What's lacking, though, is context.

Their album is little more than thirty minutes and eleven versions of the same song. But damn if that one song isn't a good one.

With all that studio experience and expertise, Garbage inevitably sounds slicker than a bobsled track. But it can become a little too slick: the flawless sound often only exposes and exacerbates their shortcomings as writers.

Adam's milked a meaty, soulful rock album out of the band…and it is good.

For all her concern with the power of language, she seems to forget that in music, that language loses strength exponentially with each layer of music added.

Bold forays into gospel, R&B and even a little soul (complete with ooh-oohing singers backing Burgess) display a far reaching confidence that rises as the album reveals itself to be not only something swimming in classic influences, but also a path-carving groove maker that falls in line with the likes of Stereo MCs and Jamiroquai.

Alison Krauss & Union Station has a voice like honey, raw and honest and sweet, and she wraps it lovingly around these achy ballads and American Gothic lamentations.

Closer is classic BTE: hopeful melodies, lead singer Kevin Griffin's uniquely sweet voice, enough pop to make you sing along and smile but thoroughly substantial and rewarding.

It's not a bad record, by any stretch.... but The Crystal Method are still falling shy of the bar set by the Fatboy Slims and the Chemical Brothers of the world.

And the songs are catchy, yes. Just not so catchy that you're already singing along with them the first time you hear them.

He's arriving a bit late to the party, as his union of the electronic and organic is yesterday's news to anyone residing within a few miles of the cutting edge.

There are times when a few rough edges might make these songs more compelling.

Not as immediate as Keep It Like A Secret, or as unified on the sonic surface, but with enough patience, Ancient Melodies of the Future resonates on a level that connects the band's body of work, while also taking it a step further.

The compositions are sharp enough to cleanly burrow themselves into the subconscious; only to rise up at the most unexpected moments and potentially leave you wondering where you heard that funky little beat.

The White Stripes' songs are so strong, so deliciously simple, it's genius.

The album is often angular, odd, and unpredictable, but always contributing to a relaxed atmosphere.

Taken only for what it is, Gorillaz is an engaging, if not entirely arresting, journey through sluggish mood rock and jazzy hip-hop. Taken for what it aspires to be, though, it's more disappointing than awe-inspiring...

It's impressive enough that Wainwright doesn't have the whole orchestra playing at once. But his well thought out arrangements are only the finishing touches on songs that would have held up even if he was given little more than a guitar and a pocket tape recorder to work with.

Much of the time, Amnesiac ends up sounding more like a work in progress than the band's crowning opus.

Like Radiohead with Kid A, Air benefits greatly here from the extra slack given only to those somehow deemed "artists" rather than mere musicians. Coming from almost anyone else, this album would end up in the trash heap long before it had a chance to sink in.

Though not in the same league as Some Great Reward or Violator, Exciter is a solid effort and refreshing reminder of the variety of pop music.

What this album lacks in a standout track it makes up for in consistency.

Rather than dwell on tragedy or sulk through an album of moodier blues, they deliver a batch of radio-friendly tunes reminiscent of their commercial breakthrough, Four.

Placebo's indie-glam rock fusion still sounds on CD like a good idea, and little more.

Survivor is the type of record R&B and pop have been missing since the fade out of such modern predecessors En Vogue.

It's not a perfect album, and it's second half plays too openly with synth pop elements. The subtle beats and loops feel forced. But it has its moments of beauty, its songs worth listening to more than once.

Turin Brakes' music consists largely of the same kind of contemplative minor key laments that one might hope to hear from Elliott Smith...

Ultimately, there's a lot to be said about G Love's consistency and the way that amid a steadfast formula he never fails to feel fresh.