Basic Bruce, New Rap Heroes

This edition of the guide--our blueprint to keeping up with what’s exciting in pop on a budget of $50 a month--offers a healthy balance of new and veteran artists, from rock’s Bruce Springsteen to rap’s Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy.

April

Bruce Springsteen, “Lucky Town” (Columbia). There’s also much to enjoy in Springsteen’s companion album, “Human Touch,” but this is the essential one--a statement of hard-won happiness that accepts good fortune without forgetting the days of darkness and doubt. The opening “Better Days” signals the change, but the soul of the album is reflected in “Living Proof,” as moving a song as Springsteen has ever written, and “My Beautiful Reward,” the album’s haunting moment of benediction.

The Jesus and Mary Chain, “Honey’s Dead” (Def American). The Mary Chain is a rock ‘n’ roll miracle. After giving us three of the most stirring albums of the modern pop era, the London-based brothers Reid have enough left to deliver what may be their most consistently invigorating and accessible collection. The approach is familiar by now: tales of obsession and desire woven around jarring guitar textures and sweet, seductive melodies. But the results still reflect a captivating imagination and pulse.

Sarah McLachlan, “Solace” (Arista). The two nude figures on the back of the album cover are the first tip that this Canadian’s music leans toward naked confession. McLachlan the singer reflects the bright vocal exclamation of Joni Mitchell and the intense intimacy of Sinead O’Connor, while McLachlan the writer is intrigued by the struggle to pursue one’s ideals. The vows may not always be medically sound, but the uncompromising spirit is welcome: I will stare into the sun until its light doesn’t blind me / I will walk into the fire until its heat doesn’t burn me.

May

TLC, “Ooooooohhh . . . on the TLC Tip” (LaFace/Arista). This young, female, Atlanta-based R&B-rap; trio may have a fascination with old song titles, borrowed from Peter Gabriel (changed here to “Shock Dat Monkey”) and the Temptations (“Ain’t 2 Proud 2 Beg”), but the music itself is anything but a retread. This sparkling debut is clever without sounding contrived, and the youthful, feminist messages are pointed but not preachy.

Mark Chesnutt, “Longnecks & Short Stories” (MCA). If this Texan ever puts together a live show as solid as his albums, he could challenge Garth Brooks. A highlight is the irresistible “Old Flames Have New Names,” a tale about a playboy returning to town after a two-year absence. Eager to “look up some old lovers,” all he can find, alas, are “five newlyweds and two expectant mothers.”

The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, “Hypocrisy Is the Greatest Enemy” (4th & Broadway/Island). This Bay Area duo of rapper Michael Franti and deejay Rono Tse tries to pack too many ideas into these biting raps, leaving the listener weary at times. But the forceful tracks--about a wide range of social topics--offer an ambition and commitment reminiscent of Public Enemy and Boogie Down Productions.