Teddy Thompson is able to distinguish himself from the crowd on his self-titled debut. Not all the way through, mind you: he has his moments of tedium like any other. But when he has his mojo working, it's not to be missed.

It's the lighthearted nature of it all that makes it work so well...

Like Radiohead with Kid A, Air benefits greatly here from the extra slack given only to those somehow deemed "artists" rather than mere musicians. Coming from almost anyone else, this album would end up in the trash heap long before it had a chance to sink in.

Why, after going through a small army of producers and making us wait for half a decade, do you come back with a second rate album that seems geared towards the 13 year old girls in your audience?

The result of all this glorious epiphany is a record that remains on par with the last few DMB albums, filled with laid back grooves that beg for volume.

On God Says No, Monster Magnet sounds more simply like a cross between Soundgarden and any of a dozen longhaired stoner rock bands.

Testing the limits of what people might want to hear at first, Fisk arguably re-educates us on what music is, and where it comes from, finding rhythm and melody in what many now call Intelligent Dance Music.

This album is nothing but a parade of their '70s and '80s hard rock influences worn proudly on their sleeves. And for that, rock 'n' roll fans should be grateful. Time Bomb is one romping anthem after another almost clear through to the end, a "hidden" piano ballad that serves only further cement the band's status as a throwback to the days of overwrought arena rock.

God Bless The Blake Babies is more refined, more textured, and more produced than anything from the band's heyday.

A small, intimate record that not only reminds us of Hatfield's sweet-n-wry junior high voice, but also her mature lyric writing.

What's lacking, though, is context.

The album is often angular, odd, and unpredictable, but always contributing to a relaxed atmosphere.

Rockers and ballads are both delivered with pure '80s polish and shine. It doesn't make for as interesting a listen as the folk and funk of this year's Vol. 1, but that's not the point. If that was the thinking man's Everclear, this is the purely visceral edition. At the very least an exhilarating, fist-pumping ride, Vol. 2 is proof that a little energy can go a long way.

Placebo's indie-glam rock fusion still sounds on CD like a good idea, and little more.

Bringing some rock into swing is clearly Setzer's forte, and he blurs the lines between swing, rockabilly, and surf with ease.

But, while they might benefit at times from more distinctive guitar riffs, AAF's ability to dot the map without losing focus makes ANThology the kind of debut that gives cause to look ahead in anticipation of where they might take things for album number two.

Though not in the same league as Some Great Reward or Violator, Exciter is a solid effort and refreshing reminder of the variety of pop music.

For all her concern with the power of language, she seems to forget that in music, that language loses strength exponentially with each layer of music added.

Closer is classic BTE: hopeful melodies, lead singer Kevin Griffin's uniquely sweet voice, enough pop to make you sing along and smile but thoroughly substantial and rewarding.

[I]f anything this album is less rock than the last one, while the droves of extra instruments are used more as decoration than as tools to create broad soundscapes.... Ultimately this album might be a step forward for Fastball, but they end up in essentially the same place.

Survivor is the type of record R&B and pop have been missing since the fade out of such modern predecessors En Vogue.

Adam's milked a meaty, soulful rock album out of the band…and it is good.

Orbit tackles the classics with a reverence that occasionally calls to mind the original work of Vangelis with it's sparse and delicate blips that are more refined than you would expect even from the most devout music historian.

It's not a bad record, by any stretch.... but The Crystal Method are still falling shy of the bar set by the Fatboy Slims and the Chemical Brothers of the world.

An album that when all the preconceived notions and over baring expectations are stripped away, boils down to a good old fashioned soul record, filled with all the accoutrements that call to mind the glory days of 60's R&B.

This record is strictly Music For Adults, with songs about kids and real love and life.... Essentially, it is soothing background music for troubled times.

Rainer Maria still sit solidly in the emo-core genre, yet avoid producing music that is maudlin or obvious. In fact their graceful approach to music is exactly what disguises their insightful and detailed lyrics.

In spite of cosmetic differences, though, much of Vapor Transmission hints at a gaudy, synth-driven interpretation of Korn.