The album is diverse and slows up where it should.

The 2005 version of QOTSA finds the band more relaxed and loose than it has ever been on record.

Smacks of pure aggression, the kind which made household names out of such groundbreaking labels as SST and Amphetamine Reptile.

While her first effort overall carried a darker, somber tone, "It's Me Again" finds a more self-satisfied and confident Tweet embarking on a new chapter in her life, one where her brightened outlook overrides the bad and moves forward.

Greater than the sum of its parts.

Easily the most adventurous work in the Fog catalog yet.

"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.

It doesn't always make for an enjoyable listening experience, on or off the dancefloor.

At least until that new Coldplay record drops, the Kaiser Chiefs have positioned themselves to hold the title of Baddest Musicians in the World With a British Return Address.

Made to be played loud on a grand automobile sound system, "Origin Vol. I" is big fun.

Not only does this album hum with the magic that endowed the pair's past hits ("Let's Stay Together"), it shows that talent isn't the sole realm of the young.

This is by far the moodiest, mellowest stuff MacKaye has ever been involved with.

Whether it is described as danceable rock, rock-infused dance or sinister Britpop, Kasabian has made an excellent debut album.

In the end, the group proves that its unflinching lyrics and memorable melodies are well suited for songs about warring lovers and war itself.

Even when you can't understand what he is breathily crooning, Prekop is a master at setting just the right mood.

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

This sounds very much like the record Deana Carter has always wanted to make

Sadly, the album is reminiscent of everything he has already done.

"Some Cities" is less epic, but no less important, than its predecessors.

The 77-minute-long "Frances" unfolds upon multiple listens, sometimes threatening to collapse under its own pretensions (meandering musical passages, sound effects), but ultimately, it is an ambitious and rewarding album.

Like British counterpart St. Etienne, Ivy deftly merges melancholic tales of the heart with happy-go-lucky beats.

A gorgeous collection that is equal parts country and rock, joy and (more often than not) pain.

The bottom end booms like a cannon, the dual guitars masterfully shriek and Halford's screeches tingle the spine.

The marriage of material and performance maintains high consistency and purpose.

Though one can't help but miss the complementing presence of Stone Roses guitarist/songwriter John Squire, "Solarized" is a strong and enjoyable offering from this Manchester icon.

A more focused effort that never sacrifices the band's manic intensity.

His voice has thankfully improved from record to record; like grain alcohol, it's gruff and eye-opening, well-suited for Crooked Fingers' pop-folk tangents.

Tori Amos delivers some of the most accessible music of her career, coupled with beautifully obscure lyrics.

[It] finds him eschewing his signature peak-hour beats and dancefloor rhythms for primarily ambient sounds—with rock and jazz flourishes.

Indeed, "Awake" is Lee's strongest album in years; so good that you can even forgive the Har Mar Superstar cameo.

[It] hints at a more complex approach to songwriting without abandoning the qualities that made us pay attention in the first place.

The end result is what Ride's "Nowhere" would've sounded like had it been produced by Frank Zappa in 1972.

Each of Ladd's compositions are moody yet ethereal.

There are certain instances when Francis' politics overreach, like on the annoying "Dance Monkey,” but for the most part, “A Healthy Distrust” is this artist's most impressive album yet.

Far and away the group's most determined work of its 15-year career.

Taking all the best parts of Jeff Buckley, Devandra Barnhart and Rufus Wainwright, Bird can be noisy, charming, frivolous, haunting and playful all at once.

The true star is Antony's raw, emotional voice, one in which you can almost hear actual feelings being conveyed.

This winning collaborative combination makes "Before the Poison" even stronger than its 2002 predecessor, "Kissin' Time," but with production and arrangements that are minimalist, dark and desolate.

Trail of Dead has made the album of its career.

This is an album overflowing with passion and tension.

Finds the duo, well, pushing too many of the same buttons.

The results are a selection of high quality that veers between brightly spirited ("Manhole," "Lag Time") and somber ("Callous").

A fine return to form.

A fascinating listen, a psychedelic journey through time and space, where vintage keyboards create a musical dream.

The finest work of this talented individual's solo career thus far.

Being sampled by Lemon Jelly on this astonishing new album is nothing less than an honor.

It's his delivery -- growling, El Camino exhaust-flavored and addictive like old smokes -- that make this crackling debut easy to listen to, if incredibly difficult to file.

At times compelling in its eccentricities, this record emphasizes experimentation rather than tunefulness.

"Different Days" manages to be sleepy without being lazy and sad without being depressing.

A blur of primal guitar stomp wrapped in a menacing swirl of vintage organs and distorted vocals.

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

If "Trials & Errors" is an advance look at the direction in which Molina is heading, this seems to be a perfect fit for him.

While some songs don't click ("We Ain't" featuring Eminem), "The Documentary" still shapes up as one of the best rap albums of the year thus far.

The album is hampered by needless skits and, at times, too slick production.

The sound is bigger, the playing better, the lyrics sharper and the spirituality more compelling than anything the act has done in many years.

Style trumps substance in Stefani's world, making "Love, Angel, Music, Baby" an ideal guilty pleasure.

A revelatory, emotional listen from start to finish, "With the Lights Out" crystallizes Cobain's tortured genius.

The constant talk of expensive cars, gyrating women and endless parties quickly becomes redundant--and boring.

While that culinary theme and a running subplot consisting entirely of B-movie sound clips threaten to take over the record, Doom's gravelly, off-kilter flow holds the power to bring the gritty, underground hip-hop back into focus.

His voice is beautiful, his phrasing adventurous and his arrangements intense.... But the material could stand a bit of pruning

Snoop Dogg remains as relevant and rambunctious as ever.

Here, there are moments when he entertains us and other times when he doesn't.

Succeeds in cutting John loose so that he sounds like he's doing it because it still matters.

The only problem with this crackling sampler is that it clocks in at just 34 minutes.

While collaborations with the likes of Viktor Duplaix ("Pull Up"), Rahzel ("Out of Breath") and British MC's Darrison ("Time") and Dynamite MC ("No More") provide interesting listens, nothing here is as revolutionary as such Roni Size classics as "New Forms" or Breakbeat Era's "Ultra Obscene."

Tends more toward the "dance" elements of IDM than the "intelligent," reducing UNKLE's trip-hop origins and innovative beats to overdrawn synth wank-fests.

They churn out seriously fun, ballsy rock tunes with a wink and a nod.

The band's addictive hooks and memorable charm are far from dismissive.

Leo manages to weave his messages into some of the tightest, most energetic rock you're likely to hear this year.

Although not as immediate as "Jimmy Eat World," "Futures" will not disappoint fans.

The band tries to stretch but trips over its own convictions.

If parts of "Shock City" shudder under the weight of seeming too cool for school, much credit is due Beans for being one of the producer/MCs desperate to stretch out the rubbery boundaries of the genre.

Smith bundles subtlety and ferocity to create one of his heart-aching best.

Duran Duran has a new lease on life, sounding more vibrant and exciting than it has in eons.

A must-have for any fans of true alternative music and a primer for younger generations to see where their favorite bands got their inspiration.

Although this is not Buckner's masterpiece, it's a beautiful window into the head of someone who writes from the heart.

His most accessible and engaging CD to date.

Proving that reunions can be a good thing, "Love Songs for Patriots" is a nice addition to this band's highly influential catalog.

A breathtaking refresher in all things Mos Def.

An entertaining mishmash of off-kilter, raw and psychedelia-tinged rockers, jazz fusion-like instrumentals, gypsy-styled dance tracks and country hoedowns and pedal-steel twang.

Sum 41's most mature album to date.

A curious amalgamation of styles that is ultimately quirky and compelling.

Halfway between a fraternity kegger and a housewarming party.

The band's writing stagnates, rendering the majority of the album in a rote midtempo formula that Stipe's increasingly trite lyrics can't always save.

The band takes its proven peppy rock sound to new heights.

Continues to straddle the line between street credibility and mainstream success.

[Stone] continues to reinvent soul music, injecting a very classic sound with contemporary sass and verve.

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

Frontman Aaron Espinoza digs deep into the crevice of his broken heart and pulls out arguably his finest batch of songs.

A splendid set.

"Antics" is even better [than Bright Lights], possibly because the band isn't trying so hard to be weird.

This is pop music like nothing before it, or since.

"I Try," featuring Blige and produced by Kanye West, comes off as trying too hard to re-create Kweli's "Quality" hit, "Get By." The album works best when it goes with the flow.

To say there isn't one bad track on this album would be a drastic understatement.

Welcome, worthy and wonderful.

It is exactly what the band needs to boost itself to the next level of pop-punk prowess.

Rich in melody and mood, guitar and piano; it is more rock than pop.

His raspy, hushed voice is in fine form as ever.