As the band's first disc for Epitaph following a 15-year major-label run, the stripped-down Hurley mostly delivers what you'd expect.

Plant has steadfastly resisted a return to the Zep fold; Band of Joy makes us glad for that.

On its latest release, A Thousand Suns, the six-piece rock act truly breaks the habit of everything we've heard from it before.

Even those too young-or not yet born-for the Vaselines' heyday can appreciate the earnest fun of Sex With an X.

Flamingo finds Brandon Flowers exploring big topics (love, religion, the complicated charm of his Las Vegas hometown) over even bigger arrangements.

At 71, Staples still knows how to hang tough and shows no signs of slowing down.

Interpol is undoubtedly a solid effort, but solid shouldn't be satisfying for a band that has proved to possess the talent of indie rock's elite class.

The Thermals may not change your life, as Harris promises on the opener, but they keep on issuing front-to-back fun albums like few other bands.

The album, which comes in 10- and 18-track editions, sounds better on paper than in reality. But there is the odd moment-such as "Railroad to Heaven," with Solomon Burke at his God-fearing best-that rises above its creditable but decidedly rote surroundings.

Sara Bareilles returns with more bouncy and intricate piano melodies on her sophomore album

There are enough brains and brawn to make this an "Asylum" any head-banger would be crazy to avoid.

Bingham's writing is filled with stark images and canny observations, which is evident on such tracks as "Self-Righteous Wall" and album opener "The Poet." Look for this gifted young artist's star to keep rising.

The set has a fullness and energy-not to mention an arsenal of layered guitars-that give it the kind of muscle we haven't heard from the band in quite some time.

The lyrical focus, along with raw production and eclectic instrumentation (including mandolin, strings and autoharp), give the 10-song set a heat that's honest and personal, but not quite the riveting bearing of souls that Heart is known for.

Strange Weather, Isn't It? is not life-altering fare, but the album's 40 minutes of club-approved funk-rock signals another noteworthy entry in the band's discography.

While Fantasia delivers a soulful, laid-back album with tinges of gospel, her distinct voice is most enjoyable when singing heartfelt ballads.

Comprising eight new songs plus There Goes My Baby, the new set alternately bumps and throbs as a reinvigorated Usher further paves his comeback path.

The set may not feel as catchy as Ra Ra Riot's well-received debut, but fans should appreciate the band's musical growth.

For all the pomp and watermelon costumes, Perry is primarily a smart and personal pop songwriter. And Teenage Dream shows-in carefully selected spots-that she's ready to grow up.

The 12-track set plows some new ground for Little Big Town, from the way Karen Fairchild and Jimi Westbrook's duet intertwines with the group harmonies on the title track to the traditional country flavor of "You Can't Have Everything" and the bluegrass tinge on "Little White Church."

With production by Joe Barresi (Coheed and Cambria, Queens of the Stone Age) and Howard Benson (Three Days Grace, My Chemical Romance), Apocalyptica continues to impress with its unique ability to meld classical with metal.

The delicately crafted "Coming Home" is Maiden's most effective power ballad ever, while "The Man Who Would Be King" delivers a slice of medieval mayhem. And the jam section during the cut "Isle of Avalon" suggests a metal take on the Grateful Dead. With all that, The Final Frontier boldly goes where few metal bands have gone before.

The Beach Boys mastermind's dip into the world of George & Ira Gershwin is a love's labor that makes plenty of sense and opens up at least a few of the tunes to illuminating interpretations.

The sense of abandonment hinted in the title of David Gray's second album in less than a year, Foundling, could be a reference to the work's minimalist nature.

Although Darker My Love implements a laid-back style on Alive As You Are, the group still engages the listener and delivers a solid set.

Every ounce of pain and acceptance rings true, not only through his raw vocal virtuosity but also thorough very live, immediate-sounding production that leaves deliberate, closely guarded space in otherwise active arrangements.

Clearly, Kem isn't self-conscious about his love of love--and we love him for it.

The country veteran's first album for Toby Keith's Show Dog label seems well-suited to Keith's manly-man worldview.