SOUND CHECK.

GEORGE MICHAEL: ``Patience'' (Epic) - Two and one half stars

What made Michael's 1987 smash ``Faith'' so much fun was its cheeky pop sensibilities. Since then, the former half of bubble-gum duo Wham! has tried to prove he should be taken seriously, and this new album often displays the same heaviness. Too bad, because when Michael lets himself go as he does on ``Freeek! '04,'' which reminds you of the heady ``I Want Your Sex'' from ``Faith,'' he shows he can be catchy and adult. But it takes too long to get to ``Freeek,'' the 11th cut on ``Patience,'' which starts off slowly with the title cut, a less-than-memorable somber ballad on which Michael simply accompanies himself on piano. The rest of the cuts are elaborately produced, but not always for the better. Too many layers, no matter how well done, flatten out the sound. Still, songs such as ``Cars and Trains'' and ``Amazing'' make you wish that Michael would forget about what he thinks critics think and just make music.

- Rob Lowman

MELISSA AUF DER MAUR: ``Auf Der Maur'' (Capitol) - Two stars

For a heady time in the '90s, Auf Der Maur was the first-call replacement bassist of choice, filling in during emergencies for Hole and Smashing Pumpkins. As this debut album reveals, her roots run toward the dark side. ``Auf Der Maur'' owes much more to the jagged industrial sounds of Ministry than to Billy Corgan. Take, for example, the tracks ``Lightning Is My God,'' ``Followed the Waves'' and ``I'll be Anything You Want,'' in which our hero seems to be following Ministry prince of darkness Al Jorgensen into the abyss - as if we hadn't already been there before. Thing is, we have. Out Tuesday.

- Sandra Barrera

JULIE ROBERTS: ``Julie Roberts'' (Mercury) - Three stars

No, the movie star hasn't changed a letter in her name and gone country. This Julie R. is a 25-year-old South Carolina native who's already established her own Nashville legend: She worked for years as an assistant to a Universal music executive while keeping her aspiring singing career a secret. Believe that or not, the bluesy thrush is a rare example of the contemporary commercial country machine working right. The vocals on her self-titled debut have nuanced emotional heft, about half of the songs are really well-selected (especially ``Unlove Me,'' ``Wake Up Older'' and the lusty ``No Way Out''), and even the attempts to turn the pretty lass into a Shania/Faith pop object can't glitz or bland over a genuine down-home heart.

- Bob Strauss

SAM PHILLIPS: ``A Boot and a Shoe'' (Nonesuch) - Three and one half stars

If brevity is indeed the soul of wit, then singer-songwriter Phillips is one of the cleverest people in the music business. In an era of supersized tunes (more fat, less nutrition), eight of the 13 cuts on her new CD are under 2:30 minutes, four are under 3:30, and one stretches to 4:05. Phillips doesn't waste space; these songs are like dreamy haikus, stripped down to their essential subjects, whether it be love, loss, memory or desire. ``When no one is listening, I have so much to say,'' she sings, almost as if she's telling you a secret on the deceptively upbeat sounding ``How to Quit.'' But listen, otherwise you'll miss Phillips' mature songwriting, which has a folk-meets-cabaret-meets-pop sound and is enhanced by the less-is-more production of T Bone Burnett. On the sultry ``All Night,'' the producer uses two drummers to give the song an undercurrent of urgency as Phillips croons, ``You don't give a girl a chance to forget.'' Yes, clever indeed.

- R.L.

STEFON HARRIS & BLACKOUT: ``Evolution'' (Blue Note) - Three and one half stars

After last year's expansive, engrossing large-ensemble effort, ``The Grand Unification Theory,'' Harris really had no other choice but to change direction. The new effort, made with his five-piece working band Blackout (along with a handful of guest musicians), might seem like a step backward for the immensely talented vibraphonist, but it actually strikes a note of progress in terms of making his music accessible to larger audiences. The disc remains firmly in the realm of straight-ahead jazz, but its 11 numbers also blend funky r&b with tinges of hip-hop and electronica to fine effect. Harris moves between the vibes and marimba, remaking ``Summertime'' into a magical hip-hop reverie and adding a gorgeous sense of yearning to Sting's ``Until.'' Harris' originals shine with sensuous grooves, too. The ensemble comes to the Jazz Bakery for six nights starting June 8.

- Glenn Whipp

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(1) no caption (George Michael)

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