A sparkling return to form for a band regarded by many as the great lost hope of the early ‘90s.

For Weezer fans awaiting the next installment, it adds up to a fascinating glimpse into the inner workings of Cuomo’s sweet, strange mind.

House-arrested rapper defends his realm.

All-star collective make unholy hot-and-sweaty psycho-blues racket.

Widescreen return from Jam wannabes.

Jason Isbell, formerly of the Drive By Truckers, releases a solid, sad, gritty new album as a solo artist.

Brit pop aesthete goes Rawk--sort of.

Icky Thump is freighted with moments of frazzled virtuosity yet may prove excessively outre for most palettes.

Concept album about cricket from Divine Comedy and Pugwash frontmen hits the sweet spot.

The People’s Princess pleases with Her catchy generic pop

American slacker act back on track.

It’s about time. Electronica merchants Fujiya & Miyagi, formed in 2000, have finally come up with a winning formula eight years into their career.

Neither tearaway maverick nor irrelevant abdicator, Brett Anderson sounds like a man out of time in a time out of joint. No bad thing, necessarily.

Love as a battlefield.

Jack White’s bit on the side return with an accomplished and musically diverse second album.

Heartbroken or not, she’s conceived her finest work in years with Watershed--an album that rewards with every soothing listen.

Hallelujah! Grunge legends stand the test of time.

In places <i>An End Has a Start</i> is bleakly compelling; nevertheless, great swathes of the record strain towards a pasty arena-rock future.

Sigur Ros frontman goes it alone to exhilarating effect.

Strange House is actually an intriguingly intelligent debut.

The manner in which the group weave complex musical tapestries is certainly impressive from a purely technical perspective, but you suspect that they were a lot more fun to assemble than they are to listen to.

Messianic rapper Kanye West has survived grief and heartbreak to expands pop parameters on his new release.

With an album proper to offer this time around, it seems that Johnson is back with a vengeance--fans of his effortlessly laid-back acoustic fare will immediately warm to this strong collection of songs.

Too cool for school? Maybe. But if Liars aren’t anybody’s idea of easy listening, by gum, they’re never dull, and for that, we salute them.

Q-Tip demonstrates his unique talent in this sleek, soulful, silky-smooth hip-hop album.

80s-centric brooklyn trio deliver complex second album.

Bluefinger is probably the sprightliest solo collection of songs Frank Black has recorded to date.

Mathangi Arulpragasam delivers intriguingly fluxed up genre bending third album.