Songs of Mass Destruction - ANNIE LENNOX

As the title "Songs of Mass Destruction" infers, it is hardly tea time on what is just Annie Lennox's fourth solo album in 15 years. She uses every delicate edge of her dusky, seductive voice to paint a world-weary portrait of dreams lost, love scattered, shivering cold. Opener/ first single "Dark Road" and cloudy, meandering "Lost" are definitive, gorgeous servings of her dark brew. But Lennox is hardly giving in to defeat. "Ghosts of the Machine" is a soul-stomping anthem of defiance, insisting, "Set my spirit free," while "Womankind" issues a playful call for "the best thing that hasn't happened to me." There's no getting around the overall thematic pall, but Lennox surrounds every message with such beauty that one remains convinced that it's all going to be OK. —Chuck Taylor