Thanks to Allen's still-sharp lyrical wit and an exceedingly crafty production job by Greg Kurstin, It's Not Me, It's You is hardly the grown-up buzz-kill it might have been.

Dan Auerbach has veered off the garage-rock path now and then throughout the Black Keys' career, and this solo debut reaffirms that he's no one-trick pony.

Although more upbeat than its predecessor, Vol. 2 requires some time spent listening. Those who do so will be richly rewarded.

While Light of X seldom soars, it certainly cruises at a pleasant altitude.

With its smooth melodies ("Just Right"), fresh beats ("Diamond Girl") and effortlessly suave lyrics ("Quicksand"), the album satisfies from beginning to end.

Not every track is equally gut-busting, and a few, like the poseur reggae tune 'Ras Trent,' are made much funnier by the included video. But the Lonely Island has certainly found its bearings.

The Fray is a more angst-filled and melancholy set than you'd expect from a group following up a double-platinum debut, populated with songs about lost love and tortured souls. But hand-wringing music sells.

His exceptional new album has plenty of sex and senoritas, but also a higher calling on the uplifting 'It's a Beautiful World,' a duet with Patti Griffin.

Of course, straying from emo's typical lyrical terrain is less risky when it's accompanied by music that fulfills the genre's stylistic requirements as completely (and as satisfyingly) as the hooky, fuzz-encrusted tunes on Lonely Road do.

On their third full-length, Heartless Bastards honor the penetrating howl of leader Erika Wennerstrom, who sounds like Robert Plant's less-shrill American sister, by including several acoustic tunes that underscore her vocal versatility.

Decades in the making, this collection of swing classics as interpreted by Willie Nelson and Asleep at the Wheel doesn't disappoint.

While it would have been interesting to hear a further evolution of the band's sound, the album offers plenty of adrenaline, pheromones and stealthy sophistication, thanks to Bob Hardy's driving bass, Alex Kapranos' expressive crooning and the band's unusual ability to make every song sound like a single.

Fans will note a lack of Bruceness here: big-sounding proclamations about faith and dreams are few and far between, replaced by sneakily complex love stories all washed down with sudsy pop.

Singer/songwriter Inara George and producer Greg Kurstin know how to craft a pop song. On their second album as the Bird and the Bee, George (the bird) and Kurstin (the bee) continue to juxtapose tongue-in-cheek lyrics with sugary vocals and quirky electronic effects.

Merriweather Post Pavilion is so gorgeously confident that it fulfills expectations and more.

The follow-up to Antony's acclaimed 2005 breakthrough album, "I Am a Bird Now," is perhaps only a less astonishing listen in light of the artist's growing reputation.

On his second solo outing, New Pornographers main man Carl Newman gives a master class on how to merge melody and classic song structures without making music that sounds dated or retro.

With its cuteness and shimmying pace, the opener 'Oh No' gets your seat in the chair, while the other tracks keep you there.

Even though Grand is a bit toned down from Matt and Kim's first albums, it maintains the spunk, high energy and carefree attitude that caught people's attention in the first place.

The Vocoder on the a cappella track 'Woods' puts forth a robotic wooziness that's more about technical expression than personal sentiment. With full-band backing, Vernon also seems more social on the title track and 'Babys.' What remains from "For Emma" is a dizzying and ethereal beauty.

As Fiction Family, the two San Diego musicians find plenty of sonic common ground and, most important, a dozen richly crafted and intriguingly rendered songs.

When these guys avoid the occasional regrettable extended downshift in tempo, the angular yet danceable set combines a mixture of menace and fun volatile enough to hint that their live shows must be irresistible.

The Notorious film soundtrack not only assembles the best of the Notorious B.I.G.'s work, it includes gems like the rapper's first demo tape, two new tracks from Jay-Z and a 'One More Chance' remix featuring B.I.G.'s son, CJ Wallace.

It's that mix of sad-sack circumstances and cautious optimism that makes the Scottish quartet's debut such a rich exercise in self-aware spleen-venting.

Cook bursts back with Brighton Port Authority, a project that liberates him from the "electronic dance artist" identity crisis and allows his production talents to shine.

It's one of those rare soundtracks that holds up well independent of its film.

When the World Comes Down doesn't evince much growth, proffering more of the same hooky pop/rock centered around adolescent love and heartache.

His reports here from the streets ('Me and My Goons'), the boudoir ('Spend the Night') and the hospital room ('Family Straight') sizzle with a stripped-down immediacy that makes good on the album's title; few MCs seem as committed to a warts-and-all presentation as Plies.