Cooder has fine musical companions on his journey. [10 Mar 2007]

With poetic melancholy, absurdist whimsy and direct shout-outs to a world no more just than it was on his last album, there's enough to carry fans until Chao's next one.

It's fun to hear Trent Reznor play other roles and fire holes into the technology he's been so vital in employing. [21 Apr 2007]

Not only does this album hum with the magic that endowed the pair's past hits ("Let's Stay Together"), it shows that talent isn't the sole realm of the young.

Overall though, is the album better than "Prairie Wind" or "Living With War"? Yes.

District Line is a fine showcase for the differing sides of ex-Hüsker Dü/Sugar frontman Bob Mould's repertoire.

You could count the number of hooks on one hand and most tracks clock in at the three-minute mark, ostensibly to let GZA inhale occasionally. But it's worth a listen to hear what sneaky, suspicious, image-heavy tricks still emerge from his notebook.

"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.

By making an album that's utterly listenable without sacrificing its integrity, Luna provides the season's greatest guilty pleasure--without the guilt.

A fascinating listen, a psychedelic journey through time and space, where vintage keyboards create a musical dream.

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.

[It] doesn't offer many surprises, and as usual that's OK.

His new album is not exactly like the last or the one before that, and is pleasantly surprising in its evolution.

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

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.

New Zealand supergroup the Clean once again makes a case that the world's most intriguing pop music comes from that small, faraway land.

"Loud Like Nature" is hard to take seriously, but it shows that those old analog treasures still have a few good songs left in them.

Much like KOC's albums, which tend to fade into the background as sonic wallpaper, the IKEA-sterile mood of "Unrest" does grow less distinctive by disc's end.

On first listen, "The Loon" is not as immediate as several key tracks are individually. But after further study, the pieces eventually fall into place, and it becomes clear that this foursome has a solid debut on its hands.

A young, kick-ass band with a dusty, unpolished garage sound, Wolfmother excels in what everyone else has already done.

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

The new album's lyrical plotlines feel more organized than on past efforts, and musical twists are easier to follow, with Matthew's piano grounding the recording.

Gone are the meandering Sonic Youth impressions, and in their place are imaginative songs that don't alienate.

Believe the hype: The 10-track set is a real treat, rewarding repeated listens with fun, groove-driven tunes.

His most inspired effort in years.

Just as the busking, basement-tapes balladry of Stereo feels wan and undercooked, the rough-and-ready rock of Mono brims with the thoughtfulness and soulful energy of Westerberg's 1993 solo debut, 14 Songs, and his ever-influential Replacements catalog.

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

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

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

This "Tiger" is fairly tame, but that's OK. [30 Jun 2007]

A substantive collection of back-to-basics indie rock.

Like bourbon, his voice only gets more seductively potent with age.

In signature Björk fashion, the songs are emotionally intense, beautifully orchestrated, sensually sweet, and wickedly exotic.

Shows his growth as an MC.

Costello proves that all the balladry hasn't dulled his ability to rock.

Even during the second-tier moments, there's a sense that he's regained his artistic footing. [31 Mar 2007]

While the upbeat Lambchop records of the past are missed, OH (ohio) is a well-paced and engaging trip through Wagner's lush, scenic tunes.

Their most organic-sounding album since 1995's "Clouds Taste Metallic."

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

Joining fellow hotly tipped Brooklyn bands Vampire Weekend and Yeasayer, MGMT (pronounced "management") merits just as much attention for its psychedelic experimentation as it does for its melodies and hooks.

Shaggy uses Intoxication to once again show that while he and his crew can crank out solid pop, they can match it with cuts that genuinely rock the dancehall.

Flexing a bit of the angry lyrical edge he boasted on 2005's "Awfully Deep," Roots digs into "fickle DJs," no-talent rappers, Trustafarians and "bourgeois hippies" who "wanna fight my flow," as he proclaims on the track '2 Much 2 Soon.'

Though answers don't come easily, the process of getting to know them is fascinating nonetheless.

What makes Equilibrium special is the wonderfully atmospheric combination of Shipp's most minimalist playing and Jamal's glowing vibes; the rhythms, too, have a hypnotic sense of groove.

Yearwood's voice is a treasure, alternating between jaw-dropping heights and ideal understatement.

An ambitious and artful set of songs.

Nine of the album's dozen songs were written by Partridge, and each unfolds like an act of a melodious Shakespearean play -- lyrics drenched in imagery and metaphor, plots twisting through the experience of love and betrayal.

TSAC have spun their most lush and intricately produced long-player yet.... "Oui" wisely bumps the electronics to secondary status, giving the album a much more unified, live band feel missing from "The Fawn".... One of this year's most enjoyable albums.

Instead of paying tribute as concept, Lynne owns these songs, taking inspiration from the renowned blue-eyed soul singer to create her own sober renditions of indelible melodies from the '60s and '70s.

Such a musical mind-meld, so expressive of both artists' perspective, is rare.

Most of the dozen songs on Midnight Boom are driven more by looped beats. As a result, the melodies on such tracks as "Getting Down," "Cheap and Cheerful" and the hand-clapping "Sour Cherry" are framed with spare urgency, while "U.R.A. Fever" and "Alphabet Pony" boast an urban, nearly hip-hop ambience.

"Security" lunges in a new experimental direction every few minutes... but never strays far from the groove, nor its compelling indignation. [10 Mar 2007]

With a tiny voice, minimalist arrangements and simple lyrics, this Swedish songwriter has crafted what seems like a magical album, where all its small elements coalesce into something quite big.

By resolutely forgetting formula, Radiohead proves itself all the more relevant with Amnesiac.

Continues in [the debut's] innovative spirit, both elemental and experimental. [15 Apr 2006]

The net result is smart, personal and potent.

While lyrically his songs are top-drawer, Thompson's guitar prowess is also noteworthy. [13 Aug 2005]

The 77-minute-long "Frances" unfolds upon multiple listens, sometimes threatening to collapse under its own pretensions (meandering musical passages, sound effects), but ultimately, it is an ambitious and rewarding album.

An album of stunning simplicity.

"Sounds" sounds great, alternating between driving, percussive romps like "Love Caught Up To Me," "Free To Go," and "Dreams Of Clay" and moments of sheer country perfection in "Time Spent Missing You," "A Promise You Can't Keep," and the wonderfully hangdog Hank Williams knockoff "The Heartaches Are Free."

This set may not satisfy every fan, but it should please those who have hoped that McCartney would branch out from a safe sound.

Full of breezy vocals and sunny instrumentation, this album redefines beach music for the new millennium.

While the songs have a tendency to run together with an overall sameness, the album as a whole is greater than its individual parts.

While Everything is firmly grounded in Eno and Byrne's previous work, their mutual commitment to musical exploration ensures the album rarely sounds like something we've heard before.

After 28 years, you'd think it would be tough coming up with new twists to captivate audiences. But apparently not for King George, whose latest album, Twang, is among the finest collections of songs he's released.

It's a concept so heady and engrossing that it can obscure the fact that "Sermon" also rocks in a way Jones never has before. [17 Feb 2007]

A shamelessly melodic, wild and powerful pop record. [10 Feb 2007]

A good-time, classic rock feel permeates [the album]. [11 Feb 2006]

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

In the end, it seems that no matter how pained West is, as long as his one true love--himself--is intact, he will prevail in the face of adversity

The group's rocket ride appears to have preserved its more appealingly eccentric tendencies: frontman Reggie Youngblood's ridiculous yelp of a singing voice, for instance, or Dawn Watley's ultra-cheesy synth lines, which quote pretty much every new wave hit of the '80s.

Brilliance shines throughout. [11 Mar 2006]

The disc spotlights Veloso blasting off with raw, beat-driven fuel in the company of a band of youngsters who animate and invigorate him. [27 Jan 2007]

The more time one spends with Vapor Trails, the richer and more nuanced it becomes. Consider this an absolute triumph.

His voice has thankfully improved from record to record; like grain alcohol, it's gruff and eye-opening, well-suited for Crooked Fingers' pop-folk tangents.

A duet record for the new millennium.

A recording not to be missed.

Some of its most appealing material in recent memory.

The act's most melodic and accessible album of its career.

Under Rubin's direction, Dylan's laid-back rasp, often laced with smoky harmonies, gains weight and texture.

Thanks to the stellar backup band, E's husky voice and sad stories become all the more desperately lovely. [25 Feb 2006]

The roots-rock of Detours is old-school-sounding Crow now with a heightened consciousness of the world around her.

"Ringleader" proves Morrissey does not need to be miserable to make memorable music.

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.

There's a refreshing lack of samplers, loops, and unnecessary electronic ephemera here... [s]olid from beginning to end...

A subtle masterpiece...

Stringfellow is one of the most underrated songwriters of our generation, and while "Touched" may still remain his all-timer, "Soft Commands" could most definitely be considered his textbook.

One by One, in all its thunderous angst and desperate expressions of hope, represents a full-on exploration of the Foos '70s influences.

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

On their third full-length, Heartless Bastards honor the penetrating howl of leader Erika Wennerstrom, who sounds like Robert Plant's less-shrill American sister, by including several acoustic tunes that underscore her vocal versatility.

This album showcases De La Soul's more playful side while maintaining the group's intelligent, witty lyrics.

Another gripping CD of thunder and grace.

As nihilistic and hostile as ever.

If it's true that music of this nature doesn't get anymore heartfelt, it also rarely gets more infectious.

Cracker sounds like it's having fun again.

Stronger than not and off-kilter enough to remain engaging even when the skits come on, "Theloneliest" might not have been worth a five-year layover, but it's weird and wide open.

This first new Dolls album in 32 years is not just a legitimate entry in their catalog, it's a great one.