This new set fills in the spaces with sweeter, fuller arrangements, but the songs are hit and miss.

The album doesn't really push the creative envelope and relies too heavily on guests at the expense of the principal artist. [15 Apr 2006]

One wishes they would spend a little more time plowing through the album while kicking amps and knocking over mic stands rather than changing things up.

Mostly, this is by-the-numbers stuff.

Much of the material on the quirky "Show Your Bones" is more intimate and, at times, tentative. [1 Apr 2006]

Here, T.I. shows he can still dominate a song given quality production (Just Blaze, DJ Toomp), but the album does little to build on what we have heard before. [1 Apr 2006]

To be sure, the quiet side is the more powerful.

Fans of Wilco will certainly oblige Kotche's singular visions; fans of "Being There," maybe not so much.

If Hawthorne Heights stopped trying to please several different audiences and decided whether it wanted to be a pop band or a post-hardcore group, it could make a more definitive musical statement. [4 Mar 2006]

[An] uneven set.

Overall, listeners will struggle to classify "Rubies," as much for Bejar's blurring of bluesy folk, pop and lo-fi indie rock as his unconventional delivery.

An erratic mix of messy ambition and indifferent sloppiness that sounds like it's falling apart even before it really has a chance to get it together. [11 Feb 2006]

A disjointed affair on first listen, "Security Screening" eventually reveals itself as the mirror image of main man Scott Herren's multiple musical personalities. [11 Feb 2006]

"Run the Road 2" does not live up to its crack predecessor, but that observation is neither a surprise nor a slam. [18 Feb 2006]

There is an easy-listening elegance to his songs, but the album plays out like a soundtrack to sipping coffee. [28 Jan 2006]

More often than not, Oldham's signature vocalizing keeps Tortoise from falling back on old sonic tricks. [21 Jan 2006]

"Compound Eye" is difficult as a complete listen but works well in smaller chunks. [28 Jan 2006]

The deafening dialectics often feel contrived, making Test Icicles sound like a fun "project," not a real band. [28 Jan 2006]

Too frequently on the band's third album, the fun gets lost in difficult song structures and chord changes that deliver less than we have come to expect. [14 Jan 2006]

For the most part, the producers simply add audio garnishing to Korn's signature sound via loops and Pro Tools trickery. [10 Dec 2005]

This album is calm and relaxing almost to a fault. [26 Nov 2005]

Leans more toward conscious than commercial. [26 Nov 2005]

While the all-original material is not strong enough to qualify this as the instant classic some have suggested, heartfelt tracks like the jubilant "Delirious Love," the rousing "Hell Yeah" and the string-tinged love song "Evermore" are outstanding. [12 Nov 2005]

Too often Santana sounds like a guest on his own show.

Think of a visit to Nana's house reimagined as alt-Broadway musical theater. [29 Oct 2005]

Unfortunately, instead of eliciting the same response as its predecessor, ["Girl Tonite"] comes as a feeble attempt to copy success. Luckily, there are enough highlights to balance things out. [8 Oct 2005]

Familiar, yes, but not unwelcome. [1 Oct 2005]

The lack of big-name guests may make it hard to woo new fans, but those who preferred Paul's earlier work will be happy to hear he has returned home. [1 Oct 2005]