Potential obvious on Shyne’s ‘Buried Alive’

Shyne

“Godfather Buried Alive” (Def Jam) •••

Shyne seemed poised to be the next Bad Boy superstar until the shooting at a New York City club in 1999 that sent Sean “P. Diddy” Combs and then-girlfriend Jennifer Lopez fleeing.

Combs was acquitted, but Shyne (aka Jamal Barrow) got 10 years in prison. The street buzz never died, however, and five years later it’s not hard to see why the still-incarcerated artist is worthy of attention. The husky-voiced Brooklyn rapper’s stark, conversational rhymes about life in the ‘hood make him compelling, even if most of the material was recorded before he was locked up.

On first single “More or Less,” he spits venom at rappers he accuses of posing as gangsters. The recently recorded “For the Record” takes aim at 50 Cent, who apparently had dissed Shyne on a mix tape.

The album sounds dated at times, and some of the songs feature garden-variety gangster themes. Still, his potential indicates that dirt shouldn’t be tossed on this godfather just yet.

– Steve Jones, USA Today

Christina Milian

“It’s About Time” (Island) •• 1/2

An old man once thanked heaven for little girls, who get bigger every day. Breathy Cuban-American Christina Milian, a former Disney fave, is getting really big – not only as an industry player who wrote for J.Lo, but also as a singer with a sex-charged take on digitally programmed R&B.

On “It’s About Time,” Milian gets as good as she gives against tough male rappers, confronting Fabolous on the stormy “Dip It Low” and Joe Budden on the sassy ‘80s electro of “L.O.V.E.”

Good thing she works out her tension on the dance floor; the only bedroom action most of her ballads inspire is yawning. But if you want friction, head to the tech-soul of “Peanut Butter and Jelly.” Making a sandwich never sounded so naughty.

– A.D. Amorosi, Philadelphia Inquirer

Andy Griggs

“This I Gotta See” (RCA) ••

Griggs packs more power and emotional punch in his voice than Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw combined, and his pinup-boy good looks rival those of Brad Pitt. Yet five years after the release of his debut album, the Louisiana native’s career remains parked well outside Nashville’s inner circle.

This album, his third, suggests why: Griggs is torn between recording the kind of earthy, blues- and bluegrass-flavored country he was born to sing and the kind of musical junk food Nashville’s big labels feed regularly to radio.

For every track on “This I Gotta See” that’s credible (the bluegrass-tinged “Long Enough” and the old-school soulful “Be Still”), there’s an equally non-credible moment of Music Row pabulum (mushy first single “She Thinks She Needs Me” and the lightweight, mildly naughty “Careful Where You Kiss Me”).

One of these days, the talented Griggs is going to find the material that will allow him to hit one out of the park. Until then, fans will have to settle for base hits like “This I Gotta See.”

– Greg Crawford, Detroit Free Press

Christine McVie

“In the Meantime” (Adventure/Koch) •• 1/2

As author of a handful of massive and a catalyst for the mellow, “Rumours”-era Fleetwood Mac, Christine McVie gets the music industry lifetime pass. She can count on finding an eager label anytime she has new music, no matter how ordinary and cloying it is.

McVie comes close to abusing that privilege with the tiresome “In the Meantime.” She’s an exceedingly competent writer, a master of ambling beats and lullabye guitar strumming who lets wince-inducing expressions of devotion ruin otherwise sturdy frameworks. A few cuts return McVie to the mystery that once made her solo efforts so unusual, but most are perfunctory love narratives delivered in prim packages.

The sparkling moments here (“Calumny,” “Friend”) make it clear that McVie’s trembling voice and confessional style work best as a spice, not a main course.

– Tom Moon, Philadelphia Inquirer

Crosby/Nash

“Crosby/Nash” (Sanctuary) •• 1/2

David Crosby and Graham Nash haven’t recorded as a duo since the mid-‘70s. This new two-CD set, however, could sit on a shelf comfortably with that period’s albums, “Wind on the Water” and “Whistling Down the Wire.”

Both ‘60s veterans sound remarkably well-preserved vocally on this amiable acoustic rock collection. Altogether pleasant, if lacking any one song on par with their best, fans should find this low-key reunion a blast from the past.

– Howard Cohen, Miami Herald