SOUND CHECK.

NORAH JONES: ``Not Too Late'' (Blue Note) - Three stars

Music critics, like newborns, love falling asleep to the safe hum of the clothes dryer or washing machine. Jones' warm, lulling voice and lint-free arrangements have the same sweet effect. And for that reason alone, her third album of songs tinged with pop, soul, folk and country elements is a useful addition to any crib, workplace or five-buck-a-latte cafe.

That's not to say Norah's a snorah. While much of the 13-track effort is formulaic, some numbers rise above the expanse of mildness. On the uncharacteristically dark, well-crafted ``The Sun Doesn't Like You,'' for instance, Jones' plaintive, smoky voice puts across lyrics like, ``We can build a fire/In the open field past the razor wire/Sneak by the dogs when they go to sleep.'' Which makes you wonder if Norah has set up camp in Trench Town. The opening track, ``Wish I Could,'' is another melodic gem, this time utilizing two cellos and acoustic guitar. That and other moments here recall a time before computers ruled the earth, when people played real instruments to create music that was allowed to be imperfect. And you don't see that too often at the top of the charts these days. In stores Tuesday.

-- Fred Shuster

THE BLOODY HOLLIES: ``Who to Trust, Who to Kill, Who to Love'' (Alive) - Three stars

Whether you call it garage punk, blues or just flat-out rock 'n' roll, the Bloody Hollies make a racket as piercing as the engine of a Harley. On its refreshingly low-fi third album, the killer quartet delivers scorching slide and rhythm guitar, pounding drums and from-the-heart vocals with a conviction bigger names in this primal post-Motorhead genre can't hold a Zippo to. Fronted by singer-guitarist Wesley Doyle, the Bloody Hollies are

best on ``Satanic Satellite'' and ``Delta Heart Attack,'' two licentious items that'll surely shake the walls and cause a run on cold beer when the outfit roars into the Echo in

Silver Lake tonight.

-- F.S.

VARIOUS: ``Billy Strayhorn: Lush Life'' (Blue Note) - Three and one half stars

This 15-song tribute disc is the soundtrack companion to the upcoming PBS documentary on Strayhorn, the influential composer best-known for his long collaboration with Duke Ellington. The program covers the basics. Singer Dianne Reeves nicely acquits herself on the tough title track and on five others, while Hank Jones performs a sprightly solo piano version of ``Satin Doll'' and saxophonist Joe Lovano makes your heart burst on ``Chelsea Bridge.'' Elvis Costello joins Lovano and pianist Bill Charlap on ``My Flame Burns Blue,'' a lyrical reworking of Strayhorn's final composition, ``Blood Count.'' All in all, exquisite.

-- Glenn Whipp

BILL KIRCHEN: ``Hammer of the Honky-Tonk Gods'' (Proper) - Three and one half stars

The guitar whiz from acid Western swing outfit Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen delivers his best solo album yet. From the title tribute to his Telecaster on, Kirchen not only shows his skills at playing and singing classic country idioms, but traditional rhythm & blues, blue-eyed soul and even a little doo-wop, too. Faves include a slow, street-corner shuffle take on ``Devil With the Blue Dress'' and the poetic ``Skid Row in My Mind.'' In stores Tuesday; Kirchen plays Feb. 8 at Safari Sam's in Hollywood.

-- Bob Strauss

MEW: ``Frengers'' (Columbia) - Three stars

If you missed Mew's 2006 American debut, ``And the Glass Handed Kites ...,'' your next window of opportunity has arrived. The Danish pop foursome has just reissued its 2003 international breakthrough, ``Frengers'' -- a cross between ``Friends'' and ``Strangers.'' In this sprawling, bliss-induced escape from reality, singer Jonas Bjerre's dreamlike musings hover over a euphoric soundscape as in the opener, ``Am I Wry? No.'' Other standouts include ``Snow Brigade,'' ``Symmetry'' and ``Behind the Drapes.''

-- Sandra Barrera

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(1) no caption (Norah Jones)

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