A through-and-through classic.

The disc makes so few concessions to current trends that it sounds like something dug up from a time capsule, in the best sense.

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

While Zwan sometimes displays the anguished heart of the Pumpkins, the band also has a leaner, upbeat sound that is, at times, downright sweet and playful.

Grohl's furious playing fits perfectly with the wall of rage erected by Joke vocalist Jaz Coleman and fellow founders Geordie Walker on guitar and Youth on bass.

So, yeah, the New Year sounds an awful lot like Bedhead, but who can really complain?

A collection of blistering rock songs and alcohol-laced laments.

The epitome of a melancholy winter record.

This much more polished follow-up goes down smoother but still packs plenty of fire.

It is a testament to Mike Sandison and Marcus Eoin's production acumen that the songs here sound so organic despite their computerized origin. [22 Oct 2005]

The chameleon has come home and still sounds like no one else.

On his third solo outing (and first for Columbia), songwriter/producer Raphael Saadiq takes the listener on a smooth carpet ride that seamlessly weaves the feel-good essence of soul music's storied roots.

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.

"II" conjures a creepy but very real neo-psychedelia that is alternately paranoid, somber and reflective.

Expertly tows the line between old-school hip-hop homage and forward-looking experimentation.

The Satanic Satanist constructs an exquisite medium between indie music and hard rock.

A hauntingly beautiful album with tender, melodic pop arrangements that really make a lasting impression.

Several songs near the end go on too long, content to just keep repeating riffs over and over. Still, when Autumn is on point, it offers some of Pinback's best tunes yet.

A curious amalgamation of styles that is ultimately quirky and compelling.

A fantastically colorful and original effort. [5 May 2007]

Fans of Carlton's indelible white-chick anthem "A Thousand Miles," on the other hand, have plenty to be excited about, since Heroes presents another batch of appealingly wistful reflections on life and love.

Shakira, of course, is unmistakable. But the coup is that each track is absolutely distinctive, even on several songs with no clear-cut choruses or hooks.

To say there isn't one bad track on this album would be a drastic understatement.

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!"

With the mesmerizing Alison Goldfrapp leading the way, a glam-rock fierceness reigns supreme throughout this stunning collection.

The sound is bigger, the playing better, the lyrics sharper and the spirituality more compelling than anything the act has done in many years.

The band's reverence for its source material--all horns, Stax/Volt soul and he-done-me-wrong lyrics--occasionally gets so close that it's more clone than homage. But there's no denying the 51-year-old Jones' brutal, Aretha-ish voice

It still has the signature guitar-drums-violin approach, but there are subtle variations that make this a different record.