SINEAD O'CONNOR "No Man's Woman" (3:00) Atlantic Sinead O'Connor's debut on Atlantic Records is a mixed bag. Instrumentally, she employs a hip-hop rhythm and pointed beats to give this song a drama that works well on many levels. Vocally, O'Connor's singular style still rings true, with those familiar layers and vulnerable, almost pained chops drawing your ears to the lyric from line one. And that's where the problem lies. If O'Connor was trying to put off every man listening to a radio, she's succeeded with aplomb: "I don't want to be no man's woman, I have other work I want to get done/I haven't traveled this far to become no man's woman." While she admits fear and pain from her relationships with the male gender, the overall tone remains caustic, almost like an attack, and it's wearying on the ear. Can you imagine what would happen if a man were to sing about how tired he'd become of women's manipulative ways or something similar? It would never fly - so why does this continue to be permissible? Artists are, of course, entitled to write a lyric as they see fit. It's a shame, because the tune is lovely and O'Connor's talent remains remarkable. Here's hoping that the follow-up is a little more universal.