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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

Know Your Enemy loses all its momentum when Manic Street Preachers decide that they have something to say.

It's the lighthearted nature of it all that makes it work so well...

What's most striking is simply that they are able to take such a drastically different tack with this album and still end up sounding like the same band.

Emotionally generous to the point of near biography, the Red House Painters win over listeners with their ability to dress even the most depressing song in lyrical warmth...

If a weak link exists it's only that the surprises are few, but in reality it's for that very reason that Cole's music is so comfortable.

A flawless blend of acoustic-turns-into-fuzz guitar work and backbeat rhythms that create the aural equivalent of fog.

This album is nothing but a parade of their '70s and '80s hard rock influences worn proudly on their sleeves. And for that, rock 'n' roll fans should be grateful. Time Bomb is one romping anthem after another almost clear through to the end, a "hidden" piano ballad that serves only further cement the band's status as a throwback to the days of overwrought arena rock.

On God Says No, Monster Magnet sounds more simply like a cross between Soundgarden and any of a dozen longhaired stoner rock bands.

The material is perfectly suited to Hammond's subtle syncopation and sauntering vocals. The warmth of the recording makes it seem all the more like listening to a master storyteller sharing tales that have been passed down through generations.