CD reviews: Usher, Living Sisters

Usher, "Raymond v. Raymond" (LaFace)

Some guys shouldn't be married. Take Usher. The nu-soul singer, who started his career when but a chipper kid, had only just matured into lover-man status with the sweat-inducing "Yeah!" when he got hitched. His soon-to-be-married-man next record -- 2008's sleepy "Here I Am" -- made the most of fidelity and tanked. Out with the wife. Back in with the sexy. That's what "Raymond v. Raymond" is about.

Carnality aside -- and there's plenty on cuts such as the electro-fueled "So Many Girls" and the pompous "Monstar" -- the biggest change in Usher is his quickness to voice anger. After he disses marital bliss, it's the usual Usher at play -- slick, crunk-y stuff such as the hook-laden "Lil Freak," in which he and Nicki Minaj, hip-hop's new mistress MC du jour, trade, um, licks. Welcome back, player.

A.D. AMOROSI, PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER

Living Sisters, "Love to Live" (Vanguard)

This utterly charming debut from L.A. indie music pals Inara George (the Bird and the Bee), Becky Stark (Lavender Diamond) and Eleni Mandell may warrant the creation of a new life category: triplets separated at birth. An empathetic symbiosis is at play in these 10 sweetly ethereal performances.

There are songs about babies and cradles--no great leap given that George was pregnant while they were working on the CD. Some are engagingly innocent, some are gently sexy, as the trio members weave together '40s pop vocalizing, '50s doo-wop, jazz, folk and country elements in a seamless mélange. It's lightweight, but so is a perfect soufflé.

RANDY LEWIS, LOS ANGELES TIMES