POP NOTES.(Stevie Wonder's new albums)

THE WONDER STUFF -- Stevie Wonder will probably never again have the definitive cultural authority he had in 1976, when he released "Songs in the Key of Life." Granted, little of the music he has made since then has matched that album for its beauty, intelligence, and ambition. But not living up to "Knocks Me Off My Feet" (or "Joy Inside My Tears" or "All Day Sucker") is hardly a source of shame. The music Wonder has made since then has been strong, often excellent. He suffers mostly by comparison with himself: it's not possible to be as prolific and protean as he was during the seventies.

"A Time to Love" (Motown), his first collection of new material in a decade, starts off with the darkly powerful "If Your Love Cannot Be Moved," a duet with Kim Burrell that also includes human beat-boxing and ominous strings. From there, the album rarely slows down--or rather, it slows down plenty, but in the best way possible. There are lovely if saccharine ballads destined to be played at weddings in the year 2020 ("True Love," "Can't Imagine Love Without You") and sophisticated rhythmic workouts like "My Love Is on Fire," which features the great flutist Hubert Laws, part of a long, ecumenical guest list that includes Wonder's daughter Aisha, who ...