(SH) - New releases from Missy Elliott, Tracy Bonham and Tsar.

"THE COOKBOOK," Missy Elliott (Goldmind/Atlantic)

Innovative artists are perpetually in a state of usually seamless transition, but Missy Elliott's "growth" on "The Cookbook" is uncharacteristically awkward.

The hip-hop pioneer's new sound is a disjointed one, the result of a hodgepodge of producers who are filling in for the minimalized role of Elliott's longtime musical collaborator, Timbaland.

The dubious branching out is likely a response to the tepid reaction to her 2003 release, "This Is Not a Test!," which posted one-third the sales of her 2002 double-platinum "Under Construction." Yet the cool reception to "Test" may have less to do with a perceived artistic dropoff from "Construction" than the public overexposure to Elliott, who in recent years has struck endorsement deals with The Gap, Adidas and Vanilla Coke, landed her own reality show and appeared with and/or produced an army of other performers.

Meanwhile, Elliott may have foreshadowed a long-term career shift in a 2003 interview with XXL magazine, where she said she didn't expect to still be rapping when she's into her 40s and hinted at a possible move into R&B.

The performer's now 34, and there's a "Cookbook" emphasis on her singing over her rapping. And while she's at the top of her game as a hip-hop artist, Elliott is a mediocre crooner with a surprisingly conservative musical bent in R&B material on the new release, including nondescript songs such as "Remember When," "4 My Man" (featuring annoying screeches by Fantasia), "Teary Eyed," "Time and Time Again" and even the raunchy "Meltdown."

Still, "The Cookbook" pops out with some wildly appealing hip-hop/dance fare, where the performer's humorous swagger has never seemed more confident. The best of these concoctions is the Elliott-produced single "Lose Control" driven by icy loop, foghorn bass and guest appearances by Ciara and Fat Man Scoop. Also, Pharell of The Neptunes is behind the boards on the exuberant robotic freakout "On & On," bossy bongos give bounce to "We Run This" and the bumping "Mommy" works its way under the skin thanks to Elliott's weirdly commanding way.

Most encouraging is her duet with Brit rapper Slick Rick, "Irresistible Delicious," a hip-hop/R&B fusion that proves Elliott can reach a suitable compromise if she insists on changing her sound.

Rating (five possible): 3

"BLINK THE BRIGHTEST," Tracy Bonham (Zoe/Rounder)

Tracy Bonham was roadkill when the Chick Rock Expressway slammed into a major-label detour in the late 1990s.

But like such contemporaries as Liz Phair and Veruca Salt's Nina Gordon, Bonham has resurfaced in the 21st century showing a softer side.

For someone best known for the anxiety-attack-conversation she has with her mom on the 1996 hit "Mother, Mother," Bonham sounds remarkably collected on her new "Blink the Brightest," a shimmering adult pop album for wry souls with bruised hearts.

Bonham has had her personal and professional downs - including divorce and a separation from Island Records - and her subsequent growth is reflected on "Blink the Brightest" in more direct lyrics (that don't dwell on self-analysis as much as she once did) and a do-it-yourself instrumental mindset that finds her playing guitar, violin, piano, keyboards and vibes. Meanwhile, although she occasionally slides into a lilting coo with her soprano voice, Bonham is more inclined to maintain her traditional nasal sass.

Her most impressive effort here is "And the World Has the Nerve To Keep Turning," an otherworldly lounge song built on keyboards, upright bass and spine-tingling harmonies in the chorus.

Bonham's most convincing attitude is in that song's sarcastic aural shrug, but she captures other feelings effectively, including infatuation on the sweeping "Eyes," vengeance expressed in the nervous energy of "I Was Born Without You," tragic romanticism on opener "Something Beautiful" and optimism on the piano-driven "Whether You Fall": "Whether you fall means nothing at all/It's whether you get up."

About two-thirds of the way through the album - after a life-affirming, Sheryl Crow-ish "D.U.M.B.O. Sun" - "Blink the Brightest" slips into a strange narcotic haze that may bask in the warm glow of "Wilting Flower" or glide on the low-key self-assurance of "Shine," but ultimately flickers out with the string-supported "Did I Sleep Through It All?" Nevertheless, "Blink the Brightest" is an ambitious return for Bonham.

Rating: 3-1/2

"BAND-GIRLS-MONEY," Tsar (TVT)

Every track on Tsar's new "Band-Girls-Money" is formulaic, but the Southern California band switches out the formula from song to song and plays each cut with conviction, so it all works out.

Led by guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Jeff Whalen, Tsar furiously charges through many of rock's subgenres, knocking out 10 tracks in less than 35 minutes. The tight production is important: Fits of energy have a way of becoming enervating when they're prolonged. The only track that extends beyond four minutes on "Band-Girls-Money" is the cleverly titled "You Can't Always Want What You Get," and it self-destructs in a protracted crush of bombast. By contrast, half of the cuts clock in at less than three minutes, never overstaying their welcome.

Not only does Tsar deftly crunch the numbers with time-conscious edits, the act musters the bluster to cruise through time-worn territory.

Dueling guitars kick off the title track/opener, quickly followed by a rumbling rhythm section and a Whalen shriek, and the quartet is on its way. Tsar plows through pop-punk fury on "Wanna Get Dead," revels in the glam rock pretenses of "Conqueror Worm," churns out cool melodies and an "oh-oh-oh-oh-oh" chorus for "The Love Explosion" and grinds into the chugging rhythm of "Superdeformed." "Band-Girls-Money" also swings from the hardcore force of "Straight" to the plaintive pop of "Wrong" and eventually lands on a raucous, anthem-rock "Startime" that could be a showstopper if the band makes the top rung of stadium acts.

That level of success isn't likely for Tsar as long as the group is satisfied with replaying musical cliches, but that's not all bad. Listening to "Band-Girls-Money" is a bit like hopping on a familiar roller coaster. There are no unexpected shocks along the way, but the ride still has its thrills.

Rating: 3