Seven albums in, not much has changed for Rancid, and that's a good thing.

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

At times, there's a lack of consistency with too many ideas thrown onto the table, but it's that diversity heard throughout Nutini's sophomore effort that gives this AC singer/songwriter a leg up.

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.

The Brooklyn quartet Grizzly Bear has earned a reputation for dense sonic buildups and gorgeous harmonies, and the group's third album "Veckatimest" excels on both accounts.

The group has polished its '60s-rock-revivalist sound to near perfection, but keeps expanding its aural palette, experimenting with layered rhythms and sonic textures.

The performances are so strong throughout that one can only pray this collaboration turns out to be more than a dalliance.

English songbird Polly Scattergood entrances, disturbs and impresses with her debut self-titled album.

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.

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.

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.

Although this two-CD manifesto isn't completely immune to the current bar-lowering--disc one is heavy on wispy, lo-fi throwaways (one exception: an intimate acoustic version of the Flaming Lips' "Waitin' for a Superman")--there's more wheat than chaff.

This second solo album is so strong that a listening moves from why to why-not territory rather quickly.

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!"

What there is not quite enough of is Rhymes himself--the deft MC is a bit crowded out by collaborators' mic turns and auto-tuned refrains.

Thanks to Richie's confidently grown-up vocals and his consistently mature subject matter--here's a guy whose romantic timeline stretches past tonight to 'Forever and a Day,' as one track puts it--Just Go never sounds calculated or desperate.

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.

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 effect is never derivative, nor is it catered to the commercial hip-hop landscape, but it's always memorable.

The album is a call to arms for the digital age, and 20 years into its career, Green Day's ambition continues to dazzle.

Every one of these 15 tunes is a living, breathing creature, from the haunting, modal-tinged blues-waltz (with cello) of 'Rake' to the jaunty fingerpicking and mouthy dialogue of 'Mr. Mudd and Mr. Gold' (a duet featuring son Justin Townes Earle) to the eternally elegant Tex-Mex anthem 'Pancho and Lefty.'

Electronic music duo the Crystal Method hasn't lost its flair for funk and style as found on the act's debut release, "Vegas."

It's the detail and charm listeners have come to expect mixed with these welcome surprises that keep Actor exciting.

Whatever their inspiration, new cuts like the oddly pretty 'Lose You' and 'Billionaire,' the latter of which features a fiery cameo from Shunda K of Yo Majesty, throb with unexpected vitality.

The group stays true to its avant-garde musical roots with Set 'Em Wild, Set 'Em Free, the noisier, louder follow-up to 2007's "Love Is Simple."

Ben Harper is that rare talent able to not only vacation in the worlds of gospel, soul, folk and even reggae, but meld them gracefully together on both album and stage. But sometimes you just want him to rock, like he did on 1995's "Ground on Down." And at long last, he's assembled a new band that seems dedicated to just that, and it's a beautiful thing.

The unlikely resurrection of the New York Dolls is solidified by this second recent album, an output that now matches in quantity and mirrors in quality their epic early-'70s sprint.

While Yusuf (formerly known as Cat Stevens) officially returned to the pop world in 2006 with the welcomed "An Other Cup," his re-entry has only now been fully realized with the thoroughly engaging Roadsinger (To Warm You Through the Night).