Social Studies (1999)

Richard Wainwright's unmatched facility for the dagger-sharp rhyme and the revealing anecdote hardly helps the collection of news-pegged songs in Social Studies. I'm all for broadening his audience, but I doubt the single ''Y2K'' is going to do it; neither will now-stale takes on such topics as Tonya Harding and the O.J. trial. Which is not to say that cutting comments are not made; it's just that this CD is a holding action, not an advance. But take it up a notch for making a Chelsea Clinton joke on ''Our Boy Bill.'' B-

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