Beck's taken everything he's good at and made it better.

Sure, sanitary party jams like "Switch" will get the PTA meeting rocking, but there's just no getting around Smith's insipid rhymes.

While their sound is decidedly of the moment (Bloc Party, the Killers, et al), their songs are undeniably catchy as all get-out.

The B. Coming attempts to document the emotional upheaval Sigel went through during his trial and conviction, but from the start the sober moral tone and forced gospel choruses make it obvious the MC's mind is on other matters.

Like the Streets or Dizzee Rascal, Arulpragasam's beats are minimal, but tracks such as "Pull Up the People" make use of every ounce of groove as tight, crisp synth lines backing her catchy raga delivery.

The Alternative to Love is tipped to be his big breakthrough album, and it's easy to see why. It's full of bright '70s power-pop choruses, infectious guitar riffs and the kind of laid-back breeziness that suggests most of these songs came to him in his sleep.

What sets Silent Alarm apart, however, is the presence of singer Kele Okereke, who has a dazzlingly elastic voice like the Cure's Robert Smith.

A few moody moments work, but this CD should come with a warning sticker that reads vacant.

Lullabies to Paralyze explodes with tight, meaty riffs, enormous pop melodies and vocals that seem to come from outer space.

Best Little Secrets Are Kept pays homage to the fairer gender with punchy glam-rock guitars, winking double entendres and Hill's swaggering Rocky Horror Picture Show-style vocals.

Employment is thrilling from beginning to end, packing in 45-minutes of exuberant Britpop melodies, na-na-na choruses and buzzsaw guitars that make Franz Ferdinand look like a bunch of stiffs.

If imitation is the biggest form of flattery, everyone involved in the Manchester scene circa 1988 will be smiling ear to ear when they hear Kasabian.

Fortunately, Fiddy's rhymes are a riot, and Dr. Dre's production is as golden as ever.

Some Cities brims with confidence, as the band delivers a mix of Motown rhythms and windswept melodies with unblinking force.

If you've got the time to dig in, Frances the Mute proves a cohesive, intricate and expertly layered experience.

The sophisticated retro-pop sound, dreamy melodies and soft electronic beats of Ivy do more to further international relations than any George W. Bush visit could ever hope to.

It says a lot about an album when the best song, "Get Right," is actually a leftover from Usher's Confessions.

There's a little reggae touch here, some mild folk there, but mostly Johnson just excels at creating gentle background music that sways like the waves and feels twice as cool.

Now the melodies are sharper, the scissor kicks are higher and the grooves are, er, groovier.

Somewhere in here, there's a lovely, compact, cohesive little album. It just takes a little too much digging to find it.

The disc's simple melodies and slightly dated alt-rock sound are unlikely to change his fortunes anytime soon.

It works brilliantly.

Shows the SoCal outfit mining the same bright pop-rock riffs that are being done better by the younger kids today.

It's killer stuff for any frame of mind.

One man has made a beautifully subtle magic in his bedroom studio--and it will be heard on The O.C. in no time.

Amazingly solid.

Sometimes it sounds like he's trying too hard.

Suffers from many of the same problems that tripped up its predecessor: too many skits, too few ideas and a voice that is neither hard nor particularly flowery.