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

Thanks to its humorous lyrics and relaxing beats, Songs About Girls is a diverse album that's perfect for that last beach day.

Here, her vocals--less developed and wobblier than now, yet still astounding--and tell-it-like-it-is lyrics ('Fuck Me Pumps') take center stage.

That Lonesome Song is a testament to raw and real, right down to open studio mics catching stray commentary and static from a bad input.

Exudes a sense of immediacy and echoes the group's tight live show.

In a sea of trend-conscious releases, "Breach" will wash over the senses like a cool, refreshing breeze. Although it's a completely contemporary and competitive entry into today's market, you won't find even the tiniest musical element that will render this set irrelevant or outdated in 10 years.

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.

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

As personal as the album is, there is a universal quality to Cash's songwriting that will make listeners embrace the intimate feelings here as their own. [18 Feb 2006]

The Stripes have never had so much fun. [23 Jun 2007]

He shows the abandon and confidence of a long-term artist, not just a one-hit wonder.

From the broad, hopeful tone of opener 'Don't You Wish It Was True' to the brisk closer 'Longshot,' John Fogerty at 62 has made his toughest, best-written album since Creedence Clearwater Revival disbanded in 1972.

With a tiny voice, minimalist arrangements and simple lyrics, this Swedish songwriter has crafted what seems like a magical album, where all its small elements coalesce into something quite big.

The album is a refreshing mix of thoughtfulness and testosterone.

Powter firmly establishes himself as a singer/songwriter who sits somewhere between James Blunt and early recordings by Elton John—albeit one who also knows the power of blue-eyed soul. [15 Apr 2006]

Like bourbon, his voice only gets more seductively potent with age.

Kudos for making such a disparate collection hang together as a cohesive, upbeat, infectious whole.

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

The artist is in fine, ever-changing voice throughout, and there's certainly a ton of musical food for thought here, requiring several listens before the nuances are revealed. Worth the wait? Maybe. Worth a few hours of your time? Definitely.

It's one of those rare soundtracks that holds up well independent of its film.

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

For the fan of fictional party rhymes, there's 'White Linen Affair (Toney Awards),' where Ghost lines up the current roster of hip-hop royalty and takes his place strong in the middle of it.

This Montreal band's Anti- debut is a far more calculated, robust affair than its first album, 2006's "Return to the Sea."

Skeptics might wonder if the sprawling guest list is an admission of fading commercial prowess. So, it's to the MC's credit that Brass Knuckles still feels like a party.

On this excellent debut by her new duo with programmer Adam Pallin, Imani Coppola sounds no more interested in sticking to a single style than she usually does.

A nicely varied, wholly satisfying collection.

An essential experience for hardcore fans and those still not convinced of van Dyk's power.

It gives fans something meaningful they didn't have before (in addition to token brand-new track "Keep My Composure").

BLACKsummer'snight is a testament that Maxwell hasn't lost a beat.

Manson proves again that he's one of the most skilled lyricists in rock today.

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.

Elliott brings a seen-it-all authenticity to this repertoire while Joe Henry's sympathetic production (aided by guest appearances by Los Lobos' David Hidalgo and Van Dyke Parks) is pitch perfect.

Employing layered guitars, probing bass lines, and the occasional synthesizer swoon, Interpol creates an homage to their particular vision of the '80s that stands proudly alongside the best of its idols.

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.

It's a concept so heady and engrossing that it can obscure the fact that "Sermon" also rocks in a way Jones never has before. [17 Feb 2007]

Nine Lives follows suit with a set whose nine songs display an ensemble sensibility that gives a generous allotment of sonic room to members of Winwood's band.

Hank Williams III has always respected his lineage, but he gives it even more love at the outset of his poignant and pugnacious sixth album.

Although the roster of the newly formed act Tinted Windows is a bit of a head-scratcher--middle Hanson brother Taylor Hanson, Fountains of Wayne's Adam Schlesinger, former Smashing Pumpkin James Iha and Cheap Trick drummer Bun E. Carlos--it all seems to make sense after one listen to the supergroup's self-titled debut.

His most diverse and musically adventurous solo set to date.

Stone's soulful, sassy vocals are once again the centerpiece of another well-crafted effort.

By making an album that's utterly listenable without sacrificing its integrity, Luna provides the season's greatest guilty pleasure--without the guilt.

An album whose enviably assured vibe pretty much drips out of the speakers.

Another gripping CD of thunder and grace.

An anything-but-predictable collection of songs.

This first new Dolls album in 32 years is not just a legitimate entry in their catalog, it's a great one.

It may be his poppiest and slickest work to date, but Golden Delicious is more proof that Mike Doughty still knows where to make the melodies twist and turn to find the sweet spot among the ridiculous, the sublime and the sad.

It's the detail and charm listeners have come to expect mixed with these welcome surprises that keep Actor exciting.

There isn't a standout single, but this is Dido's most fully realized and elegantly rendered collection.

Sensual, mysterious, and provocative, Learning From Falling shines brightly.

If there was any justice, songs such as "Let the Serpent Sleep," "Three Seeds," and "The Creature" would be blaring from radios across America.

Despite her co-conspirators, LaVette proves again that she's the star of the show.

Throughout, Berg never loses his appeal.

In the end, it seems that no matter how pained West is, as long as his one true love--himself--is intact, he will prevail in the face of adversity

At first the beats are jarring. But like the Clipse's debut smash, "Grindin'," once it all clicks, it's unstoppable. [2 Dec 2006]

After 2005 concept album "The Forgotten Arm" was poorly received, Aimee Mann is back to writing stand-alone pop songs, and lo and behold, they comprise her most compelling album to date.

There's really no mainstream hip-hop record out there right now that's this diverse (touching on pop, R&B, and dance) and this much focused on producing meaningful, quality music.

Proof draws its energy from dizzyingly tight full-band interaction, indelible melodies and deft arrangements that find fresh inspiration in Ian Parton's favorite sounds

Songs like 'Calm Like You' and 'Black Plant' positively swing, and despite the presence of a 22-piece orchestra, the lyrical bite and brisk pacing mean things never topple into cheesy pastiche. Moonlighting hasn't been this much fun since Bruce Willis had hair.

Green's voice remains lithe magic, and he's brought in such contemporary all-stars as Anthony Hamilton (on the album's two best tracks, "You've Got the Love I Need" and the slinky title song), John Legend and Corinne Bailey Rae for help.

You could count the number of hooks on one hand and most tracks clock in at the three-minute mark, ostensibly to let GZA inhale occasionally. But it's worth a listen to hear what sneaky, suspicious, image-heavy tricks still emerge from his notebook.

A silky tenor with a natural melancholy that makes him a heartbreaker by default. His charming debut exploits that very quality with some strokes of pop genius.

The dynamic range of Plant's vocals may have narrowed, but his emotional range has only widened, with his singing intimate and detailed throughout.

Free from the noodling of past producers like Jim O'Rourke and John McEntire, who brought some great ideas but also a certain degree of fussiness, Stereolab sounds looser and lighter than it has in some time.

A very aware dance/pop atmospheric soundscape that is both electronically enhanced and orchestrally enriched.

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

Thanks to Richie's confidently grown-up vocals and his consistently mature subject matter--here's a guy whose romantic timeline stretches past tonight to 'Forever and a Day,' as one track puts it--Just Go never sounds calculated or desperate.

Welcome, worthy and wonderful.

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

The Stand-Ins feels looser and breathier than "Stage Names."

Kenny Chesney does heroes George Strait and Jimmy Buffett proud on his latest set, which has a free-and-easy feel befitting its island inspiration.

This new recording is richer and more daring in its arrangements and choice of material.

While Yusuf (formerly known as Cat Stevens) officially returned to the pop world in 2006 with the welcomed "An Other Cup," his re-entry has only now been fully realized with the thoroughly engaging Roadsinger (To Warm You Through the Night).

Sleepy and soulful, Can Our Love . . . is delightfully powerful in an understated way.

Canto is a passionate mix of originals and material drawn from the traditions of Mexico, Cuba, and Peru.

Whole New You easily rises above the din of the sound-alike pop and rock recordings currently crowding the marketplace, offering a plethora of complex yet sweet melodies and lyrics that are both smart and rife with empathetic emotion.

A richly textured collection of songs that further explore the possibilities of the group's grooving dream-pop blueprint but stays just weird enough not to attract the ear of mainstream radio.

The Hold Steady's first live disc (and documentary DVD), recorded in 2008 at Chicago's Metro, is a raucous 17-track scorcher that finds Finn's speedily spat monologues working surprisingly well onstage.

The group has polished its '60s-rock-revivalist sound to near perfection, but keeps expanding its aural palette, experimenting with layered rhythms and sonic textures.

The Satanic Satanist constructs an exquisite medium between indie music and hard rock.

The quintet has never sounded tighter.

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

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

A diverse collection of intricately composed pop music, in the broadest sense of the genre.

Believe the hype: The 10-track set is a real treat, rewarding repeated listens with fun, groove-driven tunes.

It can be seen as a return to form (epic songs, blistering guitar work) and a step in a new direction (rough-around-the-edges production, layered percussion).

The dynamics and musicianship of songs like "Not in Rivers, but in Drops," "1000 Shards" and "Holy Tears" reveal a band at the top of its game. [4 Nov 2006]

Such a musical mind-meld, so expressive of both artists' perspective, is rare.

The type of minimalism employed by Xiu Xiu creates masterpieces of avant-garde restraint that truly haunt the mind.

A sparkling little gem.

Though they're written by a teenager, Swift's songs have broad appeal, and therein lies the genius and accessibility of her second effort.

Considering how prolific they are, it's a surprise that this vital album is only Buddy and Julie Miller's second duet project and their first since 2001

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 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.

While the album doesn't break new ground, there's plenty to like about its mix of pumping rock and old-school soul.

While the upbeat Lambchop records of the past are missed, OH (ohio) is a well-paced and engaging trip through Wagner's lush, scenic tunes.

17 tracks of "edutainment" that are as enjoyable for adults as they are for kids.

A warm sonic cocoon with synthesizer veins, it possesses the rare quality of making the listener feel like an active ingredient of the music.

Oldham's songwriting is top-notch as usual, his melancholy lyrics in perfect balance with the accompanying music.