Following the release of its much buzzed-about 2008 breakout album, electro-rap duo 3OH!3 returns with more fast-paced, catchy digital-pop beats on its latest set, Streets of Gold.

It's a worthwhile reinvention, but a little more noise wouldn't have hurt, either.

Lyrically, Louder is rather one-sided, as she often sings about the perils of relationships, over and over, in ways that we've all heard many times at this point. Still, it's a solid effort that shows she has promise as a bona fide pop artist.

While the title of the Peas' newest album, "The Beginning," might suggest a retreat from this everything-to-everyone agenda, it's everything but.

The duo and an assortment of guests-including Will.i.am, Busta Rhymes, GoonRock and Calvin Harris-extol the virtues of late nights, trendy tequilas, hard bodies and vibey DJs.

Half of the album finds the successful singer/actor making the kind of pop-inflected R&B once heard from En Vogue or SWV. Cool & Dre handled the bulk of the album's production, setting the star's vocals against head-nodding beats that come reasonably close to more youthful urban-radio fare.

With some hits and misses, A.K.A. journeys through some predictable refrains with a handful of prospective triumphs.

Speedin' is an uncomfortably internal album that's a pleasurable listen. It's not as gleefully nihilistic as Future, but comes across just as revelatory.

What's surprising about the best cuts from the 15-track set is how much heat the Police frontman and his varied collaborators create.

While listeners can't help but be reminded of his fall from grace, Brown also shows us on Graffiti that he's still a formidable talent.-

It's a bold change of course that gave overseas ears pause when it was first released in July under the group name RPA & the United Nations of Sound.

There are certainly smiles to be had as the group grouses its way through some of the most ambitiously arranged and melodically polished tunes it has released to date.

Buffet Hotel might be less about the songs and more about generating a vibe. If you subscribe to it going in, you'll check out happy.