Rock/Pop

Alanis Morissette: MTV Unplugged (Maverick)

Life is hard - we have to endure heartache, pain, betrayal and Alanis Morissette records, so the idea of sitting in on another musical therapy session with the Canadian screech owl sounds like torture. But hey, nothing ventured, nothing gained, so let's get strapped in. Compared to the awful Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie, Unplugged is an easy ride, and though Ms Morissette's strangely-enunciated voice is to the fore, it's a little less irritating if not any more intelligible. The general gist seems to be that Alanis feels bad, but singing about it in a convoluted drawl makes her feel better. Along with the usual self-affirming anthems, she does a cover of The Police's King Of Pain, changing the chorus to Queen of Pain. Now, is that supposed to be ironic?

- Kevin Courtney

Natalie Merchant: Live In Concert (Elektra)

If Alanis Morissette sang in a "normal" voice, she might sound a little like Natalie Merchant. Ms Merchant doesn't seem to have suffered as much as Alanis, so this live set is a lot brighter and breezier, featuring songs from her best-selling albums, Tigerlily and Ophelia, plus a couple of 10,000 Maniacs tunes, and a cover of Neil Young's After The Goldrush. It's an inoffensive enough collection, well-paced and worthy, with just a frisson of fragility, and should cement Merchant's reputation as America's porcelain pop queen. Merchant is better-known in her home country than round these parts, but Irish, Welsh and Breton fans should check out her cover of Katell Keineg's The Gulf Of Araby.

- Kevin Courtney

Diana Ross: Every Day Is A New Day (EMI)

This album starts on a high note, in every sense - heavenly, in fact - with He Lives In You, a chillingly beautiful gospel song featuring Ross singing with more soul than we've known of late: and the gorgeous countermelody is actually sung by a choir. The lilting Love Is All That Matters and almost acoustic Until We Meet Again also soar in their own way. But those tracks are produced by either Ross herself or her longtime collaborator, Arif Mardin. When "Zavy Kid" Malik Pendleton takes over, inching Diana into contemporary dance tunes like So They Say, sadly, same-y, formulaic pop takes over. Apart from Steve Skinner's remix of Carry On. Diana Ross must have one great album left in her: this isn't it.

- Joe Jackson