A bold leap forward. [8 Oct 2005]

Even the few noteworthy moments are lost in the banality of the music. [15 Oct 2005]

[A] pleasant surprise of an album.

[Atmosphere] has never sounded as pointed and focused as it does here on its fifth album. [8 Oct 2005]

Although Metric might get lost in the ongoing mainstream melee, "Live It Out" has all the right ingredients for building a strong underground fan base. [29 Oct 2005]

Less polish and more attitude are welcome changes that fire up the rock numbers and give them more snap. [8 Oct 2005]

Unfortunately, instead of eliciting the same response as its predecessor, ["Girl Tonite"] comes as a feeble attempt to copy success. Luckily, there are enough highlights to balance things out. [8 Oct 2005]

There is enough of the original DNA in the mix to make this a worthy listen for fans. [1 Oct 2005]

Elevates their brand of art-house hip-hop to another level.

A provocative, richly rewarding set reflecting love and life changes. [1 Oct 2005]

A winning result.

A fine, quirky entrance that hints at a band poised for bigger things down the road.

Familiar, yes, but not unwelcome. [1 Oct 2005]

Beyond the bombast, Wilson has personality and soul to burn, and her impact on country music is going to be felt for many albums to come, starting here. [1 Oct 2005]

The lack of big-name guests may make it hard to woo new fans, but those who preferred Paul's earlier work will be happy to hear he has returned home. [1 Oct 2005]

No, kids, it's not that scatological jokes aren't funny, just that these scatological jokes aren't funny.

While the overlong album sometimes threatens to bury C&C with its own excess, the craftsmanship suggests the band is more than capable of breaking into the mainstream. [24 Sep 2005]

Musically and lyrically, "Clothes Drop" is more pop-oriented, melodic and restrained, and is all the brighter for it. [24 Sep 2005]

It is hard to hear much difference between each cut. [24 Sep 2005]

If Tangiers perfects its poppier maneuvers and smartens up a bit lyrically, something special could be down the road. [10 Dec 2005]

What has become increasingly clear is that Devendra Banhart needs an editor.

The album distinguishes itself from Chapman's previous releases with its stellar studio band and its refusal to submit to pop production. [17 Sep 2005]

Overall it's rather tough to get a grip on what they're getting at.

Even with the added string section, Gray has not lost his knack for combining lovely melodies with bittersweet lyrics. [17 Sep 2005]

McCartney continues to surprise, opening this set with four of his best songs in ages. [17 Sep 2005]

An adventurous change of pace that stretches Raitt beyond her previous recordings. [17 Sep 2005]

While there are no surprises in its technique or approach, Sigur Rós has succeeded in making a startlingly beautiful record. [17 Sep 2005]

"Love Kraft" is as cohesive a record as the group has yet produced.

There's not a clunker on "The Weight is a Gift," even if the band never veers far from the indie comfort zone of vague melancholia.

Yearwood can pack more feeling into one line of a song than most artists can on an entire album, and the material on "Jasper County" gives her plenty of opportunity to work her magic. [17 Sep 2005]

Throughout, he manages to dip into old-school doo-wop sounds, grand orchestral ballads and Johnny Cash-inspired country anthems, not at the same time, but almost within their own little worlds.

"Electric Blue Watermelon" consistently demonstrates that they have arrived at a place where their special feel for hill country blues and their Southern rock sensibilities are in sync. [10 Sep 2005]

16 songs of stalwart Stones riffs that almost compensate for generally embarrassing lyrics. [10 Sep 2005]

The Coral's trade has made them less rumbling and more meandering, more coherent but less mysterious.

Rock music this substantive is increasingly rare, but "Plans" delivers beyond expectations.

By the end of this 21-track opus, you still might not like West's self-assured declarations, but you will not be able to deny his talent.

The group has already produced a barrage of great singles, but this time around, it digs in its collective heels for a worthy album, allowing the songs, and not just the musicians, to shine. [27 Aug 2005]

While the batch he's cooked up on his the latest LP... stays true to the songwriting formula that has gained him over a decade of accolades, "Bright Ideas" does, in fact, find McCaughan at his most sonically expansive to date.

No matter how hooky things get, the Warlocks tend to bury each song in the same multi-layered haze of feedback and distortion, as if sheer decibels are the sole element holding everything together.

Anyone expecting something akin to a new Björk studio recording may not enjoy "Drawing Restraint 9," but taken at face value, the disc is a rewarding sidestep. [27 Aug 2005]

With a few notable exceptions... inspiration is just what this album lacks.

The third in a trilogy of introspective masterworks sees no decline in genius but an uptick in rockability. [20 Aug 2005]

Things start out strong... [But] the rest of the material is basically an easy-listening version of the band, with vocals weak enough to be distracting and an over-reliance on multilayered, kitchen sink production. [20 Aug 2005]

Hatfield tears through 12 songs, posturing and pouting over caustic guitars and leaving her singalong hooks raw and unedited. [13 Aug 2005]

Beyond a few faster songs ("Paper Jesus," "Falling"), the album gets lost in its own blandness. [13 Aug 2005]

While lyrically his songs are top-drawer, Thompson's guitar prowess is also noteworthy. [13 Aug 2005]

Hill lets her vocal gifts soar on an outstanding group of songs. [7 Aug 2005]

[A] return... to more familiar territory.

There's an overriding sense of preciousness that permeates "Mr. A-Z," and a few instances ("O. Lover," "The Forecast") where his homages to '70s AM radio sneak over into copies.

A pleasing collection of midtempo songs and ballads brushed with, but not obscured by, a contemporary sheen. [30 Jul 2005]

One of his finest hours.

One would think the standard tension/release moments would get tiresome, but most of the album has an energy that makes you forget about anything that might seem redundant.

At first blush, Lanois' music is flowery wallpaper, but on repeated listens the colorful textures sink in and evoke a hushed mysticism.

The pair's knack for excelling amid a range of styles and approaches is even more apparent on "The Understanding," which resists the temptation to overtly court the masses.

It makes for a difficult listen but will be fulfilling for those who find their way out on the other side.

Though it could use some portion control, "The Cookbook" still whips up a tasty meal.

He doesn't break any new lyrical ground, but Kelly's talent for penning original, infectious grooves remains intact.

A brighter, bouncier counterpart to its wintry predecessor "Michigan," "Illinois" contains some of the most beautiful pop you will hear all year long.

A monumental step forward in the progression of the group's sound.

Lidell has a fine voice, arguably one of the most potent white soul singers England has given us since Primal Scream's Bobby Gillespie.

If crude tales of incest, child abuse, drug abuse and just about every other type of abuse are your thing, then... "Hannicap Circus" is for you.

CYHSY is at the best point in the lifecycle of a band: un-styled, simply produced and deserving of the hype for what is -- quite possibly -- a nearly perfect album.

A mixed bag of pure-pop lyricism and throwaway covers.

While the self-imposed constraints limit the emotional power of songs like "Mary of the Wild Moor" and the hushed, fingerpicked "Manson Twins," it's a happy addition to Pajo's solid lo-fi repertoire.

Another eclectic musical trip.

Play[s] out like a fresh discovery that's strangely familiar--a '60s soul in a 21st-century outfit.

The songwriting grows less challenging as the album unfolds, often lacking the kind of vocal performances that provide real traction.

The band is now more of a collaborative project than a Jon Auer-and-Ken Stringfellow-with-hired-guns proposition, and it shows in the eloquence of the songs here.

While the lyrics are more introspective and the music more electronic than what we've come to expect from the Pumpkins or his most recent project, Zwan, thankfully Corgan's distinctive vocals and grungy guitar riffs are ubiquitous.

A masterwork of insight and delight.

One can't help but think that by scaling back their ambitions, the Foos could have made one great album instead of two average ones.

His most inspired effort in years.

Too much here sounds like Coldplay-by-numbers, and the lyrics lack the deeper meaning the album seems desperate to provide.

The real revelation here is their ability to show a more varied and at times vulnerable side to their sound.

Shakira, of course, is unmistakable. But the coup is that each track is absolutely distinctive, even on several songs with no clear-cut choruses or hooks.

[It] doesn't offer many surprises, and as usual that's OK.

Equal parts soul, funk, rock and blues, "can'tneverdidnothin'" continues to showcase the fiery, audacious style first heard on Nikka Costa's 2001 debut.

"Mighty Rearranger" isn't great, but it's awfully good, and if Plant's voice has faded slightly in power over the years, it's still remarkably strong.

A beautiful, rhythmic gallop of harmonic singing, freeform piano, chaotic harp and some of the most insane drumming you will ever hear in your life.

"Separation Sunday" is not only these Brooklyn transplants' best work to date (far surpassing the critically mis-hyped debut from last year), it is one of the grittiest, realest New York rock albums to come out since the Trouser Press folded.

In less than five minutes it's clear the group has a sad edge and sensitivity lacking from its cartoonishly arrogant peers.

Since barreling into parts unknown, the further advances made by Sean Booth and Rob Brown have been subtle at best, and the most intriguing sounding bits of their eighth album, "Untilted," usually arrive in the midst of something more familiar.

Sometimes this all-inclusive attitude falls flat, like on the trading male-female vocals of "Tiny Paintings" or the collective shouting that is littered throughout. Yet when everyone harmonizes together on "Maybe You Can Owe Me" and "Do the Whirlwind" it sounds unforced.

While her voice has lost some of its power through the years, "Mimi" deftly showcases her still-considerable pipes with strong lyrics and slick production.

Barnes' bright-eyed, bushy-tailed vocals are at times trying, but there is substance and craft behind the unrelentingly catchy ditties.

Though accenting the vulnerability her vocals naturally possess, she manages world-weary honesty and summoned strength rather than contrived sentimentality.

"Alligator" is easily the National's best effort and quite possibly one of this year's finest records.

Every so often an artist will release a debut record that has seemingly come from nowhere; you question where this person has been all your life, and how come it took so long for this to get out.

The album is, while not terrible, not very memorable, either.

The more cohesive undercurrents of "Lost and Safe" might display a formidable sense of growth for the band, but hardcore fans of the band's past work might be a little taken aback by the album's more direct approach. Nevertheless, these guys remain at the bleeding edge of pop innovation, even if it is more hummable than you'd expect.

This isn't a perfect album, but it is a great pop leap for Fischerspooner.

Mix[es] the band's '80s influences with clever lyrics that lift it above the "garage band" tag it was initially saddled with.

By turns playful, sexy, soulful, funky and passionate, Evans showcases the full range of her talents on her most consistent effort yet.

Despite hitmaker Linda Perry co-writing half of the album's original tracks, something is missing.

"Guero" explores all of Beck's influences and revisits so many of his finer ideas. It's not the cheeky soul-funk orgy of "Midnite Vultures," but something more mature.

All the elements are deftly held together by the MC/songstress' ability to make each track her own.

Consider "Silent Alarm" to be one of the best debuts of 2005 so far.

An uneven and ultimately unsatisfying return.