Scialfa's third and most accomplished solo album.

Fish Outta Water may lack the demographic-tripping vibe that even a Jurassic 5 in turmoil could whip up, but it's a mostly winning debut that makes up in vocal prowess for what it lacks in hooks.

Throughout, she romps with creative abandon, thankfully unafraid of stretching the boundaries lyrically and musically.

Knowle West Boy shows that regardless of era, Tricky does his thing and does it well.

Brad Paisley's mostly instrumental new set, which chronicles his self-described "love affair with the guitar," is both outstanding and diverse.

"Blueberry Boat" will confuse first-timers with its cartoonish feel, but repeated listens start to reveal the subtle complexities that each song brings to the table, regardless of their seemingly short attention spans.

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]

Snoop has found a happy balance between pop and hardcore. [25 Nov 2006]

He stuffs "Atlantis" to the core with ambition, wicked grooves and more hooks than you might expect. [24 Feb 2007]

After taking care of some unfinished business in recent years, Brian Wilson shows he still has the stuff of conceptual brilliance on his eighth solo album.

More consistent and enjoyable than its predecessor.

"Honey" is a commendable first effort from an artist whose lush vocals are a treat for the ears no matter the genre.

Burnett's settings are much more stripped-down than his work on Robert Plant & Alison Krauss' "Raising Sand" but no less precise: 'My All Time Doll,' one of the strongest cuts, Jeff Taylor's accordion shades the desperation in Costello's lyric with just the right amount of sarcasm.

15 tracks of welcomed live drum sounds, symphonies and stacked harmonies.

Chesney gets better with age. There are radio hits here: 'Never Wanted Nothing More' has already hit No. 1 and second single 'Don't Blink' is off to a fast start, but there's depth, too.

Exit Strategy finds Ron Sexsmith exploring his songwriting talent in new ways, crafting an instantly memorable album full of soulful, classic pop tunes.

A set of rousing, sharply focused, late-night pleas and barroom romps that take the group well beyond its garage roots.

In the studio, Jones and musical friends... distill the fun, down-to-earth spirit of their live shows. [11 Mar 2006]

Though still short of career-defining, "Ms. Kelly" finds its author opening up more while welcoming the possibility that destiny may just find another star.

Clarkson's always had the best throaty yell in the business. But now she's becoming a masterful interpreter too.

The group's live shows are the stuff of legend--perhaps that's why the act's debut album, #1, seems a bit disappointing without the corresponding over-the-top visuals.

These tracks lack the magnetism of Miller's material with the band.

Offering her strongest material since her 1982 landmark, Bella Donna, Nicks is radiant as she vamps through guitar-charged rockers that deftly balance her signature poetry with sticky pop hooks.

This is a confident, competent new direction from one of rock's most intriguing figures.

Even though Grand is a bit toned down from Matt and Kim's first albums, it maintains the spunk, high energy and carefree attitude that caught people's attention in the first place.

After nearly 30 years, the trio--now comprising Gore, Dave Gahan and Andrew Fletcher--still imbue every aspect of its 12th studio album, Sounds of the Universe, with imagery and sonic flourishes that make its music fresh and familiar.

All three discs come together with fun, scrapbook-like packaging to pull off that rare reissue home run--when a boxed set functions as a perfect introduction for newcomers and a worthy addition to any devotee's collection.

Though, at times, the lyrics are a bit too sentimental ("Time") and production is spotty, "In My Own Words" should have listeners clinging to Ne-Yo's every word. [4 Mar 2006]

The album is front-loaded with these relatively energetic tracks. Much of the rest ('End of the Land,' 'Song of Home') is resigned, reflective and spiritually attuned, but not always keenly focused.

The Caribbean-flavored 'I Can't Stay' and the Duran Duran-lite 'Joyride' are much more perplexing, as is the looped chanting that anchors 'This Is Your Life.' If nothing else, this band keeps fans on their toes, and they're likely to buy in for another round.

Though Brown's sweet songs are set up to appeal to a young female fan base, the narratives are mature enough to sway some older folks.

Thanks to organic, piano-driven production, stellar storytelling and Sir's rededication to his vocal craft, this is a triumph.

A testament to the singer's versatility and musicianship.

Too frequently on the band's third album, the fun gets lost in difficult song structures and chord changes that deliver less than we have come to expect. [14 Jan 2006]

Feels sweeter and breezier than the Girls' previous few releases, and the record is stronger for it.

A slick, curious concoction that sounds like Dave Matthews crossed with the Beta Band.

Pearl Jam returns to peak form with a 13-song collection of driving power rock reminiscent of the band's glory days of the early to mid-1990s.

Intimacy is the English dance-punk outfit's most urgent-sounding effort yet, and frontman Kele Okereke and his bandmates probably couldn't bear the thought of waiting two or three months for it to be heard.

The always brash, often emotionally affecting Williams displays marked growth as a lyricist, zapping tunes like the fiery first single "Rock DJ" with enough clever twists to make the mind happily reel.

A balanced, lyrically inspiring collection of songs.

Under intense pressure to "prove itself," Sparta has done perfectly fine.

Parts of this remarkable debut make for decidedly uneasy listening: The drugged-out, claustrophobic glam slam that's 'Flash of Light' may be the year's most terrifying moment.

The dozen tracks on Hush" offer more in the way of tone and texture than they do melody and groove.

The label's tendency toward bottom-heavy, fog-thick beats sounds awful nice under Del's syrupy brainiac flow, which goes back to his battle-rap basics here.

There's an overall retro feel to the production that will no doubt delight minions, but those same faithful are old enough to appreciate meaning behind the melodies.

Spider might not make you forget "Welcome to My Nightmare," but it's nevertheless a cheerfully twisted yarn delivered with a full-on dose of guitar rockers, the requisite ballad, a soaring anthem, a bit of Beck-flavored groovery, some sly humor and nods to Cooper's glam rock past.

It may take a while to sink in, but "Magic Potion" enhances its effects with every listen.

Nothing they've done can match the pure pop beauty of "Puzzles Like You."

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]

Satisfying. [9 Jun 2007]

Beyond unnecessary remixes, there are joyous discoveries to be had here.

"Yr Atal Genhedlaeth" is undoubtedly a charismatic prize for die-hard Rhys/Super Furries fans, but for drive-by listeners, it's just an interesting appendix to the band's body of work.

[A] pleasant surprise of an album.

Not only is this one of the best new-artist debuts in recent memory (think Dixie Chicks in 1998), Lady Antebellum's self-titled set will go down as one of the year's best, period.

Perfectly Clear is not only persuasive, but down-home, old-school country.

The lush arrangements on 4:13 Dream don't build a Wall of Sound so much as a whitewater, where heavily distorted guitar and effects share momentum with fluid melodies and memorable pop hooks.

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.

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.

Fans of Wilco will certainly oblige Kotche's singular visions; fans of "Being There," maybe not so much.

JSBE fans will recognize this rechristened and evolving Blues Explosion and are very likely to enjoy it just as much.

Without question, Stillmatic is the artist's most complete album since he debuted eight years ago with Illmatic.

Pitbull's signature combination of clever, in-your-face Spanglish lyrics and frenetic dance beats is at its best on this album, where he plays to his less excessively crude sensibilities.

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

The densely produced layers of previous works are gone in favor of a big and bright fun-house feel.

The seemingly ageless Australian rock combo mostly employs its same tried-and-true formula on the audio side of the Black Ice equation.

"Underneath" spotlights a more mature, melodic pop-rock Hanson.

A debut recording as fine as this one deserves immediate attention.

There are more examples of cover albums gone wrong than gone right. Thankfully Glen Campbell's new set, which finds him ably putting his own twist on tunes from Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Foo Fighters, U2, Green Day and John Lennon, among others, fits into the latter category.

Corner is sort of like ["Ruckus'"] older cousin, as it finds Galactic enlisting a monster guest list of MCs to rock over its densest grooves to date. You'd think the results would vary more than they do.

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

"Ecstasy" finds 58-year-old rock poet Lou Reed characteristically fixing his gaze on messier thoughts and murkier emotions -- and doing so more artfully than at any time since his 1989 masterpiece, "New York."

While dancehall novices may find some of the material redundant, "Back to Basics" is a traditional dancehall album in every sense of the word. It's rhythmic, sexual and unapologetically raw.

Lovebox veers more toward the rock and soul spectrum than previous efforts.

Willner's soulful production, elegant and layered, recalls Daniel Lanois' work with Emmylou Harris. [17 Feb 2007]

Ben Harper is that rare talent able to not only vacation in the worlds of gospel, soul, folk and even reggae, but meld them gracefully together on both album and stage. But sometimes you just want him to rock, like he did on 1995's "Ground on Down." And at long last, he's assembled a new band that seems dedicated to just that, and it's a beautiful thing.

The strengths of "All Rise" are understatement and simplicity; while George may not shock you, it's because she never meant to.

We haven't heard such a melodic Swedish act since ABBA.

On her confident fifth album, the multiplatinum hitmaker attacks her recent divorce in all styles.

Their strongest set in years.

"Lucky" kicks off the proceedings; it's a buoyant, blistering winner of a song. Unfortunately, the track is also one of the disc's few high points.

It's an invigorating, electric blend that is pushed over the top by lyrics that are smart and spiritual without ever pressing too hard.

There hasn't been this entertaining or hard-rocking an Aerosmith album since who-knows-when.

Sure to convince doubters and win new fans, the set roars with the sort of fire rarely seen from a group with four albums under its belt.

While "Golden Greats" features some intriguing tracks and a healthy dose of Brown's trademark bravado, it doesn't come close to ringing in as powerfully as that of the Roses' era-defining sound.

With few female MCs truly representing these days, Northern State's "All City" is a breath of fresh air.

It's not all killer, but some impressive tracks lurk within.

Rock's in a comfort zone on his first album in four years, a solid effort that makes up with work ethic and historical good will what it lacks in door-blowing moments.

To be sure, the quiet side is the more powerful.

This song-by-song re-creation of Judy Garland's iconic 1961 Carnegie Hall performance, staged there by Rufus Wainwright in 2006, seems better-suited to a cabaret act.

Despite it being more rock-oriented than 2005's "The Beekeeper," this album isn't much of a sonic progression, and it takes a while for "Posse" to find its voice. [5 May 2007]

Another satisfying collection of quick, riff-happy new wave/punk rock that, while no match for its first album, was nonetheless worth the wait.

One of the year's best.

If it all seems messy, it isn't. GCH sounds like an American utopia, where everyone coexists joyfully and thrives on the diversity.

More hit than miss. [30 Jun 2007]

One thought-provoking knockout anthem after another marks the uplifting debut by this New Hampshire quartet.

Offers a more diverse song mix than one might expect. [18 Nov 2006]

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

A soul-searching set that recalls such pre-"Let's Dance" collections as Heroes and Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps).