Sound off

Emily Osment, 'All The Right Wrongs' (Wind-up)

Before we actually get to the music portion of this review, I just have to say that upon seeing the cover of Emily Osment's album, "All the Right Wrongs," I had an uneasy feeling.

I just couldn't place what was making me uncomfortable, and then it hit me. I see dead people. No, I don't actually see dead people, but Osment's face reminded me of the kid from "The Sixth Sense."

As it turns out, sometimes your instincts are dead on. Apparently, Osment is the kid sister of actor Haley Joel Osment, aka the kid who sees dead people in the movie.

So with that bit of strange coincidence out of the way, the music on "All the Right Wrongs" comes dangerously close to simply being a Miley Cyrus knockoff, but thanks to the fact that Osment can actually sing, she rises above the tween-star wannabes, albeit just barely.

Songs such as "Average Girl," "You are the Only One" and "What About Me" will probably sound great on the soundtrack to the next Disney Channel show that becomes a feature film. The only real redeeming tune is "I Hate the Homecoming Queen," which contains a surprising amount of harmonic venom.

Download These: "I Hate the Homecoming Queen," "All the Way Up" and "Average Girl."

Allison Moorer 'Crows' (Ryko)

When your sister is Shelby Lynne, it might be easy to understand if you chose a career path as far from music as possible.

Allison Moorer, who is in fact the sister of Miss Lynne, didn't let her older sibling's success intimidate her. Instead, Moorer struck out and made a name for herself.

It helps that she sounds nothing like her sister. Where Lynne's voice oozes sensuality and heartbreak, Moorer's radiates both sunshine and smacks you in the face with the melody.

On her latest effort, "Crows," Moorer steps away from her usual singing style and in the process just might have produced one of her finest albums yet.

Strong compositions such as "Abalone Sky" and "The Broken Girl" showcase Moorer's exquisitely rich vocals. Many of the songs, such as "Should I Be Concerned" and "Still This Side of Gone," are less like the Americana style we expect from Moorer and more like show-stopping numbers from some nonexistent Broadway musical.

There is barely a misstep here, and the beauty of this album becomes more apparent with each spin.

Download These: "Abalone Sky," "The Broken Girl" and "Like the Rain."

David Bowie 'A Reality Tour' (ISO)

There are some artists whose sound is so much their own, that even when the voice isn't them some folks would beg to differ.

I'm actually one of those folks. When I first heard Mott the Hoople's "All the Young Dudes" back in the day, I got into an argument with a friend that it was Bowie singing instead of Ian Hunter.

We called it a draw, seeing as Bowie penned the tune, but the story just serves as an example of how Bowie has embedded his distinct sound in our brains.

When Bowie toured in 2004 he was nearly 60 years old, and yet he still oozed charisma and sang like he was back in his Ziggy Stardust days.

"A Reality Tour" is a two-CD set that showcases both old and more recent Bowie songs. With 33 tracks, including three bonus songs, the set is a generous helping of the Thin White Duke.

In addition to what was then new material, such as "New Killer Star" and "Bring Me the Disco King," fans get live performances of classic Bowie tunes such as "Rebel Rebel," "Changes," "China Girl" and yes, Bowie even busts out "All the Young Dudes."

It is, after all, his song. Particularly good is "Under Pressure," which features bassist Gail Ann Dorsey singing the late Freddie Mercury's part.

Download These: "Under Pressure," "Ziggy Stardust" and "Changes."