Despite the modern production quality, the overall feel of Ballad Of The Broken Seas is unerringly timeless.

A transcendent accomplishment.

The entire album is too claustrophobic for its own good.

These are vignettes, quick glimpses into the melodramatic lives of individuals, and the short, abrupt musical handling matches this mode of lyric writing.

This CD is in itself a bold challenge to producers everywhere to step out from behind the laptop and explore the creative, spontaneous elements of live interaction.

Outta Sound shows a passionate and maturing George Evelyn that still had much to offer.

Witch is a solid heavy metal album that is nearly as much fun to listen to as it probably was to record.

Sure, Nine Black Alps may be a more "genuine" concoction of Nirvana's formula, but how can this be considered revelatory or of interest when it comes across as so faceless?

Soft Money continues to blur the line between downtempo electronica and underground hip-hop in its own distinct, highly gratifying way.

It's probably the worst Elbow album yet.

This is the new big British band? This is barely inspired enough to make it off campus.

There aren't a great deal of people making chill this good any more.

This is probably the best album we've seen in the new millennium from a mid-'90s techno producer.

All self-examination aside, there's a lot of substance here. Vocally, he has rarely been more on point, and the instrumental ensemble is sound and uniquely Rubiesian.

The solution to enjoying this album, then, is to not ask it to provide heavy drama, high art, or fiery revolt – it's just pop music with a slight twist, and it's first and foremost about having a good time inhabiting glamorous guises and histrionic voices.

A languid mood piece with discreet variations, Coil is a pleasant, if homogeneous, listening experience.

These four Kinks followers have incorporated all manner of brass and strings into turn of the millennium Top 40 rock sensibilities, with shades of early Flaming Lips indie psychedelia and classic rock songwriting.

A smart, garrulous collection of folk songs.

They certainly have a grasp on what they're creating, but it hurts a little bit to think that the mysterious band-that-could from ten years back cares less for innovation than simply having a fleeting good time.

Señor Smoke suffers from nothing more then a total lack of discernable hooks to balance out the glaringly juvenile lyrics, cheese-filled synthesizers, and schlock-rock guitar stylings.

Herren has actually cooked up a brilliantly soothing and entertaining morsel for his fans.

For those familiar with the music of Clogs, Lantern won't sound like much of a departure, but a definite improvement. The nuance of piano, the swelling strings that exercise restraint, the welling and wheeze of a crescendo – it all delivers.

This will be on most of the indie-ish year end tops charts this year, guaranteed.

Schmaltziness is the only real pitfall here.

What you will get with From A Compound Eye is your typical gourmet spread of Pollard delicacies from the modern eras of Bob.

Votolato has a lot to offer as a musician, but his songwriting veers into stale territory too often over the course of 12 songs, neglecting to pull itself from its many holding patterns in time for salvation.

If you can get past the hype, you'll find that For Screening Purposes Only is a solid, sometimes spectacular debut from an exciting group of young'uns.

Ditto and company take indie-rock in a direction many of its fans are not used to, in that the focus is mostly about the human voice and the way the musicians compliment the singer's attack.