The album sounds cool, but it also sounds cold.

Well-produced, albeit predictable.

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]

"Shut Up I Am Dreaming" is a grower, and doesn't grab you by the ears like Wolf Parade's debut did.

Nonsensical lyrics about butterflies and name-changing lovers on tracks like 'You Go On Ahead (Trumpet Trumpet II)' and 'Apollo And The Buffalo And Anna Anna Anna Oh!,' could serve as a distraction, but the songs are saved by beautifully frantic instrumentals.

Some of the record gets bogged down in its own deliberate weirdness.

"Me First" is an easy listen, but Sennett is not nearly as captivating a leader as Rilo Kiley's Jenny Lewis, and the coming-of-age tunes aren't always strong enough to account for the album's lack of tempo change.

Sweet and pretty. [25 Nov 2006]

Party Intellectuals contains enough noise and/or dead space to ruin the flow of many an iPod shuffle, but experimental jazz or avant-garde fans should find enough here to sink their teeth into.

Although the arrangements remain impressive, there are moments when it feels as though Dungen should stick with a quicker pace. [26 May 2007]

What has become increasingly clear is that Devendra Banhart needs an editor.

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

Cease falters when it dips into mediocre balladry ('Detlef Schrempf,' 'Marry Song'), and at a scant 35 minutes, the album at times hints at greatness but ultimately leaves you wanting more.

From the ugly album art to the stupid title to the strange, messy songs, it's hard to tell if the band is growing up or just goofing off.

Yet where the music is hard-hitting, the hoarse, almost drunken vocal style of lead singer Hamilton Leithauser can be grating.

While Dulli's bitter, drunken voice remains front and center, the backup vocals and orchestras nearly make the songs sound like a parody, marrying a beast to a beauty.

The group has abruptly cashed in a good deal of its personality for an unflattering, generic modern-rock sound.

It's a pleasant enough, if uneven work. [14 Apr 2007]

An album that would have been great in 1983; now, it is more of a nostalgic lark.

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]

At times compelling in its eccentricities, this record emphasizes experimentation rather than tunefulness.

"Machine" is ultimately flawed when the Kahuna boys abandon uptempo techno for atypically hymnal pastures.

Even Björk's misses are more exciting than most of what we currently call hits. [12 May 2007]

[It] flashes with moments of greatness. [9 Dec 2006]

In her bid to be a little bit of everything for everyone, some of the unique flavor that has made her a star is sadly diminished.

If Tangiers perfects its poppier maneuvers and smartens up a bit lyrically, something special could be down the road. [10 Dec 2005]

While by no means disastrous musically, it's a pale imitation of much better Stereolab albums, and in the end altogether dispensable.

Too often his songs fail to captivate beyond a curiosity factor.

In each case, a brand-new track has been crafted, but some work better than others. [10 Feb 2007]

There are clunkers, like the half-there torch song "Life Is Hard." But the great thing about 67-year-old Dylan is that even when it's not working, it's working.

"The Good, the Bad and the Queen" seems to be waiting for a payoff that never materializes.

Unfortunately, for all the hype surrounding "Restless," Xzibit has lost some of the lyrical ferociousness that made his previous releases underground favorites.

For greatness, look to the irresistibly melodic "Twentieth Century," the New Order-hued "Minimal" and the Diane Warren-penned ballad "Numb."

No one is breaking any ground here, and White fanatics looking for a new White Stripes record should temper their expectations. But as far as side projects go, this is as good as it gets.

100th Window meanders along, emotion-less and soul-less—albeit with haunting Middle Eastern flourishes.

Though the album grows stronger as it lurches on, the trio's pursuit of bombast leaves the killer melodies lost in outer space.

Lerche seems headed in a promising musical direction, but not all the songs here pack the expected punch. [10 Feb 2007]

Seem[s] like a missed opportunity.

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

Even visionaries lose sight at times, as Pierce does on "Let It Come Down," an album that can only be deemed a fractured opus.

Even though "Doctor's Advocate" has its failings, it's a prescription that comes recommended. [18 Nov 2006]

While not a completely lovable effort, "1968" extends Pajo's varied lineage.

While the overlong album sometimes threatens to bury C&C with its own excess, the craftsmanship suggests the band is more than capable of breaking into the mainstream. [24 Sep 2005]

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

All the elements for a smart, catchy dance-rock album seem to be in place, but the final product still remains slightly unstructured and rehashed.

The Coral's trade has made them less rumbling and more meandering, more coherent but less mysterious.

Yet for all the headphone-worthy sounds, the pace seldom rises above a back-porch feel and, at times, the stickers meant for customizing the cover seem like more fun than the music.

Missteps more than it hits.

16 songs of stalwart Stones riffs that almost compensate for generally embarrassing lyrics. [10 Sep 2005]

On first listen, it might seem too derivative, even dull, but Jeff Tweedy's intricate vocal melodies and Nels Cline's ferocious guitar work keep things interesting. [19 May 2007]

[An] uneven set.

Paint-by-number grooves, coupled with nonexistent hooks and forgettable melodies, do not result in an album that requires repeated plays; that is unfortunate, since a few Timbaland-produced tracks demand just that.

These songs simply don't stack up to their predecessors.

There's an odd allegiance to the overblown prog-rock theatrics of Rush... and Yes... that seems incongruous alongside earnest Beatles homages... and straight-up, gloom-rock confessionals.

Aside from a few unique moments ("The Return," "Take Me Away"), there's not much new to report here.

Although "Parachutes" brings nothing new to the table, Coldplay seems talented enough to transcend this early identity crisis.

Where the Faint falls short, though, is its lack of daring; even with the welcome addition of strings (apropos of its cinematic live show) and varying styles, "Wet From Birth" sounds contained and merely likeable.

Too much here sounds like Coldplay-by-numbers, and the lyrics lack the deeper meaning the album seems desperate to provide.

Film-specific songs like "Make No Sense at All" and "Call the Law" fall flat out of context.

Focusing more on catchy hooks and Fergie-style chants than lyrics helps disguise her vocal limitations. [9 Jun 2007]

For most of "Saturday Night Wrist," Deftones contentedly let their instruments wander, inventing a meandering soundscape that broods in near darkness. [4 Nov 2006]

Thursday's Epitaph debut melds the band's hardcore influences with shoegaze and atmospheric elements, with mixed results.

There is a little too much tra-la-la-ing, but it's a pleasure to hear a new band having so much infectious fun. [24 Mar 2007]

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

Finds the duo, well, pushing too many of the same buttons.

Dennen's tenuous vocals (and lyrics) are better suited to silly love songs than this sort of material, and though producer John Alagia knows how to make the guitars jingle and jangle and how to work up a soft, swimmy groove, Dennen needs a little more to rise out of the ever-growing multitude of sensitive guitar dudes.

Enigk's vocals here are as translucent as ever.

An uneven collection of synthesized experimentation that relies too heavily on familiar and cliched electronic tricks to sound original.

One can't help but think that by scaling back their ambitions, the Foos could have made one great album instead of two average ones.

The Americana is first-class, be it on crunchy, boozy romps with stinging solos or the slow-burning acoustic fare, but this batch of tunes proves far less memorable.

A mixed bag of pure-pop lyricism and throwaway covers.

There are moments when you wish for just a tiny bit of dirt, or just a little bit of edge.

Fish Outta Water may lack the demographic-tripping vibe that even a Jurassic 5 in turmoil could whip up, but it's a mostly winning debut that makes up in vocal prowess for what it lacks in hooks.

Snoop has found a happy balance between pop and hardcore. [25 Nov 2006]

The group's live shows are the stuff of legend--perhaps that's why the act's debut album, #1, seems a bit disappointing without the corresponding over-the-top visuals.

These tracks lack the magnetism of Miller's material with the band.

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]

A slick, curious concoction that sounds like Dave Matthews crossed with the Beta Band.

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]

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

The seemingly ageless Australian rock combo mostly employs its same tried-and-true formula on the audio side of the Black Ice equation.

"Lucky" kicks off the proceedings; it's a buoyant, blistering winner of a song. Unfortunately, the track is also one of the disc's few high points.

While "Golden Greats" features some intriguing tracks and a healthy dose of Brown's trademark bravado, it doesn't come close to ringing in as powerfully as that of the Roses' era-defining sound.

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

This song-by-song re-creation of Judy Garland's iconic 1961 Carnegie Hall performance, staged there by Rufus Wainwright in 2006, seems better-suited to a cabaret act.

Despite it being more rock-oriented than 2005's "The Beekeeper," this album isn't much of a sonic progression, and it takes a while for "Posse" to find its voice. [5 May 2007]

Another satisfying collection of quick, riff-happy new wave/punk rock that, while no match for its first album, was nonetheless worth the wait.

More hit than miss. [30 Jun 2007]

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]

There are a few instances where the songs manage to make the listener forget about the court appearances and remember Doherty's uniquely skewered way around a guitar line and lyric.

The entire record is a disquieting trip.

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

It comes across as unnecessarily tame.

Those looking for "Marquee Moon"-style guitar heroics will be disappointed.

The band seems oddly restrained and processed through much of the album's 12 numbers.

It's still hard to tell if he's a bluesman in a soft-rocker's body or vice versa, and "Continuum" is the sound of him trying to figure it out too.

Overall it's rather tough to get a grip on what they're getting at.

Outer South is a decently stocked serving of rambling, saloon-joint alt-country, but one that finds the freewheeling Oberst and band in need of a little focus.