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Four stand-out new albums, as chosen by the Soundcheck staff.

Youssou N'Dour: "Rokku Mi Rokka" (Give and Take) (Nonesuch)
Senegalese singer and songwriter Youssou N’Dour is probably the biggest star in African music today. His latest album mixes the blues, pop and rock with political songs about Africa's place in the world. -Gisele Regatao

La Révolt: "Les Heures Marchandent" (L-Abe)
The first album by the Montreal-based trio La Révolt is firmly anchored in the tradition of the Québécois folklore. It’s an album reminiscent of the 1970’s Brit-folk-rock bands with just a touch of prog, and featuring great vocal harmonies sung entirely in French. -Irene Trudel

Kitka & Mariana Sadovska: "The Rusalka Cycle" (Kitka)
A riveting music/theater piece derived from the ancient European tradition of the rusalki, the spirits of women who met untimely or unjust ends and who haunt the woods and fields of Eastern Europe. Folk song and ritual comes together with original music by Mariana Sadovska in a haunting and evocative vocal work. -John Schaefer

David Byrne: "The Knee Plays" (Nonesuch)
In spring 1985, David Byrne released "Music For The Knee Plays," a series of musical vignettes designed as 'joints' between longer scenes in a projected theatrical epic by Robert Wilson entitled The CIVIL WarS. It promptly sank without a trace but it's finally out on CD and is worth a reconsideration.-John Schaefer