The marriage of material and performance maintains high consistency and purpose.

It's an icy blast of electro-pop that channels the genre's most quirkily beautiful moments and ups the ante with the unmistakable influence of the duo's film-scoring heroes, Vangelis and Angelo Badalamenti.

While some songs don't click ("We Ain't" featuring Eminem), "The Documentary" still shapes up as one of the best rap albums of the year thus far.

Chesney gets better with age. There are radio hits here: 'Never Wanted Nothing More' has already hit No. 1 and second single 'Don't Blink' is off to a fast start, but there's depth, too.

Luckily, [the a bland name and album title are] the most awkward things about this surprisingly rewarding collection of dusky, mesquite-flavored torch songs.

More fun and more listenable than anyone could have expected.

All sound pretty wonderful in the hands of Peyroux's stealthy, silk-draped vocals, delivered with a winning air of slightly detached mystery.

Daughtry and his band return with similar aggression on their sophomore album, Leave This Town. Daughtry's ferocious growl is still the centerpiece of the new songs, but the band has also taken a few creative risks.

This is a damn good party--best not to miss out.

The only disappointment is the one new song, "Music Is My Radar," a rather pallid foray into disco.

One of the most valuable qualities of good music is its ability to transport you to a moment in your past, a place you'll never see or somewhere that doesn't even exist. Thanks to their gloriously retro (and occasionally eerie) three-part harmonies, Seattle's Fleet Foxes accomplish all the above with their self-titled debut.

The time between now and its 2005 Sub Pop debut, "Apologies to the Queen Mary," allowed the group to more fully develop its sound. At Mount Zoomer expands upon the bits-and-pieces pop approach of its debut into a solid set of rock songs.

Beautifully fatalistic and unimposingly pedagogical, Brainwashed is quite possibly Harrison's next-to-best album and a sober reminder that his passing is a loss too large to measure.

This is by far the moodiest, mellowest stuff MacKaye has ever been involved with.

It may be because of its unevenness that Alone II is an intriguing look into Cuomo's complicated mind, because unlike his largely homogenized Weezer albums that have stuck to the center of late, these recordings shed light into every dark corner.

A treasure trove of musical curios.

Whether discoursing about Jesus freaks and thugs, wanting something real out of life or his biracial background, the Angela Davis-fro'd Michael takes the listener on an energetic romp that swerves from lovelorn R&B to playful funk. Keep an ear open.

Lotusflow3r has Prince channeling his Hendrix spirit guide on a cover of 'Crimson & Clover' shot through with riffs from 'Wild Thing;' on 'Wall of Berlin' and 'Dreamer,' he squeezes the Jimi out of his guitar until you can almost see the hologram.

Lofty comparisons, sure. But Bingham's not a "new" anything: He's his own man, and a singular talent at that.

By refocusing on the dancefloor, the Rapture remains a step ahead.

A truly welcome return.

A set of rousing, sharply focused, late-night pleas and barroom romps that take the group well beyond its garage roots.

Tilly and the Wall stick with their signature combination of half-shouted words and harmony vocals. But the group also breaks new ground with punk rock riffs and percussion that well surpasses the standard of tambourines and Jamie Pressnall's tap dancing.

This folk album is a loud, energetic, arena-ready fiesta.

Aggressive yet soulful, "War" doesn't just straddle the line between rock and electronica—it destroys it.

Hitting a second stride with "Murray Street" in 2002, the band maintains its leadership position among melodic noise-makers with The Eternal, which is so chock-full of hummable pop hooks you'd think a hit doctor lent a hand.

Beyond merely blowing with avant-tinged, Coltrane-inspired tenor gusto, Lovano employs multiple strategies on several reeds, setting up melodic motifs, rhythmic start-and-stop phrases and playful dance-like romps.

Easily its most lushly orchestrated and diverse output yet.

A must-have for any fans of true alternative music and a primer for younger generations to see where their favorite bands got their inspiration.

Producer Bjorn Yttling, who brings in his Peter Bjorn & John bandmate John Eriksson and, on many of these 12 tracks, a full string section to add a kind of lush power to the group's melodic drone.

Underoath has made definitive strides at progression without abandoning the muscular, broad-shouldered hardcore that made it a household name.

The blues- and country-influenced songs on Break Up the Concrete are an engaging departure from the group's earlier hits, while Hynde's dynamic alto voice gives the set the unmistakable Pretenders identity.

Francis' production has noticeably tightened the band's sound, as Freddy Feedback's bass bounces crisply alongside dueling riffs. Art Brut may never shed its screwball charisma, but Satan is a successful step in a mature direction.

Consider "Silent Alarm" to be one of the best debuts of 2005 so far.

Despite her prolonged absence, Bush sounds as vital as ever.

Manners, the debut album from the Boston-based electro-pop outfit Passion Pit, is a charming combination of danceable synth grooves, falsetto shouts and infectious vocal hooks.

By turns playful, sexy, soulful, funky and passionate, Evans showcases the full range of her talents on her most consistent effort yet.

Though Brown's sweet songs are set up to appeal to a young female fan base, the narratives are mature enough to sway some older folks.

Isn't so much a revelation as it is a ready-made crowd pleaser that delivers on the familiar.

The Con a welcome addition to summer playlists and to Tegan & Sara's promising catalog.

This is the same pop-wise Hot Chip, only wilier and with a more dastardly sonic arsenal.

Williams and Elvis Costello get their twang on for the spirited 'Jailhouse Tears,' and a combination of new elements (horns) and powerhouse playing by her touring band Buick 6 bolster the set's emotional heft.

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

As strange as it is wonderful.

A postcard-perfect summer pop jam, "Don't Give Up" is one of many delights on Chicane's much-anticipated sophomore album, "Behind The Sun."

This time, the gorgeous harmonies and lo-fi ELO homages remain, but the lyrics are more personal.

What is exploding, writhing and fermenting behind Avey Tare's erratic voice is what's most interesting about this poppy, though experimental, set.

Nouns is a more likable and less abrasive version of No Age, with a little something for everyone and a little nothing for no one as well.

Thomas returns with a soaring collection of infectious pop songs that are destined for heavy rotation in 2009 and beyond.

This winning collaborative combination makes "Before the Poison" even stronger than its 2002 predecessor, "Kissin' Time," but with production and arrangements that are minimalist, dark and desolate.

"Rather Ripped" is a concise serving of what the band does best.

The concept behind Simply Grand was to pair Thomas with a different star pianist on each track, and the results are mostly stunning.

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.

The-Dream has definitely bypassed the sophomore slump with "Love Vs. Money." The songwriter-cum-singer pushes the envelope production-wise (incorporating more of his Prince influences, among others) as well as lyrically.

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

K'Naan's singular take on the parallels between Africa and America is the strongest thread running through this diverse, socially alert and frequently brilliant sophomore disc.

But for all the growth, the band's continuing inclination toward a bludgeoning sonic attack and Moreno's violent, impressionistic lyrics make this a tough pill to swallow for most listeners.

Even when you can't understand what he is breathily crooning, Prekop is a master at setting just the right mood.

The Oklahoman delivers in spades on her sophomore effort, on which she was much more involved in the creative process.

This French quartet specializes in bubbly AM indie-pop that gives it more the feel of a male-fronted version of the Cardigans.

Frontman David Draiman shows that he is an ample singer, refraining from the quirky vocal squallings that graced Sickness for a more straight-ahead croon.

The true star is Antony's raw, emotional voice, one in which you can almost hear actual feelings being conveyed.

Depressing but arresting.

Mplsound is sometimes stronger still [than "Lotusflow3r"], with the party whoop of '(There'll Never B) Another Like Me,' the delicious dirty mind of 'Chocolate Box' and 'Ol' Skool Company,' which will have you partying like its 1985.

A fine, quirky entrance that hints at a band poised for bigger things down the road.

Lil Mama shows off some impressive verbal firepower here, like when she challenges her skeptics over a booming trash-can beat in 'One Hit Wonder.'

Searching for a ray of lyrical light in John Mellencamp's latest treatise on the state of the world proves consuming—but largely fruitless. That, however, makes the album all the more compelling.

The singer does double duty as a dance diva and brokenhearted balladeer. It's no easy feat, but when Spears shoves aside the tabloid trauma and hooks up with the right producers--on this album it's Guy Sigsworth, Danja, Dr. Luke and Max Martin--she is in a class of her own.

A beautiful, rhythmic gallop of harmonic singing, freeform piano, chaotic harp and some of the most insane drumming you will ever hear in your life.

Supergrass has gone from energetic, young and roughshod to energetic, veteran and polished.

the guests' reverence for Booker T. is clear--the Truckers, as they did when they recently backed Bettye LaVette, know when to muscle up (on 'Pound It Out') and how to hang back (on moving, B3-powered track 'She Breaks,' a sweet, shimmering number filled with references to Booker T.'s awesome past).

"The Eminem Show" is not a great artistic step forward, but it reaffirms Eminem's stature as a talented and prescient pop star.

Elect the Dead, his first full-length solo effort, boasts the same kind of arty arrangements and cascading dynamics as SOAD's ouvre, a sign that while guitarist Daron Malakian is often considered the band's mad genius, Tankian's elastic, expressive vocals are as integral to its character.

Seventh Tree is as deliciously subversive, and in some cases more so, as the duo's past work.

Hearing a crowd go wild for a kick drum has to do the dance community proud.

Saturnalia, is teeming with the kind of raw and gritty music one might expect to hear kicked around in, well, the gutter. And considering the project is a collaboration between Mark Lanegan and Greg Dulli, that's certainly not a bad thing.

Throughout, Kozelek connects memory to emotion with masterful strokes.

Snow Patrol handily manages the challenge of following up breakthrough album "Eyes Open" on A Hundred Million Suns.

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.

Rather than debut with her new label by methodically working the groove that got her here, she has cut a dozen tunes that suggest she's ready to crunch a few genres.

The 11-track set is unlikely to slow the group's momentum, since it's as polished as a diner countertop.

Oblivion simmers without boiling, and the tension is intoxicating.

The album's simple, pleasing blend of acoustic guitar-based folk music belies the complex nature of her lyrics, and it's a winning combination.

The always brash, often emotionally affecting Williams displays marked growth as a lyricist, zapping tunes like the fiery first single "Rock DJ" with enough clever twists to make the mind happily reel.

Frontman Aaron Espinoza digs deep into the crevice of his broken heart and pulls out arguably his finest batch of songs.

Play[s] out like a fresh discovery that's strangely familiar--a '60s soul in a 21st-century outfit.

Simple Plan is a shameless little heatseeker, which isn't much of a musical problem. Provided you're after a good time, several cuts make excellent use of keyboard bleeps and drum-machine beats.

The set is at once Slipknot's most ambitious and accessible outing to date, with a broad palette of sounds and textures that shift faster than Michael Phelps off the starting block.

With Blink-182/+44 bassist Mark Hoppus producing, Fight does pack a wallop, enveloping frontman Jordan Pundik's angsty relationship paeans on a dozen compact, dynamic and hooky tracks in a mere 35 minutes.

This is the stuff memorable summer days are made of.

Even naysayers will have to serve props to Lopez for the considerable growth she reveals as both a performer and tunesmith.

[Atmosphere] has never sounded as pointed and focused as it does here on its fifth album. [8 Oct 2005]

It's not all killer, but some impressive tracks lurk within.

Her 12th studio release, Abnormally Attracted to Sin, finds her in full command of her expanded arsenal, creating an overall sound that's as psychedelic as it is classic.

More satisfying than its predecessor, Lifeline is a classic-sounding album that reminds us of the power and beauty of simplicity.

The band's reverence for its source material--all horns, Stax/Volt soul and he-done-me-wrong lyrics--occasionally gets so close that it's more clone than homage. But there's no denying the 51-year-old Jones' brutal, Aretha-ish voice

Paul Weller's all over the place with his ninth solo album--he visits all his touchstones, but there's less nostalgia and more experimentation infused into the tracks than usual. And that's a good thing.

Call and Response is everything the format could and should be.