Annie Lennox

After the 1990 breakup of British synth-pop sensa-tion Eurythmics, both of the duo's members -- singer Annie Lennox and guitarist/keyboardist Dave Stewart -- launched solo careers. While Stewart perpetrated a couple of atrocious rock records, Lennox let loose with the engrossing Diva. Bubbly on the surface but apprehensive underneath, "Walking on Broken Glass" and "Little Bird" do a splendid job of updating the classic Eurythmics sound. Still, it's the moody ballads such as "Why," "Cold," and "The Gift" that truly stand out. Lennox's supple vocals prove once again that she's among the finest white soul singers of our time; given the quality of the goods on offer here, the album's antiseptic sheen is only a minor irritant.

If there had been any question which Eurythmic was the most significant talent, Diva seemed to have answered it. Then along came Medusa, an ill-advised collection of cover songs that takes the bloodlessness of Diva's production several steps too far. Interesting as it can be to hear Lennox apply other singers' traits -- the hesitance of Neil Young ("Don't Let It Bring You Down"), the offhand ease of Bob Marley ("Waiting in Vain"), the romantic yearning of the Blue Nile's Paul Buchanan ("The Downtown Lights") -- to her own vocal persona, she turns the Clash's "Train in Vain" and Al Green's "Take Me to the River" into smooth background music appropriate for upscale hair salons.

Eight years passed before Lennox's next solo release; one wishes she'd spent the time coming up with a few more memorable tunes. All the same, Bare features some of the most intense singing of her career, and when she does get a decent song to work with -- "Wonderful," for example, or "The Saddest Song I've Got" -- she's stunning. (MAC RANDALL)

From 2004's The New Rolling Stone Album Guide