There's an overall retro feel to the production that will no doubt delight minions, but those same faithful are old enough to appreciate meaning behind the melodies.

A disc of graceful beauty.

Deliciously decadent, Take It to the Limit has even more melodic power than its predecessor, delivering tons of guilty pleasures that sound fresh and familiar and strangely exciting.

On their third full-length, Heartless Bastards honor the penetrating howl of leader Erika Wennerstrom, who sounds like Robert Plant's less-shrill American sister, by including several acoustic tunes that underscore her vocal versatility.

Todd Snider relates his hilariously heartbreaking hard-luck tales with a deadpan sing-speak delivery while superproducer Don Was gives the scrappy bar-band arrangements a glimmer of studio-pro warmth.

There are certain instances when Francis' politics overreach, like on the annoying "Dance Monkey,” but for the most part, “A Healthy Distrust” is this artist's most impressive album yet.

Despite embracing the styles of decades past (specifically, the piano-driven pop of [Elton] John and the Bee Gees' disco-riffic ditties), the Sisters still manage to sound unique.

The cerebral lyrics take center stage, as it were, while the band rocks out much harder than it did on 2005's melancholy "Black Sheep Boy."

I-Empire is a sweeping conceptual piece with a message as big as its sound and just a bit more enigmatic.

In lesser hands this collection of country classics might have been badly mishandled, but in the willing arms of traditionalist extraordinaire Patty Loveless and producer/husband Emory Gordy Jr., the past is brought to new life.

On the 14-track "Mama's Gun," Badu mixes a little rock, some jazz, and a whole lot of soul.

Anyone who found the alien sonic landscapes of "Kid A" a bit overwhelming will feel much more at home with these nine less fussy but primarily electronica-dominated compositions.

Such tracks as 'Critical Acclaim,' 'Almost Easy' and 'Lost' keep the crank factor high--but as part of a bolder, broader and more engaging soundscape.

Accelerate may not stun on impact like some R.E.M. records, but it's still habit-forming.

Consumed in a busy lounge or with a pair of headphones, this set is a safe bet for any listener.

Spider might not make you forget "Welcome to My Nightmare," but it's nevertheless a cheerfully twisted yarn delivered with a full-on dose of guitar rockers, the requisite ballad, a soaring anthem, a bit of Beck-flavored groovery, some sly humor and nods to Cooper's glam rock past.

Though accenting the vulnerability her vocals naturally possess, she manages world-weary honesty and summoned strength rather than contrived sentimentality.

The miracle of Aterciopelados is that it backs up its message songs with beautiful, infectious music. The Colombian duo's latest, Rio, is no exception

A splendid set.

This is an album overflowing with passion and tension.

In the end, the group proves that its unflinching lyrics and memorable melodies are well suited for songs about warring lovers and war itself.

It may take a while to sink in, but "Magic Potion" enhances its effects with every listen.

Those who are up for the challenge will find much to admire.

It's this mix of the loud and the trippy that Black Mountain specializes in, and In the Future sees the band striving for epic proportions.

Denver-based Devotchka delivers another batch of aching, spacious and histrionic tunes on A Mad and Faithful Telling.

With Rick Rubin polishing the group's garage rock approach into a sharper aural attack, T(I)NC dishes out such heady anthems.

A feisty set of primarily thrash-hop covers of socially and politically charged hip-hop, pop, rock, and punk jams.

There's no getting around the overall thematic pall, but Lennox surrounds every message with such beauty that one remains convinced that it's all going to be OK.