"Brimful of Asha"

Cornershop
(Luaka Bop/Warner Bros., 1997)

Most great songs about songs affirm the listener's world as the center of the universe. As bold as "Dancing in the Street" and breezy as "Do You Believe in Magic," this irresistible rock-pop testament locates the magic in an Indian performer you'll probably never hear (one Asha Bosley). Yet after the fall of alterna-rock, in a moment of fragmentation that feels permanent, its happy, Velvety celebration of a decentered universe is as liberating as any brand new beat from home.

-- Franklin Soults