POP MUSIC : In Brief

** 1/2 Wailing Souls, “All Around the World,” Chaos/Columbia. The veteran reggae vocal duo survives the crossover plunge relatively unscathed on its major-label debut. Except for the title track’s dance world cliches, the material geared to a non-reggae audience doesn’t sound forced or unnatural. Still, it’s the most distinctly Jamaican tracks that best showcase the Souls’ soaring harmonies.

Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor) to four (excellent).