There is a new batch of fall music – a cornucopia of varied yet unmistakably colorful offerings. We have feline freshmen, Stevie Wonder’s doppelganger, and the sound of a solo Bell ringing.

We all know him as the flamboyant front man of Erasure, and with Bell’s first solo effort, Electric Blue, he sticks to the familiar paths he forged with Erasure band mate Vince Clarke. That is not a bad thing at all, as Electric Blue is chock full of catchy dance tunes. “Caught in a Spin” features a guitar-laden backdrop with the requisite synth back beats widely associated with Erasure. There are hints of songs from Erasure’s past inherent in the tune – listen carefully and you just might think you’re listening to “Take a Chance on Me” from Abbaesque or “Treasure” from Cowboy.

“Crazy” taps into the familiar vein of Erasure’s lifeblood, the aforementioned synthesized sound coupled with longings of love. At just over four minutes long, this musing on the losses of oh l’amour is indicative of the tunes that populate Electric Blue. “Love Oneself” features a duet with German songtress Claudia Brucken of Propaganda and highlights one of Bell’s strongest suits – his falsetto vocal range.

“I Thought it was You,” a definite standout track, has its roots firmly planted underneath a glittering disco ball; an added bonus is that Jake Shears of The Scissor Sisters makes a vocal appearance on this track.

The title track, “Electric Blue,” is another danceable tune once it gets going. Underneath its surface, it seems to be a look at contemporary gay culture with turns of phrase like “march of the clones” and “revolution overdue.” That’s the beauty of listening to music – it’s all in the listener’s perception.

“Jealous” starts out with a “Papa Don’t Preach”-type string section, and then abandons itself to signature synth chords. The track fluctuates between synth and strings as Bell “duets” with them, perfectly matching their intonations. With its horn section and drums, “Shaking My Soul” sounds like an homage to the type of pop songs that put Motown on the map.

“Runaway” has a quasi-Abba feel to it, sans the quartet of Swedes. “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again” captures perfectly the fantasy of love versus its reality, all set to a raucous beat. “Delicious,” Bell’s second duet with Brucken, is another exercise in love’s labors lost. “Fantasy,” a stripped-down offering with guitars and strings, is a strong ballad, sounding remotely like “Rock Me Gently” from Erasure’s 1995 self- titled CD. “See the Lights Go Out” is another dance-worthy foray into the possibility of meeting Mr. Right. “The Rest of Our Lives” is the second ballad and the last track on the CD; in essence it is about the very nature of unconditional love.

Erasure fans and all lovers of excellent dance music alike will not be disappointed in Bell’s Electric Blue.

Jamiroquai lead singer Jason Kay is widely regarded as a Stevie Wonder soundalike. Yes, the vocal similarities are uncanny, but I find it sad when artists become pigeonholed, unable to be seen as talented in their own right because they happen to sound like someone else. On Dynamite, Kay proves he is a talented funk master who is very at home in the dance domain. “Feels Just Like it Should” could actually double as a Lenny Kravitz tune from the ’90s, yet Kay makes it his own. The title track, “Dynamite,” crackles once its fuse is properly lit, and showcases the blending of a semi-disco style with the funk beat that Jamiroquai is known for.

“Seven Days” could easily be confused with the kind of track that made its presence abundantly known on AM radio in the ’70s, and is actually a nice throwback. “Electric Mistress” has an Anita Ward “Ring My Bell” meets Blondie “Rapture” opening. It then glides into the disco/funk hooks that set toes to tappin’, with its soul sister backup vocals. “Starchild” is a little piece of self plagiarism, as it is very similar to 1997’s “Cosmic Girl.” The big difference for this 2005 revisit is the downsized disco beats; this one is heavy on the funk.

“Love Blind” can be categorized as a ballad that meets dressed-down dance; a little awkward, like a junior high school slow dance. “Tallulah” is a breezy break-up song that’s evocative of a track that would be included on a Time-Life compilation of slow jams. “Give Hate a Chance” makes me wonder if Xanaduy is a word, because the first opening notes conjure up roller-skating muses with rainbow effects. The song gets back to business as usual with Jamiroquai’s familiar sound – with Kay sailing among a sea of backup oohs! The ballad “World That He Wants” is well suited for Kay’s vocal chops, which are set against haunting strings and a lone piano.

The final two tracks, “Black Devil Car” and “Hot Tequila Brown,” are two vastly different sounds. “Black Devil Car” is a little more hard-edged than any of the other tracks, which makes you want to simultaneously bang your head and shake your groove thang. Closing out the disc, “Hot Tequila Brown” has a medium-grooved tempo.

There is comfort in the familiar, and Jamiroquai succeeds in that effort. Although this is not the strongest gun powder in their keg, Dynamite is still worth a listen.

Their infectious summertime hit, “Don’t Cha,” was that song you couldn’t escape from, and now The Pussycat Dolls hope to pick up the “girl power” mantle with more than their fair share of spiciness on PCD.

“Don’t Cha” leads off the disc, and is followed by “Beep” featuring will.i.am of Black Eyed Peas – a tune that is packed with flava. “Wait a Minute” is a bouncy recap of the he said/she said world of hetero love. “Wait a Minute” could easily break The Pussycat Dolls out of what could be their one-hit wonder destiny; the song is dripping with girl power. “Stickwitu” is a ballad that could have been left off Janet Jackson’s last CD, and “Buttons” is a Middle Eastern-flavored dish with an urban peppering, served up with a side dish of raw sexuality. “I Don’t Need a Man” is female empowerment in the form of a likeable pop song.

“Hot Stuff (I Want You Back)” is not an outright remake of the Donna Summer disco classic, but it seems well suited for a dance floor, lights are low make-out session. “How Many Times, How Many Lies” is a he-done-me-wrong song, and is perfect for those post break-up moments. Set to a tribal beat, “Bite the Dust” is about a female rivalry for the love of a man.

By far, the most unexpected track is “Right Now,” which is surprisingly jazzy and has a hint of Shirley Bassey-inspired vocals. Soft Cell’s “Tainted Love/Where Did Our Love Go” gets a “sisters are doin’ it for themselves” makeover. The Nina Simone standard “Feelin’ Good,” however, does not drip with the soul of its source material.

All in all, these Dolls make for a fun listen, though it’s nothing earth shattering. A perfect CD to put on while cleaning the house