Reptile shows the guitar legend continuing to explore classic blues-derived sounds with palpable sincerity and conviction.

Curtis Mayfield would be proud of both lyrics and her throwback sound.

It is wonderfully all over the musical map.

Korn is one step closer to crafting an album built for arenas and headphones alike.

"Sheath" sounds immediately of a piece with LFO's earlier work, albeit rife with updated technology and boasting slightly broader ambitions.

Beautifully strange and richly tuneful...

This album leaves little doubt that when it comes to expressing the joys and heartbreak of life, few R&B singers do it as gracefully as Maxwell.

By the end of this 21-track opus, you still might not like West's self-assured declarations, but you will not be able to deny his talent.

While he still relies heavily on old-timey melodies and washes every instrument with classic delay, the set feels more alive than usual.

Welcome to Mali showcases the duo at some distance from its original, more elemental sound, but the overall feel is that of musical progress.

It's pure cotton candy for the ears, and it sounds sublime.

Instead of coming off as dilettantish, Cale instead sounds intrigued with how these new tools can enhance his music.

A masterfully crafted collection that warmly recalls the era of album-driven FM rock radio.

Man vs. Machine is an intense set that never stops.

The b-b-beat continues on Hey Hey My My Yo Yo. In fact, the songs here are more catchy, and yes, more fun.

Mr. Lucky makes up for lost time with 14 gems that showcase his sharp vocal stylings, particular brand of countrified pop music and (given his sex appeal) an equally impossible-to-believe preponderance of romantic heartbreak.

"The Joy of Sing-Sing" is an aptly-titled delight aimed straight at alt-pop partisans.

Sleeping With Ghosts is glorious; an unrepentant emotional exorcism that cohesively hurdles between the bleak and wounded, the exuberant and defiant.

"Goodbye Alice in Wonderland" returns Jewel to her folk/pop roots, serving up her usual host of poetic metaphors for lessons learned and observations on humanity.

Beware is supremely sequenced, and is possibly Oldham's finest album yet.

The Sea & Cake has dabbled in electronic grooves and Brazilian lilt throughout its seven sleek albums, but the band has never quite let it rip like it does on Car Alarm.

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

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

Lidell has a fine voice, arguably one of the most potent white soul singers England has given us since Primal Scream's Bobby Gillespie.

While TVOTR now record for just another major label, their music is more distinctive than ever.

The New York quartet retains its flair for dramatic images and ominous guitar lines on its major-label debut, but with producer/ mixer Rich Costey onboard, these signatures uncoil into more complex soundscapes.

Throughout, eerie production touches (metallic clinks and synth bleeps on 'Where in This World') and organic sounds (acoustic guitars and glockenspiel on the title track) fit seamlessly to form the Notwist's most charming and complex work to date.

The album is certainly one of 2001's finest, most memorable releases. It just shouldn't be billed beyond what it is: a deliciously fun romp that draws heavily upon influences like the Velvet Underground, Television, and the Stooges.