Only a Woman Like You is a phrase that Michael Bolton must have had flung at him a few times in his girly-haired past, but it's a phrase that is still relevant despite shedding the locks long ago. Once again it's love songs, pure and simple: heart-hollowing and soulful-but more Celine Dion than Ray Charles or Otis Reading. He knows what will sell. Witness uber-producer Mutt Lange and Max Martin-he of Britney Spears fame-roped in to add a contemporary sheen. Indeed this, his first release for the poptastic Jive, is very obviously aimed straight at the charts. All this won't necessarily alienate his strong fan-base but is, ultimately, the album's major downfall. After 20 years, everything seems blandly familiar. When stripped of their Dulux production, songs such as "All That You Deserve" and "This is the Way" sound like they could easily belong on Soul Provider or any of his earlier efforts. He may have musically donned a designer suit, but that doesn't make him contemporary or relevant-it's just clothing. Whereas Shania Twain leapt musically sideways from The Woman In Me to Come On Over (again with Mutt Lange's help) and achieved phenomenal chart success, Michael Bolton attempts the same trick here, but without actually being any different at all. [+]

Not as great as Innervisions (what is?), but quite probably better than Fulfillingness' First Finale, Hotter Than July is the last of the string of classic albums that included those milestones. While going for big statements only a couple of times during its 46 minutes-the celebratory reggae rocker "Master Blaster (Jammin')" and the Martin Luther King Jr. tribute "Happy Birthday"-the disc shows off a lot more than the expected high-level craftsmanship. Like humor: "I Ain't Gonna Stand for It" merges an affectionate burlesque of country music ("Somebody's been rubbin' on my good-luck charm", he sings of a two-timing girlfriend) with a funk backbeat. And humanity: "Do Like You" celebrates family ties in an especially nice way, while "Rocket Love" and "All I Do" are among Wonder's most underappreciated love songs. This is worth buying for the deathless "Master Blaster" alone, but after you do, you'll be glad you own it all. -Rickey Wright.

Not his best record-then again, none of them are, though every single one ought to be. Vandross was the first one to come down with Whitney's Syndrome, meaning he's got the chops, but not the taste. Not that he's got the chops to be Al Green (or, for that matter, Barry White), but Vandross on this disc is more frustrating than exhilarating. The man's got it in him, and sometimes, you wonder if he'll ever find it. -Robert Wilonsky.

Queen Of The Coffee Table, Gabrielle's career is demonstrating a remarkable longevity, considering that since the all-conquering "Dreams", she's seemed to cater for the few but the fickle city bohemians that have just discovered Massive Attack as "the next happening thing". It's not hard to see why, though, because Rise is ultra-slick, impeccably-produced soul-lite. What might come as a surprise is that in its own way, it's actually very good. A largely weepy album, much of Rise deals with the emotional fall-out of a failed love-affair, but through its tears, songs like "Over You" and "When A Woman" offers a girls-against-the-world solace. But as a warm undercurrent, there's a parent-friendly theme to "Sunshine", dedicated to Gabrielle's new-born son, that should see Rise lovingly working its way into a vast number of record collections. -Louis Pattison.

By the time she made her bow on MTV Unplugged, Mariah Carey was already a multi-platinum-selling artist who owned the charts, but didn't command much respect because no one had ever seen her perform live. As it turned out, Miss Thing could deliver as sure as Domino's, emoting significantly over soulful arrangements of several hits and a cover of the Jackson Five's "I'll Be There. " That track became a No. 1 hit and earned a solo recording deal for featured backup singer Trey Lorenz. This may not be Carey's best record, but it's certainly her most surprising. -Daniel Durchholz.