Lauryn Hill: "The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill" (Columbia) Say hello to the hip-hop album of the season. The debut solo set from the Fugee frontwoman will take your breath away with its diversity, robust confidence and tough hip-hop sheen. Treating Lauryn Hill merely as the Killing Me Softly gal is definitely a thing of the past. The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill is certainly related to The Score, the Fugees' breakthrough 1996 album which went on to sell some 16 million copies. It takes a similar approach to rolling pop touches into the breaks and beats, but that's really as far as it goes. There's a different focus at play in the lyrics because, instead of following the example of Fugee partners Wyclef Jean and Pras on their solo outings, Lauryn Hill goes for introspection and honesty. It could be that this is her opportunity to take stock after the mayhem of The Score; and you'll find few hip-hop albums outside of the last Common collection brave enough to flow with the insights Hill shows on Forgive Them Father. The beats are straight-ahead and uncluttered, allowing Hill's voice the opportunity to really connect. Doo Wop is perhaps the sweetest soul tune you'll hear all year, while To Zion (dedicated to her one-year-old son) is lush and emotional. When she lets fly on a conventional hip-hop tune such as Lost Ones, the beats and rhythms are simply sublime. Even the sneaky cover version towards the end of the album - Can't Take My Eyes Off You - has a kooky twist and sound all of its own. Whatever about the future of the Fugee sound system, Lauryn Hill has shown that she certainly has the skills to pay those solo bills.

Jim Carroll