Two things hold the set together: Mark Bell's quirky, other-worldly production and Dave Gahan's still-haunting voice, which has never been more agile.

A truly welcome return.

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.

Rich in melody and mood, guitar and piano; it is more rock than pop.

Attention does seem to wander during some of the post-millennial songs, and the insistent clapping on the wrong beat during 'Drive' is irritating, but the crowd's love is audible and the band more than earns the affection.

Despite having nowhere to go lyrically, he remains a remarkably potent presence.

while the first single, 'All You Did Was Save My Life,' provides some much-needed bite, "Burn Burn" is ultimately ballad-heavy and one-dimensional.

'4 Minutes,' with Timberlake, is already a top three Billboard Hot 100 hit, and harmonious ballad 'Miles Away' might be some of her best work yet. But it feels familiar.

The album has an undeniable flip-flop feel throughout; like the unplugged soul-chick hoedown Beyoncé tried to conjure at the end of the "Irreplaceable" video.

This smart and fascinating album could use some subtlety, rather than bashing the concepts into the earth.

The Kooks aren't exactly redefining the sound of British pop/rock on their sophomore album, but they certainly aren't giving it a bad name either.

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

After a four-year break, Usher's fifth set is bursting with grown man, true-to-life tales like leaving his player ways behind ("Before I Met You"), falling in love ("Something Special," "Lifetime" and the title track), making love ("This Ain't Sex") and having a child.

Breathtaking and beautiful, as well as haunting and bleak...

While, at times, Voyage to India seems a bit too preachy, Arie has a way of bringing everything together in a very palatable way.

Sure, there's the occasional melodramatic interlude (despite its lyrical cliches, "Luv Lies" has the potency to be another "Angel"-size smash). But there's also more white-knuckled hard-rock intensity here than on the band's most recent efforts.

If parts of "Shock City" shudder under the weight of seeming too cool for school, much credit is due Beans for being one of the producer/MCs desperate to stretch out the rubbery boundaries of the genre.

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

The band's addictive hooks and memorable charm are far from dismissive.

Flecked at every turn with Kozelek's unique interpretive bent, "Tiny Cities" is a triumph.

It is simply miserable, heavy, repetitive and cathartic. [18 Nov 2006]

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

With this mostly impressive album, Loewenstein has stepped out from behind Sebadoh founder Lou Barlow's shadow to prove he's a powerful songwriter and player in his own right.

For every piece that sounds like aimless noodling, there are keepers like the strutting "Wheel Broke," the guitar-only "Mountain," the Tortoise-style "Balcony" and the absolutely gorgeous "Eighty Eights."

When the World Comes Down doesn't evince much growth, proffering more of the same hooky pop/rock centered around adolescent love and heartache.

One wishes they would spend a little more time plowing through the album while kicking amps and knocking over mic stands rather than changing things up.

The artist is in fine, ever-changing voice throughout, and there's certainly a ton of musical food for thought here, requiring several listens before the nuances are revealed. Worth the wait? Maybe. Worth a few hours of your time? Definitely.

Dave Gahan wisely returns to the highly synthesized electronica of his main band Depeche Mode.