Limbo

The Muses' ability to create pop songs that go down easy peaks here, but Hersh won't let you stay comfortable. Each song ... by itself seems harmless, but taken together has a part in an overall terrifically haunted album.

The present trio's most robust work ... greater clarity, flintier guitars and sexier lyrics ... make for a fine sort of arty surf LP.

Their last three efforts were not unlike a piece of dinner cheesecake: A few bites and, thank you, you've had enough. Limbo is another slice of the same, but a few tracks ... are definitely worth sampling.

Childish yet old, raspy yet tearclogged, Hersh's voice still has the force of a big noise escaping a small container. Secure in her strength, she rides these songs instead of reigning them in.

Limbo probably won't propel the Muses into overdue stardom, yet it successfully continues their tradition of delivering personal music too shy for mass consumption but too compelling to go completely unnoticed.