Highlights the band at its most exploratory.

Kinsella carefully enunciates his lyrics to make sure we hear all the clever references he's making, forcing SAT words into musical phrases that stagger under the weight of their pretense.

And though she may be running in place lyrically, her melodies have never been keener and her vocals grow richer and more confident with each release.

Grand Mal takes a connoisseur's approach to classic rock, and when it works, the best of Bad Timing can stand tall next to its forefathers.

Beggar Boys may not change anyone's view of the band, but it is another strong outing in what is turning into a pretty consistent body of work.

An invigorating mix of spacey dub, seventies funk, eighties big-beat electro, old school hip-hop and even early Prince, Father Divine is Ladd's most lyrically accessible and sonically enjoyable album to date.

They are a lot more inspired-sounding than many of their more contemporary-sounding colleagues.

A shot of raw psych rock that's as adventurous as it is accessible.

The results are not for the faint of heart – beats stutter uncomfortably, disappear without warning, and practically scratch out the walls of your speakers from the inside.

As a bridge over the analog/digital divide, Chapel's a bit behind the curve. But, when they hit their marks, Weatherall and Tenniswood's versatility shines through.

For pure intensity and soul, Damage is now THE album in the Blues Explosion catalog, and essential listening at that.

The album as a whole isn't interesting enough lyrically or musically to hold itself together.

[Disc 1 is] a revealing, if not quite essential, portrait of the artist.... [Disc 2 is] an inventive, rewarding look at the Pixies esteemed catalogue.

Zilla delivers a cleverly orchestrated junket of joyful raucousness and synth whirls.

George has an indistinct voice somewhere between Suzanne Vega and Cat Power. Her lyrics are not mind-blowing, but not at all banal.

More hypnotically dark gems.

With his merely efficient playing, Mould never reaches the highs of electric ecstasy he perfected in his heyday.

Nothing's Lost is heavier, denser and in its best moments, verges on pop nirvana.

The record's glossy sheen and sharp nostalgia give it a calculated, lab-constructed feel.

An interesting, if flawed work.

A puzzling release.

While the structured nature of [Looks At The Bird] is likely to hold your attention longer than the static and hum of Brokeback's last release, Morse Code in the Modern Age, the lack of challenge often detracts from the fulfillment that comes with a difficult listen.

It's all Around You isn't their best -- or most challenging -- work, but it's a sign the band is still making music in a bubble.

In a way CVB's New Roman Times is on par career-wise with Rush's 2112 - well, minus the klezmer anyway.

[They] could have easily narrowed the selections from their debut into a three song EP, or possibly even a single. In nixing eight or more of the songs from Underwater Cinematographer, the band would've also cut down on all the annoying shouting, half-melodies, pompous song structures and garbled lyrics.

The band continuously recycles itself into a feeble mass.

When layers of choir-boy vocals are added to the group's singing ("Hun Joro"), when feeble, naturalistic sounds are used in questing improvisations ("Sigur Ros"), or when acoustic instruments coalesce with a swath of electronics ("Dogun"), you'll find your jaw on the floor, too, stunned as ever.

All in all it's not the noise rush we were craving - and no, it's not as good as Source Tags - but did anyone really think it could be?