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.

Yet for all the headphone-worthy sounds, the pace seldom rises above a back-porch feel and, at times, the stickers meant for customizing the cover seem like more fun than the music.

Most of the proceedings are fairly clean-cut and midtempo, with guitars only intermittently attaining heavy density. [5 May 2007]

The performances are so strong throughout that one can only pray this collaboration turns out to be more than a dalliance.

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

Missteps more than it hits.

The album isn't a certified classic like earlier GBV favorites "Alien Lanes" and "Under the Bushes, Under the Stars," but it does have a healthy dollop of Pollard's trademark effortless pop perfection.

His delivery is intoxicatingly smooth, even if his lyrics travel all the usual exhausted topics.

An album unexpectedly packed with dance jams. [14 Apr 2007]

Erstwhile Pixies frontman/rock'n'roll lifer Charles Thompson is back for another round, this time reclaiming his "old" stage name Black Francis and rocking out harder on record than he has in years.

The album is diverse and slows up where it should.

Despite Meloy's lofty vocabulary and penchant for themes of antiquity, Decemberists albums are consistently generous with great tunes and charm, and "The Hazards of Love" is no different.

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."

Kuti studied piano and revisited the trumpet, his original instrument, resulting in a more textured and jazz-influenced approach this time out.

There are enough different feels and flows to dazzle listeners with Kweli's dexterity, but some judicious editing could have produced something perhaps even more impressive.

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

The Miami-bred MC Rick Ross has faced a number of career obstacles in recent months--from damaged street credibility to a multi-episodic beef--so it's all the more impressive that on his third album, Deeper Than Rap, he presents his most cohesive work yet.

A welcome return from a band that still doesn't sound quite like anybody else. [30 Jun 2007]

16 songs of stalwart Stones riffs that almost compensate for generally embarrassing lyrics. [10 Sep 2005]

A wonderfully subtle, often moving collection of acoustic tunes that illuminates Young's incomparable tunesmithing and a voice that can deliver volumes of emotion and subtext in a simple phrase.

Though highly amusing, the bouts of empowerment on "Teaches" can grow monotonous, due to similar-sounding songs.

All for You overflows with Parliament-etched funky beats, orchestral disco flourishes, and rich bursts of sensuality.

Although more upbeat than its predecessor, Vol. 2 requires some time spent listening. Those who do so will be richly rewarded.

Thomas returns with a soaring collection of infectious pop songs that are destined for heavy rotation in 2009 and beyond.

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

A beautiful, rhythmic gallop of harmonic singing, freeform piano, chaotic harp and some of the most insane drumming you will ever hear in your life.

There's not a clunker on "The Weight is a Gift," even if the band never veers far from the indie comfort zone of vague melancholia.

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]