time*sex*love* (2001)

As always, Carpenter has an expert way with ballads of betrayal or obsession (''I'll be a slave to the beauty, but not to the truth'' being a terrific example of psychological incorrectness). But, perhaps sensing this lovelorn ennui can be a collective drag, she tosses in less accomplished, more upbeat material like ''Maybe World,'' full of self-help bromides banal enough to send you deeper into a midlife funk. Worst is the peppy ''This Is Me Leaving You,'' a transparent remake of ''He Thinks He'll Keep Her.'' Stick with her slow, depressing stuff, and bring your Zoloft.