Has it really been 10 years since Rolling Stone declared Morissette an angry white female? Well, time has certainly mellowed our fair Alanis. She and the acoustic version of her breakout “men are bad/women good” opus have changed – but is it for the better? Songs like “Hand in My Pocket,” “Perfect” and “Forgiven,” when stripped down, take on more nuances enhanced by the mellow musical strains. An added bonus is being able to understand the lyrics without referencing the liner notes. That’s not the only difference though; she has changed one lyric in “Ironic,” giving a shout-out to the gays – “I’m meeting the man of my dreams, and I’m meeting his beautiful husband.” The only drawback is that her penultimate of female rage, “You Oughta Know,” loses just a little something in the not-screaming translation. Somehow, “Would she go down on you in a theater” doesn’t drip with the acid it once did. But even that seems on par for some reason. It works within the context of this reworking, which is bolstered by Morissette’s strong suit – in her songwriting, the ability to connect with her audience through human frailties. Currently, the CD is on sale on every corner at your local Starbuck’s until July 26. Go ahead and order a Venti to wash down that Jagged Little Pill, it’s a worthwhile trip down memory lane with a new twist. You can catch Alanis in concert on July 15 at Copley Symphony Hall.

Michael Bublé, a.k.a. that guy in the Starbuck’s commercial, draws easy comparisons to both Frank Sinatra and Harry Connick, Jr. His smooth, jazzy renditions of standard fare like “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” connect to listeners. But what sets him apart from the Rat Pack is his ability to transform a typical pop song from the ’50s and ’60s and claim it as his own. “Try a Little Tenderness,” “Save the Last Dance for Me” and “How Sweet It Is” get a musical overhaul with Bublé’s vocal stylings and swing band accompaniment. Bublé also penned an original track, “Home.” I was sold on him when I heard his kicky rendition of the “Spiderman” cartoon theme from the ’60s. What was commonly known as “mood music” in the days of yesteryear receives the 2005 treatment and loses nothing in the translation.

Nouvelle Vague is a French electronica group whose name translates into “new wave” in English and “bossa nova” in Portuguese. And that’s a très apropos name for a band that takes new wave songs and puts them to a bossa nova beat. Chanteuses Camille and Marina split singing duties, each adding their own separate haunting quality to titles such as Depeche Mode’s “Just Can’t Get Enough,” The Cure’s “A Forest,” Modern English’s “I Melt With You” and XTC’s “Making Plans for Nigel.” There are even takes on The Clash, P.I.L. and Joy Division. This CD is compelling and original, yet vastly different from its source material.