''Through the Rain''

Wisely, Mariah Carey forgoes her hip-hop dalliances on her post-''Glitter'' comeback single, ''Through the Rain.'' A competent ballad in the ''Hero'' tradition, ''Rain'' feels tame, as if she's overcompensating for recent insanities, personal and musical. ''Demure'' isn't a word we use often to describe Carey, but for once, a little less dignity is called for.