Shots blast from the past Though Charizma and Peanut Butter Wolf recorded their debut album Big Shots from 1991 to 1993, it was put on hold because Charizma was shot and killed in late 1993. Peanut Butter Wolf, so traumatized by the incident, chose not to release the album until now. Since Charizma’s death, Peanut Butter Wolf has gone on to start Stones Throw Records, the label that released Jaylib’s opus Champion Sound and is finally releasing Big Shots. With Peanut Butter Wolf behind the boards and Charizma on the mic, the teenage duo concocted a gem that features the cocksure mic controller spitting over beats ranging from laidback to hardcore to even heartfelt. The lead single, “Here’s a Smirk,” is reminiscent of the early sounds of Common or Pharcyde. “Jack the Mack” is a story about a smooth cat getting HIV while the raucous “My World Premiere” best shows Charizma’s rhyming skills. “Red Light, Green Light” poses the question: “What is an emcee if he can’t rap?” with Charizma answering in his own lyrical version of the childhood game. Peanut Butter Wolf’s production is fresh and unique, even though the album was created more than a decade ago. Charizma’s delivery is cocky, macho and about as good as anything released since the early ’90s. The 15-track debut has maintained all of the originality and character of the early ’90s. The only thing that this brand-new old-school album is missing is a Starter jacket and ghetto blaster.

Grade: A -Scott Hazleton

Unforgettable remakes The soundtrack to Adam Sandler’s latest comedy vehicle, 50 First Dates, mixes reggae-pop and ’80s genres to create an engaging but relaxing compilation. The album’s love songs are almost all ’80s covers reworked by contemporary artists. All the tracks except an original song by Sandler add a slight reggae feel to the original songs’ foundations. Seal performs a catchy, fun version of Echo ‘ the Bunnymen’s “Lips Like Sugar,” while Jason Mraz takes Modern English’s memorable “I Melt With You” and laces it with a beach-reggae style, modernizing and improving the song. UB40’s version of the Police’s “Every Breath You Take” is the standout track, turning the song from ’80s rock into a laidback mellow R’B track. The album ends with “Forgetful Lucy,” one of Adam Sandler’s characteristic songs that supplies a quirky and cute conclusion. This album is perfect to listen to anytime, as are its individual tracks. The songs blend together seamlessly, and every song works together to create a Caribbean paradise.

Grade: A- -Sara Hatch

Norah Jones feels homier Norah Jones’ second album, Feels Like Home, uses the same combination of country, jazz and pop tracks to create a mellow mood as her debut album Come Away With Me. However, Jones branches out more on Feels Like Home. She successfully explores a quicker tempo on the hit single “Sunrise” and the fun “Creepin’ In,” which features Dolly Parton. The album’s simplistic tracks with only subtle guitar and piano as background allow Jones’ versatile voice to carry the album. Strong harmonies and Jones’ piano playing add to the album’s soothing effect, especially on “Those Sweet Words” and “Carnival Town.” The lyrics also fit with the overall relaxed theme. Feels Like Home has three standout cover songs that truly illuminate her musical creativity: Tom Waits’ “The Long Way Home,” Townes Van Zandt’s “Be Here to Love Me” and Duke Ellington’s “Melancholia” retitled as “Don’t Miss You at All,” which creates a gorgeous finale to an equally beautiful album. Feels Like Home is a refreshing listen and perfect for kicking back after a stressful day.

Grade: A- -Chrissy English

Fighting against bad poetry Three years after scoring a hit with “Superman (It’s Not Easy),” Five for Fighting, who is actually just one guy named John Ondrasik, is back with The Battle for Everything, a tepid album full of overwrought adult-contemporary ballads. The Los Angeles native’s swooping vocals sound like a hybrid of Dave Matthews, David Gray and Chris Martin with a stuffed-up nose. Lyrics read like bad poetry. On “One More for Love” he sings, “So you go out / I’ll go on / If there’s a doubt / We’ll be strong / As we go on singing / One more for love my love / One more for love.” To make matters worse, Ondrasik bathes such lines in a phony wash of reverb-drenched acoustic and electric guitars, piano and tedious drumming. Despite an album full of decent pop tunes, Ondrasik has some of the most generic and hackneyed production imaginable, leaving this album with nothing left to fight for.

Grade: C -Chris Camire