Caedmon's Call's 1999 effort, 40 Acres, doesn't disappoint. It shows off the group's broadening concerns, with songs like "Table for Two," which wistfully expresses coming to terms with being single. It also shows off their expanding musical interests, with songs like the rollicking, piano-based "Daring Daylight Escape." This album carries on their trademark honesty through songs like "Petrified Heart" and "Shifting Sand," and encourages with songs like "Climb On (A Back That's Strong)" and "Faith My Eyes." Although by the end the songs start to sound a little bland, 40 Acres is a fruitful, worthwhile listen. It doesn't have the strength of their previous albums, but it does move Caedmon's Call, and their fans, in some new directions while being faithful to their purpose.

The title notwithstanding, this debut from the former Faithless singer is pretty angelic-sounding stuff. You're bound to think of Sin�ad O'Connor, but the comparison is as misleading as it is inevitable. Granted, Dido's ethereal vocals here frequently recall O'Connor; but Dido's...