New and Notable

Toni Braxton, “The Heat,” LaFace. There are a few moments of semi-anonymous pop here, but the highlights convey the kind of deeply held viewpoint that places Braxton with such thoughtful artists as Lauryn Hill and Erykah Badu rather than the diva crowd.

Fatboy Slim, “On the Floor at the Boutique,” Astralwerks. In this London club DJ set, Slim cannibalizes, manipulates and re-contextualizes various clips, keeping the mind engaged along with the feet--something many DJ albums don’t manage.

No Doubt, “Return of Saturn,” Trauma/Interscope. The Orange County quartet pauses to consider questions of identity, paths chosen and potential regrets. But they keeps things light, even when Gwen Stefani mulls the inevitability of death.

Neil Young, “Silver & Gold.” Reprise. The album doesn’t have the overriding urgency or ambition of 1992’s similar-minded “Harvest Moon,” but it is as consistently open and optimistic as anything Young has ever produced.