7 This is Chesney doing what he does so very well, and his legions of fans will eat it up. [12 Nov 2005]

Some cuts, like the cover of 'Pretty in Pink,' or the tensionless march of 'Mouse and the Model,' didn't need to be resurrected. But others, like the singalong rolling notes of 'Sorry Bunch' or 'Night Reconnaissance,' a multipart romp about middle-class vagrants, can stand with the Dolls' A-sides.

Continues to straddle the line between street credibility and mainstream success.

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

Her big sense of humor and little sense of shame should help keep "Impeach" in rotation for incumbent spins.

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.

Not every track is equally gut-busting, and a few, like the poseur reggae tune 'Ras Trent,' are made much funnier by the included video. But the Lonely Island has certainly found its bearings.

The Canadian quartet continues to polish its spacey, new wave-colored sound that's heavy with buzzing synths and echoed vocals.

While the self-imposed constraints limit the emotional power of songs like "Mary of the Wild Moor" and the hushed, fingerpicked "Manson Twins," it's a happy addition to Pajo's solid lo-fi repertoire.

There's a refreshing lack of samplers, loops, and unnecessary electronic ephemera here... [s]olid from beginning to end...

Willner's soulful production, elegant and layered, recalls Daniel Lanois' work with Emmylou Harris. [17 Feb 2007]

It's fun to hear Trent Reznor play other roles and fire holes into the technology he's been so vital in employing. [21 Apr 2007]

While Marsalis' verse falters, the music beams stellar with lyrical rhapsodies and compelling arrangements imbued with multifarious colors and orchestral textures.

Backed by a fine team of multi-instrumentalists, Molina delivers a harrowing set of songs with short running times and minimalist arrangements.

Emo fans will be satisfied; dabblers will have their assumptions about the genre confirmed.

The band's evolution is not without growing pains, but the balancing act of appealing to core fans while reaching for something more is mostly successful. [8 Oct 2005]

Corner is sort of like ["Ruckus'"] older cousin, as it finds Galactic enlisting a monster guest list of MCs to rock over its densest grooves to date. You'd think the results would vary more than they do.

The songwriter's fondness of esoterica makes "Pig Lib" a trying listen; even the song titles can elicit an eye roll.

The dabbling in different sounds and textures results in a surprisingly cohesive effort for DMST, and one that successfully sustains interest throughout. [3 Mar 2007]

It's driven by Helm's warm, amazingly rich moonshine vocals and decorated with bluesy guitar sprinkles, angelic violins and lovely harmonies by his daughter Amy of the folk-rock outfit Ollabelle.

The stylistic seesaw between hyperactivity and placidity is almost too much to bear -- and will surely frighten the pets -- but that may be the point.

A one-two punch of radio-ready, rock-tinged riffs and Lavigne's signature defiant yet introspective vocals.

A substantive collection of back-to-basics indie rock.

Nothing here has quite the same panache as club hits like "Bingo Bango" or "Romeo," but "Crazy Itch Radio" nonetheless contains a handful of songs that reassert Basement Jaxx's superior production skills and unfailing ability to get any dance party grooving.

The alluring texture of every track on "Tres Cosas" makes it a winner.

LL... seems to have regained the fire that was sorely missing from his previous release, "Phenomenon."

Enya keeps the comfort factor high with several compositions that are arguably descendants of her 1989 pop hit, "Orinoco Flow." She steps outside of that zone on the first single, "Only Time," an elegant effort that is wrapped in soothing harmonics fondly reminiscent of vintage Beach Boys tunes...

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