Enigma: Enigma 3: Le Roi Est Mort, Vive Le Roi!

Each of Enigma's first two CDs has yielded a massive, globally successful single ("Sadeness Part 1" from MCMXC a.D., "Return To Innocence" from The Cross of Changes), but no new release by Michael Cretu's one-man band can be considered a sure thing. For starters, each album has been little more than an ornately assembled, glorified single: How many people can name more than one song from each of them Enigma's omni-pretentious third record doesn't seem to possess that very necessary golden smash—the label has probably misplaced its hopes for "Beyond The Invisible"—but it does a capable job creating lush soundscapes out of viscous grooves, ethnic instrumentation and the occasional Gregorian chant. Cretu's Pink Floyd-meets-Peter Gabriel voice is rarely less than soothing, and his thick, fluid arrangements provide an infinitely listenable, drugged-out backdrop. Compared to its predecessors, it's nothing groundbreaking—and it's multicultural in the most neutered, safest possible way—but the millions who picked up its predecessors will likely enjoy its ultra-fancy packaging, smooth song-to-song transitions, and easy dorm-room listening.