SOUND CHECK : ROCK.

Slush/``North Hollywood''

Slush careens straight off Lankershim Boulevard into your CD player.

Fans of North Hollywood's finest won't be disappointed by the quartet's debut album, which is strong on hooks, moods and melody.

On stage, the group is fast and furious, but the obvious work that went into the just-released ``North Hollywood'' (Discovery) clearly pays off. Each track, from the designed-for-radio opener, ``Throw Me a Line,'' to the lounge-tinged ``Amoeba,'' stands firmly on its own.

Other winners here include the anthemic ``Last Drop,'' ``Cocoon'' and ``So Volatile.'' Three Stars

?13- Fred Shuster

Blur/``Blur''

Tired of being considered Britain's premier suburban pop band, Blur makes a back-to-basics move for its fifth album.

There's no escaping the Kinks and David Bowie influences, though, no matter how lo-fi or murky things get on ``I'm Just a Killer for Your Love,'' ``Essex Dogs'' and ``Death of a Party.''

Still, singer-songwriter Damon Albarn boasts a knack for the satisfying song, as evidenced by the tracks ``Beetlebum,'' ``Look Inside America'' and ``On Your Own.''

Problem is, there just aren't enough of them on ``Blur'' (Virgin). Two Stars

?13- Fred Shuster

Jill Sobule/``Happy Town''

Who could have guessed that Jill Sobule, whose ``I Kissed a Girl'' and ``Supermodel'' became radio favorites a few years ago, would come up with the most delightful pop album of the year so far?

The Denver native's ``Happy Town'' (Lava/Atlantic) is all that and more. Full of instantly lovable tunes such as ``Half a Heart,'' ``Clever,'' ``I'm So Happy'' and especially the very wonderful ``When My Ship Comes In,'' Sobule's new disc represents state-of-the-art smart pop.

Musically, ``Happy Town'' is marvelous, bolstered by welcome r&b rhythms and garnished with pedal steel, upright bass, organ, sax and clarinet. File under can't-miss. Four Stars

?13- Fred Shuster

Morphine/``Like Swimming''

Morphine's hypnotic, guitarless sound won a ton of new fans when the trio lent a couple of songs to the terrific ``Get Shorty'' soundtrack two years ago.

With the release of its fourth album, the dreamy ``Like Swimming'' (DreamWorks), the Boston-based Morphine has refined its unusual, groove-driven music.

Atmosphere is what the band - which features mostly slide bass and soprano saxophone - aims for, and ``Like Swimming'' has it in spades. The album, the trio's first to boast a potent mix, also reveals musical, as well as sonic, growth. There's organ behind the standout track ``Potion'' and acoustic guitar is heard on the title song. Three Stars

?13- Fred Shuster

13 Featuring Lester Butler/``13 Featuring Lester Butler''

The name of singer-harpist Lester Butler might ring a bell because in the early '90s he fronted a local blues combo called the Red Devils, which gigged on the weekends at the old King King club and backed Mick Jagger and Johnny Cash on unreleased albums.

Butler's new group, 13, formed last year with some top musicians in tow, isn't a cover band. The standout tracks on ``13 Featuring Lester Butler'' (HighTone) are originals such as ``Sweet Tooth,'' ``Pray for Me,'' ``So Low Down'' and ``Black Hearted Woman.''

The driving, authentic rhythm section and Butler's superb Little Walter-style harp ensures that the music remains true to the spirit of Chicago blues. Four Stars

?13- Fred Shuster

Ednaswap/``Wacko Magneto''

The Los Angeles-based quintet Ednaswap might have a strange moniker, but its music is anything but bizarre.

The group's layered, thought-out sound owes a bit to Jane's Addiction and Alice in Chains, but with a finely honed pop sensibility. You won't be rooting around in these songs for the chorus.

Singer Anne Preven proves to be a gutsy vocalist and writer, especially on the tracks ``Clown Show,'' ``Stop Counting'' and the full-throttle ``Shrapnel.''

``Wacko Magneto'' (Island) is one of the sturdiest efforts to come along in a while. Three Stars

?13- Fred Shuster

country

Chip Taylor/``The Living Room Tapes''

Chip Taylor penned a bunch of top-40 hits, including ``Angel of the Morning,'' ``I Can't Let Go'' and ``Wild Thing,'' but he's better-known to some for one great '70s album, ``Last Chance.''

After dropping out of the music biz for a few years, Taylor has returned with a strong collection of witty songs. ``The Living Room Tapes'' (Gadfly) finds Taylor's remarkably deadpan sense of humor intact.

Country and rock fanciers alike will warm to ``Grandma's White LeBaron,'' ``The Hell With Her'' and other fine songs. Three Stars

?13- Fred Shuster

CAPTION(S):

7 Photos

Photo: (1) Slush pays tribute to its base of operations on ``North Hollywood,'' the quartet's debut.

(2--7) no caption (CD covers)