Pop Music : Record Rack : In Brief

* * * L7, “Slap-Happy,” Wax Tadpole / Bong Load. After 11 years of churning out crunchy, metal-flavored punk, L7 might have settled comfortably into a Ramones-style niche: reliably rebellious and smart-alecky but a bit predictable. Yet the group manages enough departures here to keep listeners guessing. Tracks such as the kicked-back “Livin’ Large” and the airy “Freezer Burn” indulge the band’s pop tendencies, and songs such as “Crackpot Baby” deliver the expected thrash ‘n’ bash.

*

Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent). The albums are already released unless otherwise noted.