This record is far more cohesive and creative musically, but it's less inspiring lyrically.

"Tha Blue Carpet Treatment" and its no-frills West Coast productions are refreshingly focused on Snoop, not his guests.

Less conceptual and experimental than its predecessor, it's a moody album, loaded with dark imagery and moments of torturous self-doubt.

Taylor has vastly improved as an MC since last year's "The Documentary," and though his material is still largely built around hip-hop cliches... he shows flashes of mordant wit that are as sly (and smutty) as they are surprising.

These new tunes are lovely, thoughtful and gentle, though they don't quite match his best songs.

The lack of experimentation isn't necessarily a bad thing, though, and the album's finer moments come when Hoppus and Barker stick with what they know.

The album as a whole is a tad precious, but the songs are pretty and Campbell's voice is subtly captivating.

The natural energy of his performances keeps his songs appealing, but his catchy anthems sometimes sink into formula that does not take full advantage of his musical prowess.

A full-length debut strong on deft, cheeky wordplay and blessedly free of the usual hip-hop clichés burdening her American counterparts.

McKay's voice is the real treat as she trips gaily from airy on "Pink Chandelier" to the vocal equivalent of a furrowed brow on "There You Are in Me."

Not all the songs work as well... But Adams dials in the sound of vintage Willie on a new version of "Sad Songs and Waltzes," and suddenly the pairing seems positively inspired.

The current Who takes what seemed, conceptually speaking, like a really bad idea - that is, recording without Entwistle - and turns it into a triumphant re-emergence after nearly a quarter-century of creative inactivity.

Soul music impeccably poised between past and future, anchored by a warm voice comfortingly similar to Bill Withers'.

It's a compelling record in the same way as Green Day's "American Idiot" was: Each shows a band pushing itself to grow, and succeeding far more than anyone could have reasonably expected.

Like his hero, Bruce Springsteen, he's willing to lay his feelings bare and, in a heartfelt, plainspoken sort of way, invite lovers to ride beside him on life's bumpy path.

You could argue the all-star assemblage of "Press Play" - Diddy's first solo set in half a decade - would have been even stronger without the auteur's direct involvement, and certainly without his pedestrian rhymes about love and life.

For all the impressive ambition inherent in its size and scope, its working parts boil down to a testament to the fun of making music.

A little more texture in his vocal approach and songwriting could elevate him from able, level-headed craftsmanship to the realm of signature music, but in the meanwhile he has built a fresh supply of appealing tunes on a solid foundation.

Even Banks' better-than-average skills can't save "Rotten Apple" from mediocrity.

Despite his penchant for experimentation, much of his material remains accessible to casual listeners, even when he turns toward the self-indulgent.

The highs aren't as high on "Sam's Town," but it's a better album overall.

The real difference between this album and past Dears efforts, though, is not so much musical directness as Lightburn's lyrical attempts to become the spokesman for the dispossessed.

It makes for compelling listening, even if you're not always sure what, exactly, is going on.

No one is likely to describe Lee as "happy" - her music relies on an element of gloom - but she sounds confident and in control, and that gets Lee most of the way there.

The moments where Lennon lays himself most bare... reveal there's still a gulf between his own pop and his father's universal sound.

It's a bland album that rarely shifts tempo and shows almost none of the personality Jackson used to have.

The first Lemonheads record in 10 years makes a great case for meat and potatoes, verses and choruses, distortion pedals and minimal production.

The laughs are in short supply on "Release Therapy."