Clever but tasteful arrangements and an impeccable shine make songs like 'Same Old Thing' seem anything but.

Although little on Hymn and Her finds Earlimart venturing into new territory, there's a familiarity felt throughout that remains comforting, and sometimes that's just enough.

There's more melody than usual to be found here. [24 Mar 2007]

Ghostface Killah is as wickedly esoteric as ever, Method Man sounds reinvigorated and snapped out of his recent slump, and Raekwon, who's been on record decrying 8 Diagrams, is ice-pick sharp.

This surprisingly lively set finds the former disco diva teaming with a crew of young collaborators--including Greg Kurstin, Danielle Brisebois, Ziggy Marley, J.R. Rotem and Lester Mendez--for a series of uptempo forays into stomping dance-pop, juke-joint blues-rock, breezy Latin jazz and African-accented soul.

There aren't any subpar tunes and no flagging moments as Marsalis, pianist Joey Calderazzo, bassist Eric Revis and drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts deliver a nine-song masterwork.

Santogold pours all that experience into a bracingly eclectic set full of fuzzy New Wave synths, sticky avant-soul melodies, busted-laptop beats and sing-song vocal chants inherited from the likes of Neneh Cherry and Björk. If you've managed to avoid her until now, you won't be able to for much longer.

Given the talent on hand it would take some horrible disaster to sink "Optometry," but the combo actually bests expectations.

The air of uncertainty and doubt he creates is what continually makes his music so intriguing.

Erstwhile Pixies frontman/rock'n'roll lifer Charles Thompson is back for another round, this time reclaiming his "old" stage name Black Francis and rocking out harder on record than he has in years.

At over an hour, "Decoration Day" does feel a little unwieldy. But for better or worse, there's simply not a single song here that wouldn't be missed.

To be sure, the majority of "Island" could be Pink Floyd in all but name only.

An album unexpectedly packed with dance jams. [14 Apr 2007]

Leo manages to weave his messages into some of the tightest, most energetic rock you're likely to hear this year.

[It's] hard not to fall in love with each and every song upon first listen.

Flaunting the band's love for classic AOR riffs more here than on any other previous record, Nude chugs along on the strength of licks lifted from Led Zeppelin ("The Kicking Machine") and "Killer"-era Alice Cooper ("The Stupid Creep"), bringing a sense of boogie to Buzz's now-perfectly honed tablature of bludgeoning guitar work.

On New York City, Brazilian Girls have crafted a set as internationally diverse as the Big Apple itself.

The end result is what Ride's "Nowhere" would've sounded like had it been produced by Frank Zappa in 1972.

The New Jersey crew is still cranking out metal as frenzied and choppy as a machete-wielding madman, yet twice as schizophrenic.

From the first strains of 'Haiku'--an opening instrumental that merges the acid squelches of early rave with an insistent breakbeat and--yes!--congas--it's obvious that this guy's aesthetic is so clear to him that mixing disparate elements is a breeze.

Alphabutt is a children's album, 15 songs in 27 minutes that have a breezy, unconditional innocence and more than a little silliness.

On her album debut, the 26-year-old singer/songwriter lays her vocal and writing skills over boom-bap productions for a set that is delightfully flirtatious, heartfelt and full of diva antics.

A nearly perfect collection.

"Antics" is even better [than Bright Lights], possibly because the band isn't trying so hard to be weird.

The bottom end booms like a cannon, the dual guitars masterfully shriek and Halford's screeches tingle the spine.

Young Jeezy balances commercial/ pop aspirations with core hip-hop sounds on The Recession, getting a lift from DJ Toomp, Drumma Boy, Midnight Black and longtime collaborator Shawty Redd on this sonically enjoyable follow-up to 2006's "The Inspiration."

Time has not dulled the group's scarily tight musicianship. [15 Oct 2005]

It seems that the more comfortable the principals get with Gnarls Barkley, the more haunted Gnarls Barkley gets. And it gets stronger, too.

Sure to convince doubters and win new fans, the set roars with the sort of fire rarely seen from a group with four albums under its belt.

A glorious blend of surf-pop and Brazilian rhythms?

This dynamic duo comes off as vital as it has in a decade on the highly anticipated sequel to the pair's 1999 collaborative debut, "Blackout!"

The uptempo tracks are invigorating with their harder guitars and drums, and Lewis' humor abounds, but his slower, softer, acoustic songs are the standouts.

The British answer to Fountains of Wayne.

Mix[es] the band's '80s influences with clever lyrics that lift it above the "garage band" tag it was initially saddled with.

It picks up right where Bauhaus left off: a wet dream for original fans and a blast of recognition for the newly eye-lined.

The full-length The Fame proves she's more than one hit and a bag of stage tricks.

Oberst's fourth full-length is a bleak, bipolar journey through his emotionally charged mind, with melodramatic midnight ballads, dusty piano, and the occasional sexy violin.

Harris' take on Tracy Chapman's 'All That You Have Is Your Soul' is definitive, and 'Beyond the Great Divide' provides a sublime closing to an album that was well worth the wait.

Object 47 is at once warmly familiar as Wire yet not a "return" to any particular sonic period in the group's convoluted history.

While the album isn't nearly as compelling as Wilco's latest, it proves a thoroughly enjoyable listen nonetheless.

A strong collection of quick, higher-energy rockers.

A gorgeous collection that is equal parts country and rock, joy and (more often than not) pain.

"Love Kraft" is as cohesive a record as the group has yet produced.

But as opposed to Blink, which powers straight ahead with scatological juvenility, the Offspring bridges punk with change-ups of metal and traditional rock and brings a more sarcastic wit to its observations of male teen angst.

On his sophomore album, the Washington, D.C., native offers a flawless blend of serene, soulful music with emotion-filled lyrics about his love, respect and appreciation for women.

Brooklyn's working class heroes have stepped up their musicality (harpsichord is featured on "One for the Cutters") and melodic balladry ("Lord, I'm Discouraged" is an aching prayer), while still providing their signature cacophonous anthems.

Perfect Symmetry bursts out of the gate with a suite of giddy, '80s-inflected Brit pop songs that, surprisingly, suit the band well.

After nearly 30 years, the trio--now comprising Gore, Dave Gahan and Andrew Fletcher--still imbue every aspect of its 12th studio album, Sounds of the Universe, with imagery and sonic flourishes that make its music fresh and familiar.

Every song sparkles with a hook or lyrical element strong enough to permanently embed the brain upon impact.

This release is comparable to 2004's stunning "Last Exit" in that every song has its own merits yet feels part of a greater whole.

They still pen power-pop tunes so utterly irresistible—"Someone to Love," "This Better Be Good," "Strapped for Cash"—that they deserve to be every bit as ubiquitous at radio as the elements of the album's title. Oh, and they're still brilliant. [2 Apr 2007]

Chock-full of glockenspiel, keyboards, hand claps and boy-girl harmonies, Youngster is playful and fun.

Pierce ties the dark to the light with poetic folk ballads like closing lullaby "Goodnight Goodnight," making A&E a strange and pleasing concoction of old and new.

Indie rock's favorite (and most prolific) red-headed woman has never sounded more assured than she does on this solo-billed set, a soaring, brisk rumination on love and other matters that comes with a dusty tinge befitting its Arizona roots.

"Spirit Stereo Frequency" unburies the dark side of this wistfulness by scrambling it with deep bouts of psychedelia and ghostly falsetto croons. The result is a debut that captures the vicissitudes of the past with greater authenticity and interesting sonic flair.

This is hip-hop for another era, one that makes the present day commercial U.S. material seem even more flat than it already is.

White Rabbits recruited Spoon frontman Britt Daniel to produce It's Frightening, an appealingly audacious move that reveals just how tightly these guys define their sound. That self-awareness is apparent in the band's music as well--nothing seems out of place in these tidily arranged soul-punk tunes, most of which revolve around piano and bass rather than guitar.

Soulful and organic, with roots in jazz and funk, Kamaal the Abstract finds Q-Tip not only rhyming in his trademark nasal cadence, but also singing--and surprisingly well to boot.

Challengers won't surprise anyone familiar with the New Pornographers' prior work, but it still manages to be refreshing and exultant.

It's the beats and production that really define an RZA release, and they're as intoxicating as ever on Digi Snacks.

While it's still age-appropriate for minors, Breakout is for the big kids too.

Jamiroquai continues to mine a musical playing field that pays homage to such soul, funk, and disco artists as Stevie Wonder, Curtis Mayfield, and Chic.

If "Trials & Errors" is an advance look at the direction in which Molina is heading, this seems to be a perfect fit for him.

The "Gangster" portion of the record is, as you'd expect, effortlessly strong.

There's a lot to love here.

Carey's made a pop album with equal parts levity and gravity.

Clarkson's always had the best throaty yell in the business. But now she's becoming a masterful interpreter too.

Few songwriters can express these mundane intricacies of melancholia free from morose affectation, but Rouse's heartbreak and hurt sounds honest and natural, inviting you to share his pain.

[Tom Tom Club] come this close to surpassing the raw energy, vibrant power, and rhythm-fresh approach of their now-classic eponymous debut.

It's clear from the sheer range and energy on this album that McCartney is heeding his own advice.

Gomez ups the musical ante with A New Tide, a brilliant 11-song collection of lyrical jewels embellished by colorful and unusual textural arrangements that a dynamics-loving jazz band could admire.

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

Emotion and soul run deep throughout (thanks to Staton's raw vocals), with each track an honest revelation.

In lieu of monotonous dancefloor beats, Cole prefers a more intricate soundscape, one in which pizzicato string flourishes freely caress funk-fortified rhythms

There's little profundity here, but "The Geometrid" is undeniably a satisfying treat of bubbly, back-to-the-future escapism.

Co-produced by Andy Johns (Van Halen), the set captures the fun energy of a mind-blowing all-star jam: Satriani's fretwork is surprisingly raw, loose and gritty, while Smith channels John Bonham more than once.

More consistent and enjoyable than its predecessor.

Aided by expert musicianship and spot-on production, Bentley translates his on-stage charisma to the studio better than ever before. [21 Oct 2006]

Like a prize fighter coming into her own, Lil' Kim finally realizes her true potential on her third Atlantic effort.

A disc that flows with soulful vocals showcased in clean, back-to-the-real production settings

Not surprisingly, its 11 songs bristle with an urgency that more closely resembles (but rocks harder than) Travis' 1997 debut "Good Feeling" than 2007's sumptuously crafted "The Boy With No Name," with a decidedly uptempo countenance and plenty of room for lead guitarist Andy Dunlop's riffs, solos and fills.

[An] uneasy listening masterwork.

[It] sounds more like a continuation of Pinback's 2004 high-water mark, "Summer in Abaddon." This is, of course, a good thing. [27 Jan 2007]

Ultimately, the change in direction will likely raise a few eyebrows among some diehard fans, which isn't to say the songs here aren't noteworthy in their own right.

Brad Paisley's mostly instrumental new set, which chronicles his self-described "love affair with the guitar," is both outstanding and diverse.

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

The group's self-titled debut shows that it has more than one flashy single to offer.

This confident piece of work is like mannah from the heavens for college rock fans, freshening up loose, rhythmic song structures with a charming lo-fi aesthetic.

This one's stuffed with massive, flamboyant beats; overloud dirty-comic vocals; and all the usual lyrical stops.

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

She continues to lay down the law on 'Porcelain Doll' and 'Another One,' both of which find her claiming she is a "grown woman" over a choir-like production and acoustic guitars, respectively. But not all is heartbreak on the mature-sounding set.

Elsewhere, 'Criminal' and 'I Will Not Apologize' find the group making its most acute, nail-driven points in years.

The lush arrangements on 4:13 Dream don't build a Wall of Sound so much as a whitewater, where heavily distorted guitar and effects share momentum with fluid melodies and memorable pop hooks.

All three discs come together with fun, scrapbook-like packaging to pull off that rare reissue home run--when a boxed set functions as a perfect introduction for newcomers and a worthy addition to any devotee's collection.

On "Plain Rap," the decidedly more mellow yet equally appealing follow-up to "Labcabincalifornia," the trio -- Slimkid, Imani, and Booty Brown -- continues to pave its own path.

With Shaman, Santana delivers an album that will, no doubt, please fans of its globally successful predecessor, while at the same time reel in new ones.

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

The real revelation here is their ability to show a more varied and at times vulnerable side to their sound.