Live has settled too comfortably into the skin of a middle-of-the-road rock act. [17 Jun 2006]

Patton is either a musical genius or one lucky mad scientist. [3 Jun 2006]

[An] uneasy listening masterwork.

Many of Angel's midtempo tracks, while well-intentioned, fail to reach the lofty heights to which they aspire.

The first-time pairing with Rubin has resulted in a surprisingly cohesive mix of country and rock tunes.

The melodic yet dissonant sea of guitar attack Burma brings to the table sounds arguably more relevant today than it did 20 years ago.

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.

A set of rousing, sharply focused, late-night pleas and barroom romps that take the group well beyond its garage roots.

Though Milian often comes off as a third-rate Beyoncé, her feathery soprano captivates when her lyrics do not.

No one is breaking any ground here, and White fanatics looking for a new White Stripes record should temper their expectations. But as far as side projects go, this is as good as it gets.

While Dulli's bitter, drunken voice remains front and center, the backup vocals and orchestras nearly make the songs sound like a parody, marrying a beast to a beauty.

"II" conjures a creepy but very real neo-psychedelia that is alternately paranoid, somber and reflective.

Nearly every cut shoots for maximum radio mileage, and the album's lack of stimulation makes such pandering harder to overlook. [20 May 2006]

A gripping yet comic collection of Americana songs braced with wit, heartbreak, social critique and spirituality. [20 May 2006]

Though its novelty diminishes more with each listen (with the first being the freshest, most energetic romp of them all), "Bang Bang Rock & Roll" still stubbornly continues to amuse.

Some of the record gets bogged down in its own deliberate weirdness.

A milestone effort.

This time, the gorgeous harmonies and lo-fi ELO homages remain, but the lyrics are more personal.

"Springtime" could very well be the singer/songwriter album against which all others are measured this year.

A mature showcase of concentrated power with riotous groove jams, super-sized hooks and transcendent vocal arrangements.

"Surprise" falls shy of a masterpiece, but it is consistently engaging and offers some of Simon's most creative songs in two decades.

Snow Patrol suddenly sounds like a cross between Goo Goo Dolls and Train.

By abandoning the gloom and doom and embracing quirky power-pop, the Stills seem to have morphed into a less minimalist Spoon, and your replay mileage may vary based on how strongly you liked what they were doing before.

Right off the bat, you realize this is serious music for serious listeners.

Sure, there's a formula at work here, but it doesn't feel forced.

There's plenty here for old and even new fans to enjoy.

A masterwork from one of the genuine lights in rock music.

The finest and most listener-friendly album of Gomez's 10-year career.