CD reviews: Sugarland and Gucci Mane

Sugarland, "The Incredible Machine" (Mercury Nashville)

No country act struggles more with its countryness than Sugarland. Singer Jennifer Nettles has a showstopping voice, a slick howl that feels effortless. Kristian Bush plays sweet, cheerful guitar. Their brand of country-pop is shiny and overwhelmingly optimistic, filling and simple.

Sugarland is a duo, though really only in name: it's Nettles' show, and it's been an impressive one since its 2004 debut. But on "The Incredible Machine," the fourth Sugarland album, Nettles is in retreat, taking pains to undermine her monster of a voice. She softens its punch by pulling away from some syllables on "All We Are." On "Tonight," she adopts a breathy, slightly gothic 1980s theatricality. Most peculiar is the reggae patois she slips into on "Every Girl Like Me" and "Stuck Like Glue."

This all amounts to an unwelcome unraveling of the Sugarland formula. As a country duo, Sugarland is surefooted. As tweakers of Nashville orthodoxies, they're goofy and fun, but clumsy. "Stuck Like Glue" opens with a bit of pseudo-beatboxing,which is more irksome than novel. "Find the Beat Again" sounds like a No Doubt homage. And there are blatant errors of judgment on this album, particularly the increased vocal presence of Bush, whose anguished scrape is a heavy anchor pulling down "Stand Up," "Wide Open," and the many songs on which he sings harmony at the chorus.

Nettles is a force, and Sugarland is best when giving her free rein, as on "Little Miss." But the tentative "Tonight," with its echoes of Heart, suggests the group is wary of making a ballad as stark and jaw-droppingly pretty as "Stay," its 2007 single and biggest pop hit.

Often the songs here lean on bland inspirational platitudes or mystical gobbledygook. An exception is "Shine the Light," a gentle bit of gospel-inflected soul. It's just Nettles here, singing while playing the piano, tossing her big voice around with ease. There's a terrific soul cover album in her somewhere. It would be something worth leaving country behind for.

JON CARAMANICA, NEW YORK TIMES

Gucci Mane, "The Appeal: Georgia's Most Wanted" (Warner Bros.)

Who says spending is down? Not Gucci Mane, who titled a recent mix tape "Jewelry Selection" and whose "Brand New" is a shopping-spree standout from his third studio album. At a time when hip-hop has been forced to address working-class plight (see Freddie Gibbs, Big K.R.I.T., and DaVinci), Gucci can't stop celebrating. And why not? A year ago, the Atlanta rapper was headed to jail for parole violation. While incarcerated and shortly after his release in May, Gucci made up for lost time with a stream of excellent mix tapes. "The Appeal," thankfully, continues that playfulness while evolving: a Justice sample on "Gucci Time," words for mama on "Grown Man." It's the right amount of perspective, and effort, for a project that makes it all look so simple.

MICHAEL POLLOCK, PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER