It's a savage, heartfelt, at times hilarious goth-mosh emopera. [Nov 2006, p.95]

Sparta have evolved, with a melodic approach and a postdepression, fist-pumping attitude. [Nov 2006, p.104]

There's a lot of Conor the Character Actor in these folk-rock set pieces. [Nov 2006, p.96]

Just as winningly sloppy as its source material. [Nov 2006, p.104]

Warning of nightmarish rural invaders in 'The Rifle' and vowing to keep her eyes open on the showstopping sea chantey title track, Diane seems destined for grander endeavors.

Gough pens poignant pop-rock tunes... but he overdresses them, adding bells and whistles where they're not needed. [Nov 2006, p.96]

The songs here may be marginally less interesting than his best, but it's comforting to know that he can ratchet down the passion without losing it entirely. [Nov 2006, p.98]

Haunting. [Dec 2006, p.98]

A real corker. [Nov 2006, p.96]

Here, [Califone] take a straighter path on their seventh album... but with the same basic ingredients. [Nov 2006, p.97]

[The songs] sound like woozy shanties for seasick barflies. [Nov 2006, p.100]

[His] most consistently entertaining album since 1999's 69 Love Songs. [Dec 2006, p.96]

Refreshing, breezy rhythms propel densely intermeshed guitars and Jeremy Bolen's incantatory vocals. [Dec 2006, p.96]

The Kooks... boast an ingenious pop-rock sound. [Nov 2006, p.102]

It never quite captures the other-worldliness that it clearly seeks. [Nov 2006, p.96]

It's about three songs too long and a little all over the place. [Nov 2006, p.99]

Sam's Town is basically Hot Fuss with bigger, spanglier guitars and an all-round lack of restraint. [Oct 2006, p.93]

Finn infuses his windy tales of youthful debauchery with a mixture of detective-fiction luridness and first-club-show romanticism. [Nov 2006, p.100]

Chapter 2 doesn't merely document; it selects tracks that hold together as an album. [Nov 2006, p.104]

Gang of Losers leaves behind the preciousness of 2003's delicate No Cities Left. [Oct 2006, p.105]

The best-sounding Decemberists record to date. [Nov 2006, p.103]

[Brown] comes on like a lovable, if genetically engineered, soulman. [Oct 2006, p.95]

It's when Jet explore the territory between their lodestars [AC/DC and the Beatles] that they go from being decent mimics to inconsequential imitators. [Nov 2006, p.96]

[He] gets back to the sweetly twisted folk rock that he does so well. [Nov 2006, p.100]

Though not blessed with the strength of his father's voice, he makes the most of Dad's knack for pretty melody. [Nov 2006, p.102]

Subtle... build their hybrid from a quarter century of pop and college radio, then animate it with a megawatt jolt of race/class anxiety. [Dec 2006, p.100]

Startling turns of phrase are just another of this stunning album's grim charms. [Nov 2006, p.103]

Never succumbing to mere cleverness, Adem achieves a singularly intimate expansiveness. [Nov 2006, p.96]