Hakeem Seriki's sophomore album kicks off with his heavy single 'Hip Hop Police,' with guest Slick Rick, one of the strongest rap songs of 07.

While the songs sound effortlessly crafted, there's a complexity to the melodies and structures that surprises on repeat listens.

It’s initially fun to play spot-the-references, but in the best moments the sounds are harder to pin down.

Jon King's vocals sound especially diminished, a reality underscored by the occasional electronic manipulation, while the cluttered mix overcompensates for repetitive songwriting. Without the vitality of youth, Gang of Four risk drowning in the sea of bands they inspired.

Their high and pretty voices tie the songs together in a way their previous releases lack, though they would do well to let up on the layered effect from time to time.

Everything sounds lovely, but the songs are too indistinct from one another, and there’s very little emotional range on display.

The sheets of noise and absence of hooks hide some interesting ideas if you have the patience to listen for them.

With its flawless song structures and instrumentation, the album flows seamlessly.

The Whigs are at their best when they embrace their more overt pop sensibilities over the wall-of-guitars thing, but it sounds like they need to expand their record collections.

If you already hate him, nothing on this disc will change your mind. But some surprisingly creative moments throughout the album will likely inspire hundreds of clones over the next year.

Somewhere along the way he must have forgotten about that--there are a handful of collaborators--but the overall theme of gleeful self-indulgence remains.

There is a fair amount of Bowie-esque schmaltz in Vincenzi Vendetta’s vocals, which make Dystopia a little harder to swallow than its instantly catchy cousin, Cut Copy’s "In Ghost Colours."

What makes Under The Blacklight a true disappointment is the shoddy songcraft.

While Adventures In Your Own Backyard can't be described as instantly catchy, its songs wend their way into your memory as if you've always known them.

Unlike Manson's previous records, there's no real guiding concept here, which is probably for the best.

The results are mixed--a few brilliantly sleazy moments but too few to make this album as good as we’d hoped.

Refreshingly, they're not only about slick production atmospherics, though some cavernous sonics and electro rhythms threaten to steal the show around the album's midpoint.

An exciting and often unexpected listen.

Don’t expect any major changes to their 50-million-records-sold formula. Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe keep things grandiose with paddy retro synths, discotheque drum machines and downtrodden lyrics.

She’s absurd, yes, but she also has an incredible melodic sense and can unpredictably weave trancey backdrops to brilliant effect.

Together is the flawless execution of can't-shake-loose melodies, genius arrangements (oh, those group harmonies!) and production that leaves you energized.

Mopey, twee, orchestral, downbeat--the duo cover all these bases in the flattest, most sophomoric way. Worse, though, is that the album sounds like a bunch of outtakes.

Baby 81's not nearly as original or as interesting as their past releases – including Howl.

Fans won’t be let down by this latest collection of accomplished and almost too-smart songwriting that borrows from the classic sensibilities of piano-based jazz.

Now, her newest batch of songs feel overly done up and superficial, with squeaky synths and drum machine beats fabricated for the club.

The title track and opener has a huge sound, but it’s the simple yet infectious guitar riff that keeps it together.

Musically it’s a gloriously tacky mix of dance pop and hair metal, and we mean that in the best way possible....The only problem is that he doesn’t go far enough, likely the result of the label trying to tone down his flamboyance.

The album mines go-to country clichés like driving and women (“Put your sugar down on my front seat, cuz you truly know what’s good for me,” Wilson implores in the opening track, North), but for the most part the songwriting is diverse and mature.