It's hard to sound as sweet as Tegan & Sara and not come across as precious. But somehow this duo does it, and the result is fantastic.

"Funeral" is a modest debut, but it hints at a band that sounds like its ready to make a statement over the next several years.

Where the Faint falls short, though, is its lack of daring; even with the welcome addition of strings (apropos of its cinematic live show) and varying styles, "Wet From Birth" sounds contained and merely likeable.

Masterful blends of R&B, jazz and gospel accented by soulful harmonies.

Instead of coming off as dilettantish, Cale instead sounds intrigued with how these new tools can enhance his music.

The Black Keys play the kind of raw, sensual blues-rock that makes you want to hide your girlfriend and warn your mom.

Light on filler, "The DEFinition" proves that, after 21 years in the industry, LL is as relevant as many of his contemporaries.

Raw and emotional.

The Trashcans toil on their songs, and at times, it shows -- but all it takes is the 4:10 melodic blizzard of "All the Dark Horses" to sum up what all that sweat was about: birthing pure bliss.

Though not every track works, Scott still remains at the top of her game.

Those who are up for the challenge will find much to admire.

Buck may not be as charismatic or as lyrically compelling as his cohorts, but he still makes a strong impression.

If you dug the sweaty rowdiness of Mooney's last records, you'll find that the Matrix scrub-job has removed most of their traces of grit, grime and rock.

The act's most melodic and accessible album of its career.

The album isn't a certified classic like earlier GBV favorites "Alien Lanes" and "Under the Bushes, Under the Stars," but it does have a healthy dollop of Pollard's trademark effortless pop perfection.

Kelly has an uncanny ability to mix retro sounds with tasty dollops of contemporary seasoning.

Songs like "Do You Remember" and "Wasting My Time" are tolerable but don't require repeated listening.

Clinic continues to wrap its post-punk jitter around a surprisingly tender core.

There's nothing really spectacular about any track, although in a strange way the entire album does have the ability to grow on you.

The entire package hangs together gloriously: The renditions bear the sensuous heat of Dulli's self-penned work.

These are songs riddled with illiteracy, cancer, unemployment, crime and consequence, fashioned by the brutal pen of one of the most promising American songwriters of the last decade.

Always a risk-taker, he remains fearless in his choice of material, evident here on sweeping, observant fare like "Drugs or Jesus" and the ultimately redemptive "Kill Myself."

Finds her pushing her already considerable talents to new heights.

The Memphis five-piece sometimes lacks a definitive sound... Yet the band excels at its straightforward, meat-and-potatoes sound.

With few female MCs truly representing these days, Northern State's "All City" is a breath of fresh air.

Shows a sure production sense to match the ever-perceptive singer/songwriter's observations on life and love.

Beneath the dreamy melodies is more than a hint of darkness, disguised by the languid arrangements and dreamy playing.

Fresh and imaginative, "Anything" is one intoxicating recording.

While there's not necessarily a bad song to be found, Gough is capable of much more than the pretty yet bland compositions that dominate "One Plus One."

Wild, unfettered and bone-shatteringly loud, "Blue Cathedral" will stir any fan of extreme guitar mania.

Has more melody and memorable riffs than the band's previous two albums.

The 11 tracks breeze by in a blaze of exuberant, pop-tinged glory.

Every song becomes her own, with each one having just the right amount of torch and twang.

One of the prettiest albums of the year.

Put [the covers] all together and you get an idea of Low's surprising range and versatility.

Chock-full of catchy songs.

"Blueberry Boat" will confuse first-timers with its cartoonish feel, but repeated listens start to reveal the subtle complexities that each song brings to the table, regardless of their seemingly short attention spans.

While dancehall novices may find some of the material redundant, "Back to Basics" is a traditional dancehall album in every sense of the word. It's rhythmic, sexual and unapologetically raw.

Stringfellow is one of the most underrated songwriters of our generation, and while "Touched" may still remain his all-timer, "Soft Commands" could most definitely be considered his textbook.

Beneath the occasionally shambling arrangements and fuzzy overdubs, though, lie some great songs.

Returns to hip-hop basics.

Stone's soulful, sassy vocals are once again the centerpiece of another well-crafted effort.

Some of its most appealing material in recent memory.

Far more '70s-style easy rock than rap/rock bombast.

One of the most shiny and potent--albeit melancholy--synth-pop albums of the year.

Overall, it's a solid, unashamedly honest portrait.

Robinson's lyrics get a bit too precious.

While the songs have a tendency to run together with an overall sameness, the album as a whole is greater than its individual parts.

Despite these minor flaws, "The Hunger for More" serves its purpose in establishing Banks as a new voice in hip-hop.

Paint-by-number grooves, coupled with nonexistent hooks and forgettable melodies, do not result in an album that requires repeated plays; that is unfortunate, since a few Timbaland-produced tracks demand just that.

Its most difficult and uncompromising album to date.

A moody, yet seemingly sprawling album of (mostly) instrumentals that rely on the evolving crescendo to make a statement.

Each song is meticulously constructed, and feels like a musical soundtrack to lush, magical worlds.

Shows his growth as an MC.

As nihilistic and hostile as ever.

An unexpected but dazzling return to the top form of the later Beach Boys years.

With the sonic reach of Pink Floyd and convincing, explosive pop in the vein of Rogue Wave and the Apples in Stereo, "Ta Det Lugnt" is thick with variety.

Hardly anything here makes an impression after repeated listens. What's worse, even fewer tracks possess the spark or invention for which Phish is revered.

A sparkling little gem.

For all of its forays into bluesy rock and glittery glam, though, "Real" draws heavily from New Wave's danceable side.

Her writing can be exceptional.

The music's full of warmly engaging jangliness throughout, even if some of the 19 tracks tend to blend together.

"Wonder" isn't as immediately accessible as any New Pornographers album, which may turn off some fans looking for another set of sugar-coated rock. Nevertheless, these compositions also demonstrate Newman's immense talent, which ensures any monotonous patches on the album are quickly redeemed by far more interesting sonic departures.

A one-two punch of radio-ready, rock-tinged riffs and Lavigne's signature defiant yet introspective vocals.

A respectable effort.

So, yeah, the New Year sounds an awful lot like Bedhead, but who can really complain?

While more musically complex than previous set "Under Rug Swept," "Chaos" has less experimentation and fewer vocal intricacies.

Winsome and striking.

RJ's solo work transcends hip-hop boundaries, and at its peak moments, is better described as much closer to soul.

Primarily lackluster.

Beautifully spacey and searingly brash all at once.

The British answer to Fountains of Wayne.

At times, the misery borders on cliché, but luckily, "Quarry" sports some of Morrissey's most direct vignettes in years.

Finds Merritt and his longtime backing band moving away from pop formalism, slightly toning down the cabaret affectations and focusing a little more on the melodies and hooks rather than the genre-hopping arrangements.

The alluring texture of every track on "Tres Cosas" makes it a winner.

Shockingly, "ONoffON" is almost on par with that landmark ['Vs.'], clearly the product of the same band operating at top form.

Immediately alluring without sacrificing eclecticism.

Smith's vision is as rapturous as ever, and it receives its most focused, impassioned treatment here.

Key to the success of the disc is Krall's stretch on the keys, making this her strongest jazz outing.

A disc of graceful beauty.

The final product exceeds the hype.

While this album does not break new ground, it focuses on a fun and playful Prince whose turn of phrase and instrumental dexterity call to mind why we embraced him in the first place--and still do.

"Underneath" spotlights a more mature, melodic pop-rock Hanson.

[He] truly shines.

The kind of record from which careers are made.

Although the album doesn't knock the ball out of the park on first listen, ultimately it reveals just enough cool ideas to keep things interesting.

A mostly solid collection of quirky dance pop and cryptic rock.

Here's a group at the top of its game.

Kweller shines apart from his identically named buddies [Ben Folds and Ben Lee] and proves his songwriting chops.

A daring yet accessible disc.

[A] very wonderful, very adult set.

There hasn't been this entertaining or hard-rocking an Aerosmith album since who-knows-when.

It comes across as unnecessarily tame.

At 22 tracks, "Damita Jo" has its fair share of hits and misses.

While "Hives" isn't as easy to digest as previous Broken Social Scene outings, it still deserves many a spin.

Murs' command of his rhyme scheme -- and the uniformly banging, soul-drenched beats of his labelmates -- make this one of the most engaging hip-hop records of the young year, even at just over a half-hour.

While the production is good, the divergent styles and lack of cohesion add up to a somewhat schizophrenic offering.

A dreamy gem steeped in the tradition of '90s shoegazer rock.