** 1/2 TINA TURNER, “Twenty Four Seven,” Virgin

You would think the distinctive cry of Turner’s voice could cut through any bombast (remember “We Don’t Need Another Hero”?), but the R&B; legend is practically drowned out on her first new album since 1996 (in stores Tuesday).

With the exception of the sweet, relatively plain ballad “Falling” and the blues-rock title song, every one of these 11 tunes is triple-decked in throbbing beats, tinkling percussion, sparkling synthesizers and utterly frigid production, as if the 60-year-old queen of the soul survivors were nothing but another Meaty Cheesy Girl.

That’s not unexpected, but it is disappointing. Then again, if Cher can get a hit by mouthing platitudes to a modern disco beat, why not Tina? Produced by the same team behind “Believe,” Turner’s pumping single “When the Heartache Is Over” is a generic I-will-go-on inspirational anthem that embodies predictable sentiments.

Most frustrating, however, is the evidence that this collection of slick pop adorned with soul, funk, gospel and blues could have been a more compelling project. The dark, pulsing, Garbage-esque “Go Ahead” provides a fitting milieu for Turner’s defiant-yet-destroyed wailing, while the funky-folky “Without You” successfully meshes retro-soul with techno flava. These innovations prove Turner is still up to any challenge. Too bad she didn’t push the envelope more.

Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent). The albums are already released unless otherwise noted.

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