Only (their 14th album overall and second for legendary Blues label Alligator), might stand as the most accomplished in the band's illustrious history as they shift effortlessly from horn-drenched Soul ("Sufferin' With the Blues") to jazzy Bop ("Flip Flap Jack") to swaggering Jump ("She Put a Spell on Me") to scorching guitar fury ("The Love You Lost on the Way") and every variation between and beyond. Regardless of the particular genre offshoot that the band chooses to visit, Roomful of Blues has the chops to make it unmistakably their own. (Brian Baker) Grade: B+

· TERROR -- ONE WITH THE UNDERDOGS (TRUSTKILL).

Terror's label, Trustkill, hasn't done a whole lot to really earn that name. With a small contingency of admired neophytes such as Bleeding Through, Poison The Well and Eighteen Visions under their umbrella of Rock, this label has shown that the trust a consumer should put in their name is worth the faith. Terror does nothing to shake this trust, but also does nothing to noticeably strengthen it either. While some of Trustkill's more popular bands are more Metal and others are more Screamo, Terror wrestles and sweats in the beer puddle of Punk more than anywhere else. Originating in the California Hardcore scene, One with the Underdogs is spiked with the typical concerns of many other kick-n-thrash bands. Tempests of anger on society's deficiencies ("One with the Underdogs"), moronic drug abuse ("Less Than Zero") and reliance of inner strength ("Overcome") propel their songs into an arena of adrenaline within a forest of waving middle fingers. The foundation is firm and the tumultuous effort is there, but the spark of originality is lacking. Trust me. (Jacob Richardson) Grade: C+

TERROR -- ONE WITH THE UNDERDOGS

· YUNG WUN -- THE DIRTIEST THIRSTIEST (FULL SURGACE/J RECORDS).

YUNG WUN -- THE DIRTIEST THIRSTIEST

After the obligatory guest slots on OPR (Other People's Records), Yung Wun's debut shows the Atlanta MC to be an heir apparent to DMX, mixing street-wise rhymes with a propulsive, bitch-slap delivery. It's deep-fried crunky in the crunkiest sense of the word, sounding like a raucous party where subtlety is kicked out of the studio with the hangers-on. While the Swizz Beatz-endorsed, minimal, electro-heavy production style occasionally digs up something interesting beat-wise, The Dirtiest Thirstiest doesn't have an ounce of originality. Wun gets poetically introspective and shows a glimpse of his potential on "Starvin and Robbin" and "Sad Song," but his dark, gruff style is too often clumsy and clunky. In the mainstream Hip Hop world, where uniqueness is less valued than fashion and a good street cred story, Yung Wun has a shot at rising to the top of the Rap game. But as an artistic statement, Wun -- who's labeled "Crazy Ass Mother Fucker/Rapper/Poetic Genius" in his official record label bio -- doesn't seem to have the leader-mentality to make something enduring. But neither did Tupac right out of the gate, so we'll see what happens. (MB) Grade: D