Occasionally, Memphis' songs coast on an attractive soundscape rather than going for a compositional or lyrical knockout punch. Nevertheless, I Dreamed we Fell Apart is often quite beguiling.

The Radar Brothers have been called "pastoral," "wandering" and "spacey." Their latest, The Fallen Leaf Pages, adds nothing new to this mix of descriptors.

Throughout, Doe strikes just the right balance. He's confident but not arrogant; laid back, yet full of vitality.

Where Corpse works, it's merely a repeat of past successes. The few tentative steps into unfamiliar territory are marked failures.

Like the band's first two albums, Winchester Cathedral is solid. But also like its predecessors, the album suffers from the "Hey, didn't I already hear this song?" syndrome.

Unfortunately, Pole contains no revelations beyond what was revealed in the prior EPs. With this release, Betke calls his own bluff and loses.

fulfilled/complete is thoroughly compelling, until it reaches its closer, "The Dream," and becomes urgent, essential listening.

What the act does offer - chunky dance music with icy vocals that recall Debbie Harry when Dykes is on the mic - sounds great in terms of dance production.

While Waves is not quite a knockout, it delivers some undeniable pleasures nonetheless.

That Kinski succeeds at knocking you over with noise on one album and then killing with you silence on the next is something to marvel at.

Phantom Planet, although obviously representing a group still searching for its sonic niche, nonetheless manages to entertain, perhaps proving there can be life after "California."

A solid collection of the most talked-about bands in the New York underground.

The found sounds on Digital Ash can seem an affected and unnecessary embellishment in certain places.... But in other places they work.

Those who can overlook this slightly dumbed-down approach will find This Island is not without its moments.

A gorgeous, shimmering 40 minutes of music - a sonic road trip through parts unknown.

Ima Robot mines the dark recesses of metal, glam, new wave and electro, meshing its findings without a stitch to produce memorable choruses that stick in your head long after they're gone.

Otto Spooky is designed not so much to be enjoyed as to be a spectacle.

A disarmingly beautiful album.

It's a bit of a disappointment considering the rich subject matter, though Trans Am prove themselves once again masters of their own oblique domain.

The record... is able to maintain a thrilling tension between bright, dream-like songs and an encroaching darkness.

The first pleasant surprise of 2004.

It's funny and smart and a little annoying in large doses.

That's not to say that Love & Distortion is a bad album, just that it's thoroughly average.

The harmonies aren't as blissful and the songs more conventional than those of previous releases.

As hit-and-miss as its 2003 predecessor.

Garnier displays an ability to approximate several genres, yet betrays his fellow travelers by failing to infuse any of them with individuality or innovation.

The punk dominates more than it ever did on its electro-tilted predecessors.

In recasting these wilfully off-kilter tunes and investing them with his trademark warm and inviting melancholia, Mark Kozelek need not be modest: Tiny Cities is a big success.