While the production values on the album are stronger, so is The Odd Couple's focus on Cee-Lo's voice.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a music snob who can’t be won over by Cantrell’s lovely compositions.

Björk shrouds Medúlla in mystery and darkness, but it's far from gloomy.

The creativity on display here is jaw-dropping.

I can count three sure hits on this club-crossover coup if radio plays it right.

And desperate single aside, it all works pretty damn well.

Armchair Apocrypha is a wonderful record.

For the better part of an hour, the trio's experimental pop melodies create their own breeze that, in a very Zen-like manner, becomes one with the surroundings of the listener.

[Palomo's] instincts fill Psychic Chasms with the kind of intangible pleasures that make for a dynamic, lyrical-sounding record and a wholly enjoyable listen in spite of any cynicism towards the fad it encapsulates.

Along with Sounds of Silver, Myths of the Near Future is thus far the best dance (rock) album of 2007 that you can rock (dance)-out to.

A well-rounded and passable product, both old fans and newcomers to They Might Be Giants will like this release.

Clever, catchy, and moody, Maudlin Career is what contemporary pop music should be. It is wholly as satisfying as Campbell is unsatisfied.

Nothing is hodgepodge about Heartland, and rather than an outlet for the former Final Fantasy's many cool ideas, Owen Pallett presents one outstanding, unified one: all of him at once.

Bolstered by the sound of a full band, with Heretic Pride Darnielle has created one of his best releases yet.

With OH (ohio), Wagner has crafted a soundtrack of specific detail for that lazy mid-morning melancholy that comes to anyone who feels like the world is turning without them. Enjoy it.

Just shy of a dozen songs, the ensemble of tracks on The Stand Ins is as rich and musically textured as any previous Okkervil River album

Despite all the pomp and circumstance surrounding it (and boasting some admittedly rad cover art) their latest record is consistent in quality with their, er, lesser-selling efforts.

The clincher is A Place to Bury Strangers' impressive final quarter: almost structured like a minituarist's 'Zen Arcade,' the nasty pyrotechnics show set off first as a statement of intent, followed by the true songs, and then takeoff is achieved in the denouement with true anthems.

Boxer is another accomplishment for The National; more understated than Alligator, yet just as alluring, and right on target.

The Canadian math whiz and artist formerly known as Manitoba proves he's just as calculated as he is cerebral, crafting music that feels equally clubby, fluid and submerged to back up the ideal album title.

If you want to get in on the ground floor of something good, then check out Cross and see where Justice leads; with cuts like these, it will certainly not take long until they're all over the place, in commercials, on the radio, and on TV.

The XX is for lovers and non-lovers alike, though even its surefire appeal I wouldn't call this a pop album. I would deem it sensual, musical in-out.

Like it or not, the 1980s are part of who we are and Gonzales' homage to the decade is the closest thing to perfect he's achieved.

[An] enjoyable, if slightly inconsistent, album.

On Get Color, though, the frenetic impulses from two years back have been carefully tempered, the percussive backbone more sharply honed and the ear-bleeding textures more cleverly implemented.

If you bought Nouns and wondered what the big deal was, this is your chance to find out. No Age continue to grow as conceptual artists and songwriters, and after a summer of dumbed down garage band shenanigans (cough, Best Coast, cough) it's fun to have something that's both challenging and fun to listen to come out of that scene.

This double-album is just as hypnotic, just as overwhelming, and awesome enough to win over a new battalion sleepyheads for the next six years and beyond.

Funplex, the band's first album since 1992, is loads of fun and totally free of 'plex.

The sequel is a graceful transition into more polished product with an emphasis on detail and melody-all while retaining the visceral screech of the debut.

At 48 minutes, Icky Thump has enough genre-hopping, rip-roaring tunes to get even the 70s rock purist nodding his head again.

If they ultimately self-destruct as they appear to be these days, their legacy is hopefully remembered for self-produced fuzz-rock and sloppy onstage antics. More importantly, hopefully they're remembered.

Do You Like Rock Music? is a large, unabashed attempt at greatness, and where other bands might diffuse into a chaotic mess in the process (ahem, Broken Social Scene), British Sea Power remain, skillfully intact.

The Cost is an emotional trip worth taking, one that seems to move further inward in its focus and insight with each track.

Kortedala is a touch shy of a great album because Lekman's ornate tendencies towards full-on kitsch get the best of the still A-level songwriting.

The album's vibrancy and idiosyncratic traits certainly warrant another listen, especially for those willing to let a fanciful mind wander.

Alopecia is a very good, occasionally great record that is just a little bit closer to nailing this hip-hop acid nightmare of a sound than what's come before it.

Texture and detail separte M. Ward from other solo singer-guitarists, but his general songwriting formula is what gets him to the peak of exceptional list in the first place.

They are not so much copycats as they are skilled apprentices.

Coxon clearly shows a mastery that comes from experience, and when he hits his groove it’s infectious.

Its precision in sound and spirit can’t be denied; Under A Billion Suns is a triumphant, wild mess.

Noah’s Ark is a distant album - one that outgrows a few fast friends made on Le Maison de Mon Reve and depends on those truly willing to listen. It is a record designed to make believers out of its fans, and is certainly not for the faint-spirited or fickle.

Set Yourself on Fire is a release of unexpected dimensions.

The first three-quarters of Beauty and the Beat stands as something to be admired.

If you’re looking for a record whose smirk is as intoxicating as its smile, or one that proves that pop doesn’t have to be straight-laced to be delectable, Laughter’s Fifth should be sly enough to sneak its way into your favor.

With a marked improvement in lyrical content, !!! have also brought the beats.

Consciousness is fleeting and I fall asleep knowing that tomorrow will be tough, but that the dreams to follow will be as soothing as the music that preceded them.

In a way, re-releasing brand new material automatically canonizes it. You Are the Quarry received moderate praise, but listening to Live at Earls Court, you’d think his latest songs were some of his best, sitting comfortably next to Smiths classics like “Big Mouth Strikes Again.”

One either engages with the gears of this get-up, or not. If you do, the delights abound from start to finish, and it really makes no difference whether each song intends to evoke a different French city, as they do on The Flying Club Cup.

How I Got Over is also the Roots' best listening experience since Things Fall Apart over ten years ago (a rap eternity).

The prospect of Midnight Juggernauts completely reviving the new wave scene is a long shot (perhaps thankfully so), but the trio has gone a long way toward proving that, when only the best parts are culled, the fairly dead genres of yore can, when bolstered by modern sounds, result in something beautiful and memorable.

Dusk and Summer’s over-the-topness is relentless – most any second-banana Blink 182-er would sell an expendable internal organ to use one of these songs as a set-closer.

Throughout, Cee-Lo’s crazed Muddy Waters-meets-Al Jarreau tenor drools soul and exudes liquid-nitrogen cool.

Contra flourishes in its effort to ease up on "A-Punk"'s stiffness as the quartet engages in sonic experimentation of unprecedented playfulness even compared to the debut's.

Although an amateur sound bleeds through all the songs on Skeleton it is obvious that this group of Danes take themselves seriously. It is that seriousness that makes this album so enjoyable, as it affords the band a certain degree of confidence in their quirkiness.

Not an album for a sunny day, What the Toll Tells can seem gloomy and filled with shadows.

The album is loud, visceral, and messily human, and should be regarded as an essential chapter in Cave's considerable discography.

It is clear Holopaw know how to unearth beauty when grounded in the harshness of reality; they also have the wisdom to leave the indisputably beautiful moments just as they found them: ready and able to elevate the soul.

While there isn't much variation in instrumentation or sound, the impeccable, thought-provoking lyrics more than make up for it.

Gone from Odditorium Or Warlords Of Mars are the long periods of monotony that turned Welcome To The Monkey House and The Dandy Warhols Come Down into sonic quicksand. Instead, when the Dandies come to forks in the road, their arrangements wander off into uncharted territory that’s worth exploring.

El Perro Del Mar will find a bigger following abroad with From The Valley To The Stars; the sound is more refined, the melodies stand out more, and Assbring's vocals are much more accomplished than on her earlier digital releases and the eponymous freshman release.

Viva La Vida does find Martin and his bandmates willing to extend their musical boundaries, making for an occasionally brilliant album that's exponentially more vibrant and engaging than 2005's generally stale "X&Y."

Even though the album may be too erratic to cohere into anything thematic, its eccentricities do an excellent job of keeping it interesting.

Be forewarned: Donuts can be a frustrating tease when the average instrumental clocks in around the one-minute mark. But for those who hold a true appreciation for Dilla and his avoidance of predictable sounds and mainstream beats, Donuts will sound right on track.

While Ringer may not be his most towering achievement, his expert navigation of yet another new world of sound maintains the (hopefully) growing belief that for better or worse, a Four Tet release is always an interesting and rewarding listen (at the very least).

Although not nearly as hot as early 2006’s Donuts, The Shining shows for a handful of great collabo’s and bangin’ beats and further paves the way for Dilla’s powerhouse legacy.

King For A Day is part-pop, part-prog rock, but all cultured and colorful.

Raw beats, sick rhymes, nothing obvious or tired.

It makes a stunning case for a silent nod of the head: sometimes it’s good enough to enjoy an album, taking it take it all in as it comes, without attempting to articulate its majesty.

Further Adventures of Lord Quas is a record that can satisfy the cult fan just as it will sate anyone who has an open mind to music that creates its own barriers.

While Young Machetes is a slight slip in quality, it is the first the band has made so far.

The songs were full of meaning and memories.

An album that doesn't immediately astound, but gradually unfurls in dense atmospheric strands.

A Certain Trigger is a strong release from its opener on, though it has noticeable shifts in momentum, with a second, rousing tour de force in its closing tracks.

It is the closest you’ll get to The Bends in 2005.

Getting used to the lethargic pace of Beach House takes some doing, but it's well worth the effort.

His band's former work may be referenced, but Adams' personal stamp is unmistakable.

Aha Shake Heartbreak surpasses the previous record by leaps and bounds; it is a triumph over the dreaded sophomore slump as much as it is a worthy feat in and of itself.

The sound on Alight of Night is a swinging, noisy, glammy and overall dark evolution of garage rock.

Catastrophe Keeps Us Together is the most Rainer Maria has sounded like themselves since the Atlantic EP and is more daring than we could have hoped.

Crimes is the latest in an evolution that has seen the band complicate their sound without losing any of the confrontational nature or acerbic tone of their previous efforts.

Like any good instrumental album, Maritime does its job in providing a getaway.

The Equatorial Stars renews a partnership of a more than historical value.

Perhaps more so than any other band out there today, the pair channel the spirit of the wandering troubadour in all of his dusty, down and out glory.

There are some very danceable tracks on the outfit's second release, but nowhere is there a worldwide hit to be found.

As with any such wildly anticipated album, the reverse motion could be a case of perspective, of personal expectations being insurmountably high, because Now We Can See is by no means a bad album. It just seems a little pedestrian for such a talented and unique band.

It is certainly fun discovering each new twist and turn on One Way, It’s Every Way, and Clue to Kalo have created a great album to get lost in.

The slightly pretentious concept, though, is balanced by the equally lavish music and specifically Khan's voice.

Crimson may not be AK3s best album, but it’s a welcome, mature effort from one of Vagrant’s best bands.

An incredible pop record whose lyrics take a backset to the music.

More than the sound, the words of Bright Ideas are especially important; they are not particularly eloquent, but they are representative something larger: each clumsy, unsure expression desperately needs to be said.

Neatly cut and effortless in its melodic simplicity.

At once soothing and energetic, ferocious and effeminate, beautiful and ballsy, No Shouts, No Calls is a passionate, confident effort.

It wouldn't be inconceivable to describe 13 & God as the predictable outcome of a Notwist/Themselves collaboration, but, considering the degree of originality demonstrated, this is by no means a shortcoming.

As a primer on The Greenhornes, Sewed Soles works best.

With its elegant simplicity, Spelled in Bones may not be concerned with being an epic, but it unwittingly becomes one; it is an album capable of stirring something greater within its audience.

Meanderthals are a collaboration between Idjut Boys and Rune Linbaek, with a sound that is a bit of a fluffier than what we have traditionally come to expect from the Smalltown Supersound label roster. That fluffiness adds a fresh breeze to the otherwise unassuming mix of throwback downbeat and Scandinavian folk strumming.

Jarvis is a solid, thought-provoking album.

The Audience’s Listening is artistic, witty, comprehensive, technical, but most important of all it isn’t pretentious.