*** The Sugarcubes

THE GREAT CROSSOVER POTENTIAL

(Elektra)

The Sugarcubes were a terrific, fascinating band who never made an entirely consistent album, so this greatest-hits is a fine idea: four or five songs from each of their studio discs (and nothing from their posthumous remix compilation, but no big deal). Even so, it drags a little -- you could argue the last two albums had only one great song apiece. But what great songs they were! "Regina" firmed up the edges of the Cocteau Twins' aesthetic and graced it with a fabulous chorus; "Hit" is a weird but enthusiastic rocker augmented by scratching effects, with a lyric that could be about either falling in love or becoming pregnant.

And the good stuff from their debut, Life's Too Good, is still indelible. We've lived with Björk Gudmundsdottir's voice for so long that it's hard to remember how startling it was when the first Sugarcubes single, "Birthday," came out more than 10 years ago -- cracking, half-giggling, half-crying, than leaping to high, vibrant notes. It's also strange to hear Einar Örn, the Fred Schneider of Iceland, ranting away behind her and realize that the Sugarcubes were not entirely Björk's band -- they were a genuine group, with one member whose pop genius trumped the others' patient collective vibe.

-- Douglas Wolk