**1/2 INXS

ELEGANTLY WASTED

(Mercury)

Elegantly Wasted shows INXS desperately to evolve out of the post-Prince white-boy funk-rock formula they established with "Need You Tonight," from their late-'80s heyday. You can't knock 'em for that. The majority of the tracks on their latest revel in being disposable pop tunes. Take "Show Me (Cherry Baby)," the album's first cut; after a strong opening reminiscent of a '60s spy TV-show theme, it disappoints with the kind of farcical chorus INXS played more convincingly on Kick (1987). Similarly, the title cut entices with a filter-swept bass-line groove but falls flat with the thick vocal-driven chorus, straining way too hard to be soulful. Michael Hutchence, James Brown you are not.

However, tucked away at the end of the album are four surprisingly experimental cuts. "We Are Thrown Together" throws together acoustic guitar strumming à la U2's "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses," a buzzy pre-chorus with an Eastern-sounding guitar riff, and a bridge featuring aboriginal percussion. Like I say, you can't knock 'em for trying.

-- Jonathan Follett