SOUND CHECK.

Byline: - Fred Shuster

Ozomatli/``Ozomatli''

Top local club band Ozomatli is a melting pot all by itself. The 11-member group's politicized fusion of salsa, jazz, rap and funk is bolstered by a solid rhythm section that often makes up for a lack of outstanding material on its self-titled debut from the Almo Sounds label. The energetic album, which in places recalls the much-missed San Francisco funk 'n' world-beat band the Looters, is best on the Afro-Cuban grooves and crisp Prince-style dance-funk tunes like ``Cut Chemist Suite'' and ``Super Bowl Sundae.'' Ozomatli - the Indian name for the Aztec god of dance - also pulls off some adventurous horn arrangements and, in the end, just may fuel a world-beat revolution. Three Stars

Lucinda Williams/``Car Wheels on a Gravel Road''

Let's hope Mercury uses some of those Hanson bucks on something that matters. Almost six years in the making, country-folkie Williams' ``Car Wheels on a Gravel Road'' is an absolute joy and is shaping up to be the album of the year. The disc offers masterful, instantly affecting songs such as ``Right in Time,'' ``Drunken Angel,'' ``Greenville'' and ``Lake Charles,'' jaw-dropping vocal performances from Williams, who at one point channels a weary Appalachian mom, and imaginative playing from guitarists Buddy Miller, Gurf Morlix and Greg Leisz that goes far beyond the realm of plain old backup work. This album took so long to make, no less than three producers were involved. ``Car Wheels,'' due Tuesday, is exceptional. Four Stars

- Fred Shuster

Soundtrack/``The Truman Show''

The year's best movie comes with a most diverse score. ``The Truman Show'' (Milan) features original music from German classical pianist Burkhard Dallwitz, affecting new pieces and other compositions from avant-garde composer Philip Glass and an especially haunting theme by Polish composer Wojciech Kilar. There's also a Chopin piano sonata movement performed by Artur Rubinstein and a remake of Marc Bolan's ``Twentieth Century Boy'' by British beat combo the Big Six. Like the film, the soundtrack is solidly entertaining. Three Stars

- Fred Shuster

Thelonious Monk/``Monk Alone: The Complete Columbia Solo Studio Recordings (1962-68)''

This isn't truly a reissue since 14 of the 37 tracks from the '60s found on this two-CD set are not so much alternate takes but new approaches to the tunes. That's Monk for you, especially when playing unaccompanied. This distinctive and compelling pianist - perhaps best-known for co-writing the standard `` 'Round Midnight'' - was sometimes considered difficult because of his ear for dissonance and his rhythmic virtuosity. Here, Monk works his magic on such standards as ``Body and Soul,'' ``Just a Gigolo,'' ``Don't Blame Me'' and ``Nice Work If You Can Get It,'' among other titles, played in slow stride style and without much deviation from the melody. It may be because Monk was learning some of this material from sheet music in the studio that some tracks here have a thinking-out-loud quality to them. Three and One Half Stars

- Fred Shuster

Tom Waits/``Beautiful Maladies: The Island Years''

This 23-track compilation contains songs chosen by Waits from his 10 years of work for the Island label. The titles alone tell the story - ``Jockey Full of Bourbon,'' ``Earth Died Screaming,'' ``Cold Cold Ground,'' ``Frank's Wild Years'' - along with deeply weird, intentionally lo-fi and always adventurous music. What makes this album special is the way Waits' sequencing sheds new light on his material. Three and One Half Stars

- Fred Shuster

Rancid/``Life Won't Wait''

On its previous album, Bay Area punkers Rancid did a pretty convincing Clash imitation on such cuts as ``Ruby Soho'' and ``Time Bomb.'' The new album also follows the Clash, but this time right off the rails. ``Life Won't Wait'' (Epitaph), due Tuesday, has its moments to be sure. The title track, the punk anthem ``Bloodclot,'' the ska-infused ``Hooligans,'' ``Hoover Street'' - all are standouts. But by the time we get to the halfway point, ``Leicester Square,'' Rancid are singing in fake British accents and name-checking South American revolutionary hot spots. Two and One Half Stars

- Fred Shuster

Chuck Rainey/``The Chuck Rainey Coalition''

Originally released in the early '70s, this album from studio mainstay and bass great Rainey offers some choice New York groove music normally found these days only on old Stuff albums. Rainey, part of the great Atlantic rhythm section that cut some of Aretha's golden moments, put together an all-star cast for this effort, including guitarists Cornell Dupree, Eric Gale and Billy Butler, drummer Bernard Purdie and keyboardist Richard Tee. Although Rainey is at his most intuitive when backing vocalists, the all-instrumental ``Chuck Rainey Coalition'' (DCC) boasts some nice moments, such as the covers of ``Harlem Nocturne'' and the ``Peter Gunn'' theme. Two Stars

- Fred Shuster

Blue Hawaiians/``Sway''

Popular in local clubs like the Lava Lounge for blending cool surf sounds and sultry instrumental exotica, the Blue Hawaiians here treat fans to 11 originals and four covers, including Henry Mancini's `Charade.'' The quintet's convincing retro sands-at-sunset sound on ``Sway'' (Pascal) avoids the cynicism of much of today's newly embalmed lounge stylists while guitarist Mark Sproull, steel guitarist Gary Brandin and drummer Tom Maxwell earn marks for authenticity and strong originals like ``Last Days of Summer.'' Three Stars

- Fred Shuster

Heather Nova/``Siren''

Two years since the release of her debut album, Nova has logged many hundreds of road miles and the hard-won self-confidence shows here. Along with emotive singing, fine lyrical imagery and strong guitar-driven musicianship, ``Siren'' (Work) has a number of strong melodies like album-opener ``London Rain'' and especially ``Avalanche.'' Three Stars

- Fred Shuster

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8 Photos

Photo: (1) Three producers and almost six years in the making, country-folk singer Lucinda Williams' new ``Car Wheels on a Gravel Road'' (Mercury) is a contender for album of the year.

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