Past Death Cab albums have found frontman Ben Gibbard penning youthful lyrics about the wariness and mystery of love, but now, the singer -- who recently married actress/musician Zooey Deschanel -- seems to finally be at peace with his strange, wonderful self.

The rapper's delivery is confident in a poetic and artful way, channeled through a theatrical set of songs.

The lyrical focus, along with raw production and eclectic instrumentation (including mandolin, strings and autoharp), give the 10-song set a heat that's honest and personal, but not quite the riveting bearing of souls that Heart is known for.

Even in English, even without bachata, Royce hasn't lost what makes him ­special: his ability to emote, to deliver lyrics as though he believes them vehemently and make the listener do the same.

A playful effort that comes from an ease with pop hooks and power-pop chords, a knowledge of how to employ a steady beat.

Unfortunately, "Year" lacks the grandiose thematic concepts of previous outings as well as an immediate single, like past songs "A Favor House Atlantic" or "The Suffering."

Singer-songwriters Joy Williams and John Paul White brought in more instruments, added deeper textures and, in general, upped the intensity of the songwriting for their second effort.

His regretful croon in the debut single, 'Just Ain't Gonna Work Out,' will have the ladies swooning, while 'Your Easy Lovin' Ain't Pleasin' Nothin'' will have listeners jazzed up and aching to cut a rug.

When Braxton isn't sulking about heartbreak, she's enjoying being a woman.

It took awhile, but the Strokes have ultimately rewarded their fans' enduring patience.

Much like its forebear, the album's 12 tunes are tight, tidy pop-rockers, presented in her characteristic straightforward-yet-slightly-skewed manner.

While the album is fluid lyrically and musically, it's missing one thing: Monica's spunk and sass.

Lady Gaga promised her fans (perhaps a tad prematurely) that her new album would be the greatest of the decade. But even if the next nine years bring something better, we're unlikely to hear anything bigger than Born This Way.

Warrior is a pure pop album with rock influences, despite Ke$ha's attempts to make it the inverse.

The delicately crafted "Coming Home" is Maiden's most effective power ballad ever, while "The Man Who Would Be King" delivers a slice of medieval mayhem. And the jam section during the cut "Isle of Avalon" suggests a metal take on the Grateful Dead. With all that, The Final Frontier boldly goes where few metal bands have gone before.

Aside from arrangement updates and catchy synth touches, the Bird & the Bee play it straight as George fetchingly channels Hall's vocal groove.

With simple, straightforward songs that appeal to melodic sensibilities rather than rhythmic contraptions, the set is a mix of vulnerability and earnestness.

On major-label debut GO:OD AM, his third and best studio album, Miller grapples frankly with fame, addiction, recovery and the struggle to be a decent person over taut, melancholy production that channels both bleary inebriation and hard-fought optimism.

Delphic is at its best on the pop-leaning cut "Doubt" and the captivating "Halcyon," which features a cold vocal delivery and scattershot synths.

Longtime fans might raise an eyebrow at the band's songs appearing in a videogame and Microsoft ad, but commercialism remains a part of Gang of Four's lyrics more than its sound.

The country veteran's first album for Toby Keith's Show Dog label seems well-suited to Keith's manly-man worldview.

It's good, dirty fun.

The fresher feel on the Vancouver group's new set could partially be attributed to frontman Carl Newman's openness to collaborating with his peers.

The duo strays into territories of pop predictability with lines like "The music stops/And the music drops," but jj's sophomore effort is nonetheless charming and imaginative.

Omarion describes his third solo album, Ollusion, as proof that he's all grown up. But the set comes off more like a bid for street cred than maturation....But when Omarion reaches for the high notes and sticks to nuance on the aching ballad "Speedin'" and the teasing "Sweet Hangover," he shines like a seasoned star.

Thompson's newest album, Bella, is a logical follow-up to his 2008 release, offering a similar mixture of folk, country and soft rock.

There's nothing here that even the Chems themselves haven't done before, but that doesn't make the sensory thrills any less giddy.

Art Official Age isn't just the stronger of the two--it's among his most imaginative albums since the '90s.