In Brief

*** Andrea Parker, “Kiss My Arp,” Mo’ Wax/Beggars Banquet. The DJ and singer broke beyond the English techno-dance scene with the melancholy, string-adorned 1998 single “Rocking Chair.” Here she revisits that style with “Return of the Rocking Chair” and the opening “The Unknown,” while elsewhere she reveals an accomplished range, from beat-driven tracks to ambient-soul featuring her sturdy, low-key voice. The diversity, though, undermines focus and diffuses her artistic persona.

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Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent). The albums are already released unless otherwise noted.