The prolific singer/songwriter has reacted to the licensing feast surrounding "Speak for Yourself" ("The OC," "So You Think You Can Dance," Verizon advertisements) with a stronger focus on song structure and melody on Ellipse.

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

There's plenty here for old and even new fans to enjoy.

Bittersweet World is a party worth attending, but not much is missed if your invite got lost in the mail.

QOTSA envelops many of the songs in a fog of menacing guitar squall that focuses as much on atmospherics as hooks. [16 Jun 2007]

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

With its broader musical canvas, "Blessing" may seem like a left-turn to diehard Truckerheads, but it's likely a wise move toward growing the DBT fan base.

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

It is such a perfect counterfeit that it feels like the genuine article.

Some of its most appealing material in recent memory.

Nothing on the album is as catchy or as memorable as the Strokes' sharpest material, but several cuts sport a sweet Latin lilt, which helps distinguish the music from work by any number of similarly situated acts.

What's left is a tightly wound core of guitar, bass, drums, and vocal harmonies that naïvely captures the spirit and spunk of early rock icons the Kinks and the Beach Boys.

With constant acknowledgement of imperfections, Simpson separates herself from the peppy Lindsay Lohans and Hilary Duffs. [22 Oct 2005]

While not as immediately memorable as "Lump" or "Peaches," punchy songs like album opener "Mixed Up S.O.B.," "More Bad Times" and the breezy "Loose Balloon" come across as less novelty-like as a result of songcraft.

Yet, for all of its strengths, the monumentally somber "Cedars" does suffer from a few ill-conceived pieces, like the needless, patience-trying "It's All too Much" and the abstractly rhythmic "Treat Yourself With Kindness."

If Foreigner was still an active, young band, it would sound a lot like Matchbox Twenty.

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

Though not every track works, Scott still remains at the top of her game.

Clinic continues to wrap its post-punk jitter around a surprisingly tender core.

It's a tightly woven scheme whose anthemic simplicity is deceptive and leaves room for sophisticated (but still fierce) arrangements. [10 Mar 2007]

"W" does have a few flaws, namely "Conditioner," which features Snoop Dogg and is the only track graced with Ol' Dirty's presence. Despite his trademark voice-cracking inflection, the Dirt Dog's verse sounds as if it was recorded over the phone, detracting from what could have been another Wu banger.

The formula isn't quite as fresh here as it has been on previous outings; after a few tracks, the amped-up glee-club vibe can begin to wear on all but the most devoted of nerves.

What there is not quite enough of is Rhymes himself--the deft MC is a bit crowded out by collaborators' mic turns and auto-tuned refrains.

A sad and beautiful farewell from one of the most innovative artists of the past decade.

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

In all, "Cover Magazine" may be one of the slightest of Giant Sand's albums, but after nearly 20 years of varying takes on moody, twilight hallucinations, it arrives like a sigh of relief, a much-deserved break from the norm.

In all, a fine effort...

It's hard to stay completely original album after album, but Ozomatli does exactly that when it sticks to the sounds of Los Angeles it helped put on the map. [14 Apr 2007]

This is an exciting new chapter for Bon Jovi. [23 Jun 2007]

Ultimately, G-Unit has returned to its aggressive roots, but it would've been wonderful to hear it rap over a more varied assortment of beats.

Given Lamb's heady back catalogue, some may dismiss this album as digestible trip-pop free of synthetic intricacies and sonic meanderings.... [But] it's the first to harness 100% of their talent as a band.

Virtuosity can be impressive without being particularly enjoyable, and it's hard to shake the feeling that for all the potent-as-ever prowess here, Death Magnetic is more a stamp of authenticity than a complete record.

Get Ready follows through fully on the promise of "Crystal."

Sure, there's a formula at work here, but it doesn't feel forced.

Flexing a bit of the angry lyrical edge he boasted on 2005's "Awfully Deep," Roots digs into "fickle DJs," no-talent rappers, Trustafarians and "bourgeois hippies" who "wanna fight my flow," as he proclaims on the track '2 Much 2 Soon.'

Jones roars out of the box with Tommy James & the Shondells' 'I'm Alive,' a sweat-soaked jumpsuit of a song thick with fierce maleness.

Amid all the pomp and circumstance, Loaf delivers an album fans are going to love. [4 Nov 2006]

With its restless spirituality and dense, decidedly un-pop arrangements, Riot Act perhaps most closely resembles that first album (No Code) of the post-Vitalogy years.

Much like his predecessors' quick-turnaround debuts, Cook's is fairly generic, but its rock edge is dirtied up with crunching guitars and the artist's tuneful growl.

Janet Weiss adds welcome flavor on drums and vocals, but overall, how much you enjoy rummaging through this Trash will probably depend on the amount of patience you have for the Malkmus' indulgences.

Back for round two, sophomore album Here We Stand doesn't quite bring anything new to the table, but does carry on in the same fun, brash rock tradition of the debut.

Though nothing quite reaches the heights of past work, there's ambience to spare on "We Own the Night" and the lush "Highway of Endless Dreams."

A duet record for the new millennium.

This set may not satisfy every fan, but it should please those who have hoped that McCartney would branch out from a safe sound.

Though the final third of the album drags a touch as Wainwright lets up on the heart-pounding melodrama, the highs here are exceptional. [19 May 2007]

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.

The whole set is heavily dosed with reverb and electro-swirls, perhaps to cloak Johansson's vocal limitations as much as to add psychedelia.

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.

His relationship [with Miranda Lambert] gives Startin' Fires its verve and spirit, a love-struck recovery from the heartbroken pall that hung over 2007's "Pure BS."

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.

"Loud Like Nature" is hard to take seriously, but it shows that those old analog treasures still have a few good songs left in them.

Winsome and striking.

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.

The project's 14 tracks are still filled with well-made guitar and piano pop that only missteps when Finn and company lapse into whispery quietude for too long.

Jordin Sparks gets a first effort that's all over the map--and works.

Unexpected does boast a handful of shiny electro-R&B gems ("Hello Heartbreak," "We Break the Dawn") that make Williams' journey from church to club as enjoyable as it was inevitable.

At its best, "Golden Pollen" is graceful, intricately planned and divinely produced.... On occasion though, the set can be downright boring. [23 Jun 2007]

In her bid to be a little bit of everything for everyone, some of the unique flavor that has made her a star is sadly diminished.

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

Yet where the music is hard-hitting, the hoarse, almost drunken vocal style of lead singer Hamilton Leithauser can be grating.

Some of the record gets bogged down in its own deliberate weirdness.

Though this music could easily be viewed as Longwave's take on Interpol's take on Coldplay's take on Radiohead, it isn't that derivative or boring.

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

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.

No one is breaking any ground here, and White fanatics looking for a new White Stripes record should temper their expectations. But as far as side projects go, this is as good as it gets.

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]

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.

Outer South is a decently stocked serving of rambling, saloon-joint alt-country, but one that finds the freewheeling Oberst and band in need of a little focus.

An old-school alternative rock album full of oversized riffs and open-hearted hooks.

It comes across as unnecessarily tame.

While not a completely lovable effort, "1968" extends Pajo's varied lineage.

On first listen, it might seem too derivative, even dull, but Jeff Tweedy's intricate vocal melodies and Nels Cline's ferocious guitar work keep things interesting. [19 May 2007]

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."

Simon LeBon and company have a lot of baggage, and their latest effort doesn't match the neon-lit glory days of yesteryear.

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

There are clunkers, like the half-there torch song "Life Is Hard." But the great thing about 67-year-old Dylan is that even when it's not working, it's working.

Overall, the album plays too stiffly for these experts of synth-hewn dance/pop.

Though the album is good, for an artist of 50 Cent's caliber, it's not great.

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]

For greatness, look to the irresistibly melodic "Twentieth Century," the New Order-hued "Minimal" and the Diane Warren-penned ballad "Numb."

Over the course of 14 cuts, the record gets a tad repetitive, with nary a fiddle or steel break within earshot.

While the all-original material is not strong enough to qualify this as the instant classic some have suggested, heartfelt tracks like the jubilant "Delirious Love," the rousing "Hell Yeah" and the string-tinged love song "Evermore" are outstanding. [12 Nov 2005]

This sophomore set likewise has moments of indelible pop bliss, but too often veers off track with unnecessarily long songs and dull arrangements.

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

The extremes offer up a portrait of a man far more complex than what we get from many of Banner's peers, and the inventive beats (by Banner, Cool & Dre, Akon and others) add vital life to his gruff flow. But you have to wonder if some of these tracks simply reflect the rapper's desire to be all things to all consumers.

Even Björk's misses are more exciting than most of what we currently call hits. [12 May 2007]

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]

The album sounds cool, but it also sounds cold.

Thursday's Epitaph debut melds the band's hardcore influences with shoegaze and atmospheric elements, with mixed results.

"The Listener" is a low-key, early morning album, perhaps something Lou Reed would have created had he spent his career playing saloons in Tucson, Ariz.

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

While over-produced and quite sentimental, this is a very sweet record.

"Compound Eye" is difficult as a complete listen but works well in smaller chunks. [28 Jan 2006]

It's a very sexually explicit R. Kelly who greets fans on this outing. [2 Jun 2007]

On 'High Price,' where she takes her vocals to an opera-like pitch, and her collaboration with the-Dream, 'Lover's Things,' whose faint tenor would seem like an ideal match, Ciara seems to go almost unnoticed. Thankfully, 'Work,' featuring Missy Elliott, has Ciara showing fly-girl antics over a house-like, clap-laden production, and the breakup song 'Never Ever,' featuring Young Jeezy, which samples 'If You Don't Know Me by Now,' pick up the slack.

Enigk's vocals here are as translucent as ever.

Sweet and pretty. [25 Nov 2006]

There aren't enough original ideas here to know if Rooney can shine as a relevant, modern rock band.