POP/ROCK

The All-American Rejects, "When the World Comes Down" (DGC/Interscope)

The rock-ribbed emo band's third album isn't striking obscure poses, inventing slang or playing with the audience through distancers like tension and distortion. It's completely clear and even traditional pop music, but those over 16 will probably have no use for it.

The All-American Rejects lie somewhere between two American energies: Radio Disney and the Warped Tour. They're a power-pop band, but still quite a distance even from starter punk. They probably don't have fantasies about the Clash and rock authenticity. They have a few more amperes of snarl than the Jonas Brothers (although singer Tyson Ritter comes from the same stylized-frustration vocal school as Joe Jonas) and not nearly as many as Fall Out Boy.

What they have are good instincts for verse-vs.-chorus songwriting, hormones and a crucial pinch of smugness.

This band has been smug before, as on "Dirty Little Secret," from 2005, its first significant hit, a memorable and clever piece of mixed-messaging. But now, either when smugness is the desired point ("Gives You Hell") or not ("Mona Lisa"), it's built into the music, with chord changes you can see coming from 20 paces. And ultimately Ritter's overwrought-deadpan singing presents a single emotion: It's a defensive sort of cool.

BEN RATLIFF, NEW YORK TIMES

R&B

Brandy, "Human" (Epic)

Brandy has gone through a lot since she released her last CD four years ago. She left her longtime label, dabbled in TV, and was involved in a car crash that killed a woman (she faced no charges). Perhaps because of all of those experiences, her new album represents her most personal CD to date.

The 15-track set never disappoints, as the 29-year-old explores love in deeper ways (like on the infectious "Piano Man") than is the case with most contemporary R&B artists. She reunites with longtime collaborator Rodney Jerkins for most of the CD.

Some of the songs are therapeutic -- like "Camouflage." The title track, which Brandy co-wrote, feels just as good. The song is a beautiful reflection of her growth as a singer and as a person.

The CD's best tracks include the cool "1st & Love," "Fall," co-written by Natasha Bedingfield, and "Shattered Heart," a futuristic heartbreak song.

Since Brandy emerged as a teen sensation in 1994, she has always released solid R&B albums that have helped maintain her career even when she's not in the spotlight. Add "Human" to that list.

MESFIN FEKADU, ASSOCIATED PRESS