New Albums

* Super Furry Animals, “Rings Around the World,” XL/Beggars Banquet. The Welsh quintet joins XTC, Pulp and Blur among Britain’s rewarding, witty purveyors of imaginative pop and cultural anthropology.

Also:

Jimmy Buffett, “Far Side of the World,” Mailboat

Chicago Underground Duo, “Axis and Alignment,” Thrill Jockey

Custom, “Fast,” ARTISTdirect Records

Flogging Molly, “Drunken Lullabies,” Side One Dummy

Gov’t Mule, “Live ... With a Little Help From Our Friends, Vol. 2,” Evangeline

Jay-Z and R. Kelly, “The Best of Both Worlds,” Def Jam Records

John Paul Jones, “The Thunderthief,” Discipline Global Mobile

Joi, “Star Kitty’s Revenge,” Universal

Angelique Kidjo, “Black Ivory Soul,” Columbia

Timo Maas, “Loud,” Kinetic

Christy McWilson, “Bed of Roses,” HighTone

Ol’ Dirty Bastard, “The Trials and Tribulations of Russell Jones,” D3

Patti Smith, “Land 1975-2002,” Arista

Various Artists, “Blade II,” soundtrack, Immortal/Virgin

Various Artists, “The Executioner’s Last Songs,” Bloodshot Records