SOUND CHECK.

FALL OUT BOY: "Infinity on High" (Island) - Three stars

Fall Out Boy is one of the most popular pop-rock bands in the land -- not that there's much competition these days. For the follow-up to the breakthrough "From Under the Cork Tree," the hard-working suburban Chicago foursome (who memorably rocked the recent KROQ Acoustic Christmas show) is sharper than ever, bringing tight, bright, hook-filled songs that boost the pulse rate like a double espresso. The album follows the formula, with surprises like a cameo from Jay-Z, production credits for Babyface, and a couple of rave-up choruses that would fit right in at a Scissor Sisters show. Despite newfound fame, popularity and an r&b horn section, Fall Out Boy howls with conviction. The urban-pop chart-topper, "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race" (the band has always been fond of wordy titles), is one of a handful of cheerful, giddy rockers FOB puts across like antsy teenagers grounded on a summer's Saturday night. Other strong contenders for the FOB greatest-hits album coming in 10 years is "You're Crashing, but You're No Wave" and "The Carpal Tunnel of Love," useful restoratives in any season.

-- Fred Shuster

CLAP YOUR HANDS SAY YEAH: "Some Loud Thunder" (Clap Your Hands) - Three stars

Despite a distortion-heavy opening track, this New York/Philly indie outfit manages to crunch the past 40 years of rock into a mash-up of hand claps, church bells, garage guitars and wailing vocals on its sophomore effort. Though not as catchy as the 2005 debut, the new disc shows a willingness to experiment. Influences range from electroclash to the Dandy Warhols to the Louvin Brothers on tracks like "Emily Jean Stock," while the standout "Arm and Hammer" haunts with an acoustic guitar intro before segueing into '60s fuzz effects. Another winner is "Yankee Go Home," a brilliant seesaw of vocal harmonies and jangly guitars.

-- Sara Farr

VARIOUS: "Forever Changing: The Golden Era of Elektra Records (1963-73)" (Rhino/Elektra) - Three stars

Think of this five-disc box as the companion set to "The Rock Snob's Dictionary" -- Nico, David Ackles, Delaney & Bonnie, Love, Tim Buckley, the MC5, the Stooges ... well, we could go on. They were all part of Elektra label founder Jac Holzman's stable, most of whom wowed music geeks and left barely a ripple on the masses. Yes, the big names -- the Doors, Carly Simon, Harry Chapin -- are represented, but the set focuses mostly on the obscure, both for good (country confessor Mickey Newbury) and bad (three-quarters of the dated folk on the first two discs). Still, for the curious and adventurous, this 117-song sampler is a great way to delve into a catalog that veered between earnestness and extravagance, but always with a personal passion that's rarely found today.

-- Glenn Whipp

ELENI MANDELL: "Miracle of Five" (Zedtone) - Three stars

This Sherman Oaks-bred postmodern chanteuse insinuates her way through a self-penned collection of torch songs, Brechtian fantasias and unclassifiable psycho soundscapes. There's both comfort in her lounge-singer polish and intriguing anxiety in the strange, haunted lyrics. The band is equal parts jazz smoke and easy-listening Americana, totally in tune with Mandell's uniquely sophisticated, aloof yet impassioned voice.

-- Bob Strauss

ROMERO LUBAMBO: "Softly" (MaxJazz) - Three stars

For romantics looking for Valentine's Day fodder, see Brazilian guitarist Lubambo. Here, Lubambo acts as his own guitar army, layering multiple guitar parts over each other to stunning effect. Using acoustic and electric, fretless and synth, he tackles love songs old ("I Fall in Love Too Easily") and new ("Just the Two of Us"), songbooks American ("Time After Time") and Brazilian ("Vitoriosa"), delivering peerless performances that could make even a curmudgeon's heart sing.

-- G.W.

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