"Era Vulgaris" is dense and loud, and though there are hooks beneath the grimy surface, they're not always immediately apparent. Yet with enough patience, you'll find these tunes burrowing in a little deeper each time through the record.

It's a poignant record, but McCartney balances his recollections with reminders that life is still about what's happening here and now.

"You Know My Name" gives listeners a point to skip to on an otherwise mediocre album.

Among Manson's most compelling records.

A freewheeling stylistic brew.

The National hews too closely to established formula on "Boxer," content to revisit previously explored territory without expanding its sound.

A stunning return to form.

As shimmering and energetic as anything the group released during its late-'80s prime.

It's a glorious tangle of excess.

"Sky Blue Sky" feels more collaborative than the past few Wilco records... The dozen tunes here reflect the more organic sound of a band playing in a room, with musicians turning ideas into grooves, which in turn become songs.

Whatever else it is, Linkin Park's third studio record is a nu-metal record at heart.

"Tio Bitar" is an excellent follow-up to "Ta Det Lugnt," offering another far-out trip courtesy of Ejstes and his musical magic.

Her songs and the ways in which she works them frequently lack distinction, and though an artist whose appeal is rough edges doesn't need to be sophisticated to be effective, neither should she be quite so ordinary.

An album so confident in its experimental spirit that its eclecticism seems nothing short of captivating, even though its charms are subtle enough to require a little time before they become apparent.

Healy is back to penning unabashed, sparkling pop gems.

Where Francis suffers is in the music.

Although the group's signature speed raps suffer without Bizzy's haunting high harmony, the Thugs' collective ear for a hook remains undiminished.

"Baby 81" isn't an all-out fuzz free-for-all, though, and the California trio retains some of the gentler ideas it explored last time out.

It's a deliberate album that never sounds over-thought, and it's moving without even a hint of cliché.

It's a little less immediate than the first album, but also takes Ne-Yo's case where it belongs: to the dance floor.

Although she finds some niches to distinguish her wild side from the likes of Gretchen Wilson - the romp "Down," for example - Lambert's abandon is never quite reckless.

A collection of sleepy, emotionally blunt songs that feel whispered from the wee hours.

"Whaleheart" is sure to be one of the year's finest releases, which shouldn't come as news to anyone familiar with Callahan's singular, indelible songwriting.

A second album as outstanding as this one is no nightmare; it's a dream come true.

After several listens, the album's warm, golden melodies surface, like cream rising to the top.

The songs are lively and well put together, but sometimes they could be a little more fun.

This is agitprop the old-fashioned way.

While the overall arc is inspirational, the album takes an unflinchingly dark view of the civil rights struggle.