ALBUM REVIEWS / POP

** 1/2 Cowboy Junkies, “Lay It Down,” Geffen. At its best, this chronically mellow Canadian band conjures a moody intensity evocative of a compelling or disturbing dream. Margo Timmins’ tremulous voice is full of sleepy, creepy ambience, and her brother Michael folds warm country and folk textures into guitar riffs that alternately comfort and haunt.

For the Junkies’ new album, the Timminses have crafted songs that shimmer and spook seductively, touching on themes ranging from romantic ambivalence to the deaths of friends. But rarely do they reach the visceral highs (or lows) that distinguished 1988’s “The Trinity Sessions,” still their most potent album.

The best tracks on “Lay It Down” are the relatively energetic ones, such as the dynamically shifting “Something Beside You” or the jangling “Come Calling (His Song).” In comparison, such ballads as “Lonely Sinking Feeling” and such straight, mid-tempo numbers as “A Common Disaster” tend to meander lifelessly.

The most adventurous tune, though, is the surprisingly funky “Speaking Confidentially,” which offers soulful strings and a hip-hop beat--suggesting that Cowboy Junkies can get down in addition to, well, getting down.

* New albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent).