"Shut Up I Am Dreaming" is a grower, and doesn't grab you by the ears like Wolf Parade's debut did.

A respectable effort.

The new set goes just far enough beyond the call of duty to warrant repeat listens.

"The Mix-Up" is thematically sound and feels like a comprehensive piece instead of a self-indulgent scheme. [30 Jun 2007]

While superbly recorded and at times a hoot to crank (largely for the shameless rips of Kiss, Joan Jett and Def Leppard), Bitchin' is too light on hooks.

Mobb Deep often sounds like a guest at its own party.

There are potent moments like the rise-and-fall ballad 'Kristy, Are You Doing Okay?' and the fierce 'Nothingtown,' but 'Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace' sounds more like a tentative step in the Offspring's new direction.

"Machine" is ultimately flawed when the Kahuna boys abandon uptempo techno for atypically hymnal pastures.

Much of "Drukqs" sounds like two different albums competing and thus canceling each other out.... An ambitious but ultimately failed experiment.

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.

The Americana is first-class, be it on crunchy, boozy romps with stinging solos or the slow-burning acoustic fare, but this batch of tunes proves far less memorable.

[It] works best when he's rapping alongside guests.

Often falters distressingly.

On the synthy, Darkchild-produced 'So Over You,' Ashanti croons about getting past a former relationship, while the Jermaine Dupri-mixed 'Good Good,' featuring elements of Michael Jackson's 'The Girl Is Mine,' finds her confidently belting about her abilities to please in bed.

The band's first new set since 2002 is full of these well-intentioned attempts to recapture some of that '80s pyromania (or in the case of the absurdly large power ballad 'Love,' herculean '70s prog-rock balladry), but without producer Robert "Mutt" Lange, who left for the much more profitable world of country years ago, the results are solid if unspectacular.

Sadly, the album is reminiscent of everything he has already done.

A disjointed affair on first listen, "Security Screening" eventually reveals itself as the mirror image of main man Scott Herren's multiple musical personalities. [11 Feb 2006]

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.

"Me First" is an easy listen, but Sennett is not nearly as captivating a leader as Rilo Kiley's Jenny Lewis, and the coming-of-age tunes aren't always strong enough to account for the album's lack of tempo change.

At 22 tracks, "Damita Jo" has its fair share of hits and misses.

Unfortunately, he's traded some of his cutting-edge British mergings (R&B, hip-hop, two-step, rock) for a more crossover-friendly (read: formulaic) approach that doesn't fire on all cylinders.

For most of "Saturday Night Wrist," Deftones contentedly let their instruments wander, inventing a meandering soundscape that broods in near darkness. [4 Nov 2006]

If Hawthorne Heights stopped trying to please several different audiences and decided whether it wanted to be a pop band or a post-hardcore group, it could make a more definitive musical statement. [4 Mar 2006]

Although he seems to have rediscovered his panache, the music supporting his narratives is still lacking the originality of his best work.

From the ugly album art to the stupid title to the strange, messy songs, it's hard to tell if the band is growing up or just goofing off.

Their technically adventurous playing occasionally gathers some spooky steam, but this is definitely a fans-only affair.

Even though "Doctor's Advocate" has its failings, it's a prescription that comes recommended. [18 Nov 2006]