The time between now and its 2005 Sub Pop debut, "Apologies to the Queen Mary," allowed the group to more fully develop its sound. At Mount Zoomer expands upon the bits-and-pieces pop approach of its debut into a solid set of rock songs.

"Surprise" falls shy of a masterpiece, but it is consistently engaging and offers some of Simon's most creative songs in two decades.

While not quite as revealing and rewarding as its 2005 cousin, the new album will certainly please fans of Rubin and Diamond's stark-yet-comfy acoustic direction.

Seventh Tree is as deliciously subversive, and in some cases more so, as the duo's past work.

Easily the most adventurous work in the Fog catalog yet.

His voice is beautiful, his phrasing adventurous and his arrangements intense.... But the material could stand a bit of pruning

Special guest vocalists, plus a turn at bat from longtime member Jacob Valenzuela on 'Inspiracion,' add intriguing textures to the 15-song set.

[It's] hard not to fall in love with each and every song upon first listen.

Much has been made of the fact that Gang Gang Dance named this record after the patron saint of outcasts and rebels, but this effort shows more crossover potential than anything the act has ever done.

His ambitious self-titled solo debut goes a long way in turning over a new musical leaf, thanks to the presence of a top-notch nine-piece band and a host of complex, melodically inventive tunes that could please a wide range of listeners.

A gripping yet comic collection of Americana songs braced with wit, heartbreak, social critique and spirituality. [20 May 2006]

Paisley hits all the right notes, literally and figuratively, weighing in on skinny dippin', beer, fishing, technology, children and women, among other all-American topics.

Soulful and organic, with roots in jazz and funk, Kamaal the Abstract finds Q-Tip not only rhyming in his trademark nasal cadence, but also singing--and surprisingly well to boot.

From the broad, hopeful tone of opener 'Don't You Wish It Was True' to the brisk closer 'Longshot,' John Fogerty at 62 has made his toughest, best-written album since Creedence Clearwater Revival disbanded in 1972.

Denver-based Devotchka delivers another batch of aching, spacious and histrionic tunes on A Mad and Faithful Telling.

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 Devil and God" plays its hurt with polish and panache, however, as Brand New's textured dynamics marry mood and an aggressive ebb-and-flow on nearly every track. [25 Nov 2006]

This is the same pop-wise Hot Chip, only wilier and with a more dastardly sonic arsenal.

Here, her vocals--less developed and wobblier than now, yet still astounding--and tell-it-like-it-is lyrics ('Fuck Me Pumps') take center stage.

All in all, the effort has more space, less atmosphere and gets right to the point.

Backed by a fine team of multi-instrumentalists, Molina delivers a harrowing set of songs with short running times and minimalist arrangements.

Between the pounding pianos and the non-stop wave of arena-ready power chords and driving drums, most of "The Wolf" sets a new standard for fist-pumping anthems.

She is grappling with issues of faith, but she is charmingly skeptical. [28 Jan 2006]

The Stand-Ins feels looser and breathier than "Stage Names."

"The Life Pursuit" continues B&S' growth into more of a timeless pop act, its wry eye toward U.K. life refocused into tighter, swifter arrangements. [11 Feb 2006]

"Guero" explores all of Beck's influences and revisits so many of his finer ideas. It's not the cheeky soul-funk orgy of "Midnite Vultures," but something more mature.

This is a surprisingly homogenous set of tunes, and on the whole, the album can make for a rather repetitive listen.

A feisty set of primarily thrash-hop covers of socially and politically charged hip-hop, pop, rock, and punk jams.