Vitamin C (1999)

Here's newcomer Vitamin C (a.k.a. Colleen Fitzpatrick), a refugee from a failed combo called Eve's Plum, whose eponymous solo debut sounds like the unabashedly great pop album the Spice Girls might have made (but never quite did). She recently landed on the charts with a charming slice of dancehall pop called ''Smile,'' and that's exactly what her album makes me do.

She samples what she pleases, building some swell tunes around bits borrowed from Santana, Digital Underground, and the Clash. And give that gal bonus points for working an allusion to Mott the Hoople's ''All the Young Dudes'' into the closer, ''Graduation (Friends Forever).''

Hell, YOU go listen to some serious hip-hopper rap all night about near-suicidal recklessness, or higher powers, or death if you want. Me, I'm all about another dose of Vitamin C.