At over an hour, "Decoration Day" does feel a little unwieldy. But for better or worse, there's simply not a single song here that wouldn't be missed.

To be sure, the majority of "Island" could be Pink Floyd in all but name only.

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

Leo manages to weave his messages into some of the tightest, most energetic rock you're likely to hear this year.

[It's] hard not to fall in love with each and every song upon first listen.

Flaunting the band's love for classic AOR riffs more here than on any other previous record, Nude chugs along on the strength of licks lifted from Led Zeppelin ("The Kicking Machine") and "Killer"-era Alice Cooper ("The Stupid Creep"), bringing a sense of boogie to Buzz's now-perfectly honed tablature of bludgeoning guitar work.

On New York City, Brazilian Girls have crafted a set as internationally diverse as the Big Apple itself.

The end result is what Ride's "Nowhere" would've sounded like had it been produced by Frank Zappa in 1972.

The New Jersey crew is still cranking out metal as frenzied and choppy as a machete-wielding madman, yet twice as schizophrenic.

From the first strains of 'Haiku'--an opening instrumental that merges the acid squelches of early rave with an insistent breakbeat and--yes!--congas--it's obvious that this guy's aesthetic is so clear to him that mixing disparate elements is a breeze.

Alphabutt is a children's album, 15 songs in 27 minutes that have a breezy, unconditional innocence and more than a little silliness.

On her album debut, the 26-year-old singer/songwriter lays her vocal and writing skills over boom-bap productions for a set that is delightfully flirtatious, heartfelt and full of diva antics.

A nearly perfect collection.

"Antics" is even better [than Bright Lights], possibly because the band isn't trying so hard to be weird.

The bottom end booms like a cannon, the dual guitars masterfully shriek and Halford's screeches tingle the spine.

Young Jeezy balances commercial/ pop aspirations with core hip-hop sounds on The Recession, getting a lift from DJ Toomp, Drumma Boy, Midnight Black and longtime collaborator Shawty Redd on this sonically enjoyable follow-up to 2006's "The Inspiration."

Time has not dulled the group's scarily tight musicianship. [15 Oct 2005]

It seems that the more comfortable the principals get with Gnarls Barkley, the more haunted Gnarls Barkley gets. And it gets stronger, too.

Sure to convince doubters and win new fans, the set roars with the sort of fire rarely seen from a group with four albums under its belt.

A glorious blend of surf-pop and Brazilian rhythms?

This dynamic duo comes off as vital as it has in a decade on the highly anticipated sequel to the pair's 1999 collaborative debut, "Blackout!"

The uptempo tracks are invigorating with their harder guitars and drums, and Lewis' humor abounds, but his slower, softer, acoustic songs are the standouts.

The British answer to Fountains of Wayne.

Mix[es] the band's '80s influences with clever lyrics that lift it above the "garage band" tag it was initially saddled with.

It picks up right where Bauhaus left off: a wet dream for original fans and a blast of recognition for the newly eye-lined.

The full-length The Fame proves she's more than one hit and a bag of stage tricks.

Oberst's fourth full-length is a bleak, bipolar journey through his emotionally charged mind, with melodramatic midnight ballads, dusty piano, and the occasional sexy violin.

Harris' take on Tracy Chapman's 'All That You Have Is Your Soul' is definitive, and 'Beyond the Great Divide' provides a sublime closing to an album that was well worth the wait.