On this fine self-titled set (produced, as was the most recent 97's album, by Dallas-based Salim Nourallah) Miller works his familiar mixture of '60s-pop jangle and alt-country twang, singing about the highs and lows of love like someone who just experienced them for the first time.

McGraw's best effort yet. [31 Mar 2007]

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

Raitt's eternal vocal effervescence and enthusiasm continue to amaze and astound.

Taut musicianship, well-crafted songs and potent vocals make this a landmark album in an already multiplatinum career.

Early on frontman Yan (Scott Wilkinson) wishes us, "Welcome for a day--or stay forever," and if you do like rock music, you'll likely choose the latter.

Sugarland's third album, finely crafted with producer Byron Gallimore, is proof positive that singer/songwriters Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush are on the cusp of superstardom.

Special guest vocalists, plus a turn at bat from longtime member Jacob Valenzuela on 'Inspiracion,' add intriguing textures to the 15-song set.

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

A winning result.

This is the kind of record the Strokes and countless other newfangled pop/rock groups have been trying to make over the first half of the decade. But nobody's done it with such effortless flair as Phoenix.

This Way is not as accessible to the masses as previous albums, but this jewel doesn't need to be so polished to glitter.

With help from A-list guest stars (T-Pain, Robin Thicke) and producers (Kanye West, Swizz Beatz), Lil Wayne backs up the boasts [of "best rapper alive"] on the oft-delayed Tha Carter III.

Forth not only equals the Verve's best work, but in many cases exceeds it.

Six tracks are leftovers from the Brian Eno-produced "Vida" sessions, many of which make noticeable, if not exactly terrifying, departures from the band's swelling rockery.

The effect is never derivative, nor is it catered to the commercial hip-hop landscape, but it's always memorable.

This self-assured, illuminating "MTV Unplugged" performance underscores Keys' boundless passion for her craft. [15 Oct 2005]

This is the thinking person's dance music with lyrical content to match.

The fab five has more than made up for lost time with the deliriously buoyant God Bless the Go-Go's.

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

With Butch Vig producing, there is an extra coat of studio sheen on anthemic rockers ('Big Casino'), finger-snapping dance-y numbers ('Always Be') and such borderline Fall Out Boy-sounding political shout-outs as 'Electable (Give It Up).'

An unexpected but dazzling return to the top form of the later Beach Boys years.

Urban hardly rests on his laurels on Defying Gravity, trying some interesting new directions.

A diverse and highly enjoyable ride.

London-bred singer Estelle's stateside debut, Shine, is heaving with catchy, instantly likable hip-hop/R&B/ pop songs produced by the likes of Will.i.am, Wyclef Jean and Mark Ronson, to list a few, and featuring Kanye West and Cee-Lo, among others.

It all adds up to a guilty pleasure for those old enough to remember the '80s.

The peerless BBC archive continues to yield heaven-sent live performances, and none is more enjoyable than this two-disc set surveying David Bowie's early appearances on the British network.

The most potent and cohesive album of its career.

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

"The Life Pursuit" continues B&S' growth into more of a timeless pop act, its wry eye toward U.K. life refocused into tighter, swifter arrangements. [11 Feb 2006]

The mostly one-man-show of Time is another amalgamation of the vintage rock stylings that are his stock in trade.

Cox followed his muse and ran with it, and what resulted is a collection of music that's as intriguing as its creator.

Tango remains the constant for Bajofondo, but the 17 tracks offer quite a few variations on a theme.

If this is indeed a swan song for Brooks, it's like calling it a career with a championship-winning shot at the buzzer.

Matt Berninger's murmuring, stream-of-conscious narratives are delivered with convincing melodrama, with few clunkers. [26 May 2007]

Unified Theory -- while recalling the sounds of such bands as Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and Rush -- offers up a bold and psychedelic modern rock set.

On the first part (Elephants), she sticks to brooding breakup ballads with long, languid piano chords and lush string arrangements, the perfect soundtrack for the lovesick....The mood changes radically on the second part, when Yamagata emerges with gritty, garage-rock tunes a la PJ Harvey, delivering defiant hooks with the energy of someone taking revenge.

Wild, unfettered and bone-shatteringly loud, "Blue Cathedral" will stir any fan of extreme guitar mania.

Its growth feels genuine and, unlike Sum 41's punk peers, its musical maturation doesn't come at the expense of that all-important snotty 'tude.

On their sixth album, Foo Fighters have renewed their membership in the "if it ain't broke . . ." school of songwriting. And essentially, there's nothing wrong with that.

Joining fellow hotly tipped Brooklyn bands Vampire Weekend and Yeasayer, MGMT (pronounced "management") merits just as much attention for its psychedelic experimentation as it does for its melodies and hooks.

Fire Songs proves the Watson Twins are a strong songwriting team, and one that has earned its time in the spotlight.

A new high point for the already accomplished Walker.

From the hipster head-bobber 'Nothing to Worry About' to the melancholy closer 'Last Night,' the trio takes a minimalist approach to creating beats and accompaniments, making its simple voices more affecting and the subtle production all the more charming.

Starsailor is one of those wonderfully rare bands that manages to be gentle and sensitive while also rocking admirably.

The Scottish quartet offers guitar-rich tunes that are as remarkably literate as they are emotionally challenging.

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

Man Man exhibits a varied flair for macabre theatrics that includes a veritable world's fair of chaos and creation.

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

Thanks to Allen's still-sharp lyrical wit and an exceedingly crafty production job by Greg Kurstin, It's Not Me, It's You is hardly the grown-up buzz-kill it might have been.

Immediately alluring without sacrificing eclecticism.

One of the prettiest albums of the year.

The former Police guitar whiz surpasses himself with this survey of Charles Mingus as he gives the great man's compositions an utterly individual spin.

I'll Be Lightning is a low-key charmer.

It's muted, but intoxicating stuff.

The album is a call to arms for the digital age, and 20 years into its career, Green Day's ambition continues to dazzle.

Every one of these 15 tunes is a living, breathing creature, from the haunting, modal-tinged blues-waltz (with cello) of 'Rake' to the jaunty fingerpicking and mouthy dialogue of 'Mr. Mudd and Mr. Gold' (a duet featuring son Justin Townes Earle) to the eternally elegant Tex-Mex anthem 'Pancho and Lefty.'

The aptly titled "Now You Know" shouldn't be perceived as the end of Martsch's indie rock affiliation, but the sound of an artist delving deeper, and in doing so, hitting his stride.

Arguably Mellencamp's best album since 1987's The Lonesome Jubilee and 1983's Uh-Huh.

Holly Williams, the daughter of Hank Williams Jr. and granddaughter of Hank Williams, follows her own musical path to deliver one of the best singer/songwriter albums to come out of Nashville in the last year.

"Long Walk Home" passes the ultimate soundtrack test: it stands alone beautifully, capably supporting the work of director Phillip Noyce while at the same time feeling like a natural and fluid extension of Gabriel's own distinctive artistic vision.

Yet another brilliant pop record for the college radio crowd.

Night Works is dramatic and flirtatious, as well as warm and inviting.

The music is stripped-down but robust, with de la Rocha on vocals and keyboard and Theodore on drums.

"Sound Loaded" shows Martin walking the tightrope between requisite familiarity and fresh musical ground with remarkable ease.

Light on filler, "The DEFinition" proves that, after 21 years in the industry, LL is as relevant as many of his contemporaries.

It's hard to sound as sweet as Tegan & Sara and not come across as precious. But somehow this duo does it, and the result is fantastic.

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.

[It] rocks harder and is more diverse than its three predecessors. [18 Nov 2006]

Digesting the blend takes some time, but the best moments offer that immediacy, as on the opening punch of the groovy title track and the chiming "Magnificent."

New Zealand supergroup the Clean once again makes a case that the world's most intriguing pop music comes from that small, faraway land.

"Myth Takes" ... should see the festive art-rock collective bop its way out of cult status, as each of the 10 cuts on this album adventurously cascade through genres without ever losing a groove. [10 Mar 2007]

"Because of the Times" is a brooder at heart, and much of the material here is some of the Kings' most demanding to date. It's also among their best. [14 Apr 2007]

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

Jem's Dido-like vocals are consistently a soothing treat, but on the whole there's a sultriness and spark missing from the material.

While the debut showed him eager to step outside the confines of STP, he essentially has nothing to prove here, and as a result, it's a casual-sounding record.

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

Everclear's first collection since 1997's "So Much For The Afterglow" is an unabashed love letter to the '70s, when AM radio still ruled and pop music was simple, good fun.

For The Alchemy Index Vols. III & IV: Air & Earth, the material is appropriately lofty to represent the former element but surprisingly sparse for the latter.

As on many valiant attempts by electronic artists to cross over, there's too much going on. But Cope succeeds in creating an overall sense of unrest and some moments of electro-transcendence.

While the middle tracks tend to get lost in the shuffle, fans of Brock's Modest Mouse will be drawn to the horn-inflected swagger of "Bonnie and Clyde" and the stretched-out jam of album highlight "Konny and Jim."

Costello's vocal range is challenged like never before, but his phrasing is always on the money, and Joe Henry's production makes it all sound so natural.

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]

While not every song is a winner, the title track and sleaze anthem 'This Ain't a Love Song' are standouts.

Seal's David Foster-produced tribute to classic soul is a figure skater of a collection, all elegance and grace. But some of these songs require the more aggressive approach of a hockey player.

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.

Maximo Park... safely explore new territory without being too obvious. [12 May 2007]

A welcome return. [22 Oct 2005]

The all-original Venus in Overdrive demonstrates the strengths that keep Springfield in the game: broad stylistic range and pure emotional energy.

A timeless, feel-good album that could easily slide into your papa's Sam Cooke and Percy Sledge collections, yet still sounds contemporary.

Even if it's easy to miss the full-tilt pyrotechnics of yore, Reis' new approach allows you to appreciate his wound-tight tunecraft like never before.

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

A quality album. [6 May 2006]

Some of the fierce headbanging that is Mudvayne's stock in trade can still be found in 'The Hate in Me,' 'We the People' and 'Dull Boy,' but the bulk of the record finds the group playing its New Game with hard-hitting exuberance.

It's unfortunate that much of their sophomore effort is submerged in an ocean of heavy-handed production, so deep that the boys' natural talents struggle to break the surface.

Those who embraced "Fallen" will doubtlessly fall even harder into "The Open Door."

The Game goes surprisingly mellow in comparison to his first two efforts.

Like so many Young albums, there are the tracks that rise to another level (the 'Ragged Glory'-like 'Just Singing a Song' included) and there are those destined to be forgotten. True to himself, though, Young is inspired throughout.