$50 GUIDE : Daring Faith, ‘Dirty’ Youth

T he music in this edition of the guide--a way to keep up with what’s fresh in pop on a budget of $50 a month--ranges from alternative rock to country.

August

Faith No More, “Angel Dust” (Slash/Reprise). This album is deceptively distant on first listening, especially for those eager for more revolutionary yet accessible tracks like the hard-driving punk ‘n’ metal band’s “Epic.” But Faith No More eventually asserts an independence and an individuality in this daring collection that extend rather than echo its earlier accomplishments. The gem is “Midlife Crisis,” with its marvelously bittersweet lines: You’re perfect, yes, it’s true/But without me, you’re only you.

Sonic Youth, “Dirty” (DGC). I’ve always admired the albums by these alternative-rock kingpins but have rarely felt close to them the way I do about albums by, say, the Replacements or the Jesus and Mary Chain. That changes here. Even more than “Daydream Nation” or “Goo,” “Dirty” balances the band’s striking, guitar-dominated textures and songwriting craft in ways that showcase its imagination and heart. An album-of-the-year contender.

“Temple of the Dog” (A&M;). This revived 1991 album by members of Soundgarden and Pearl Jam was a tribute to the late Andrew Wood, the Mother Love Bone singer who died of a heroin overdose. The bluesy, introspective work, which spotlights the singing and songwriting of Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell, is a revelation. Not only is it more absorbing than anything Soundgarden or Pearl Jam has done, but it also shows that a blues-tinged band can still make original and affecting music rather than just recycle the past. Black Crowes, take note.

September

PJ Harvey, “Dry” (Indigo). This English rock trio’s Los Angeles debut last month at the Whisky ranks with the most captivating arrivals in recent memory. Lead singer and writer Polly Jean Harvey is a supremely confident artist whose aggressive yet introspective tales about sexual politics are delivered with intimate vocals and instrumental fury. It’s all captured here.

“Singles” (Epic Soundtrax). Not everything in this soundtrack album is essential, notably two Pearl Jam tracks that make me thankful for the CD player’s NEXT button. But the high points are splendid. Among them: two new delights from former Replacements frontman Paul Westerberg, an acoustic blues number that further documents the artistry and potential of Chris Cornell, plus a previously unreleased selection from Mother Love Bone.

Trisha Yearwood, “Hearts in Armor” (MCA). Attention Wynonna Judd, Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt! Check out this combination of heartfelt vocals, intelligent songs and tailored arrangements. Then book studio time and get to work yourselves. Maybe the best country album of the Garth Era.

Robert Hilburn is The Times’ pop music critic.