Hansard stayed close to his previous musical muses and stylistic choices, leaving his debut solo effort feeling like a continuation of prior efforts, rather than a foray into new material.

Alicia Keys’ third studio album is an exercise in tightening the screws.

Thankfully, for Morrison, the joy still comes from the journey, and the Magic Time is the time when he’s still striving, wandering and ?ghting off complacency.

While Bones isn't as instantly accessible as its predecessor, it certainly provides more to mull over.

With this typically solid effort, Blackalicious seems torn between “saving” the game and playing it, and if the trend continues on future efforts, it seems as if assimilation will trump revolution yet again.

In many ways, Battle Born will live up to everything you wish of it, just not every Lanois-Lillywhite-and-O'Brien-helmed second.

And It Shook Me may not be a game-changer, but what it does show is a group attempting to shed the shackles of its influences and take one step closer to embracing its own identity. And that’s something that should be admired.

Grand’s euphonious opening tracks don’t disappoint, particularly the jubilant single 'Daylight,' which is so good it warrants a closing remixed version.

Keeper gets repetitive at times, but Doe's passion never sounds rote.

It's hard to imagine a less tortured singer/songwriter than this guy. [Oct 2006, p.75]

It's highly expressive songwriting, and Millan... has the lyrics to match. [Sep 2006, p.75]

Frequently too safe and polite for its own good. [Oct 2006, p.72]

That said, Aesop Rock’s album is all the better for his apparent hard-headedness, consisting as it does of occasional bouts of self-mythologizing meant to arouse curiosity while simultaneously knocking the cluetrain off its tracks and, of course, paeans to the ubiquitous Sucka MCs among us.

The album sags in its center, with the hooks present and effective, but without immediacy or remarkable sonics to maintain the opening’s momentum.

The [anti-war] track hits so hard, in fact, that it renders much of the other material inconsequential.

Body Music shows R&B continuing to expand its scope, stealing the cues of hip-hop and electronic music, which draw strength from their omnivorous appetites.

11 killer-no-filler songs that steer through the '70s and early-'80s and veer from fist-pumping anthems to mid-tempo good-time rock, all with an ear for a killer pop hook.

Although the sparkling production of Empires doesn't allow for much in the way of nuance or detail, Snow Patrol still attacks the choruses of "You Are" and "The Weight Of Love" with enough oomph that you can already hear the stadium sing-a-longs.

It provides a fine overview of The Decemberists' oeuvre, but this live set adds little to an understanding or appreciation of their music overall.

Academy is an ambitious album. Unfortunately, it lacks in the final burst of tenacity needed to alleviate the aural blue balls it conjures.

While there are some fine moments on the recording, one is often left wishing that the duo had chosen to delve deeper into the acoustic soundscapes that they excel at rather than exploring the edges of confessional pop music as they do here.

What's new is the sense of glory that pervades the madness. [Aug 2006, p.94]

High Noon may not necessarily break through the American market, but is worth a listen for its consistently catchy Canadian pop rock.

Deerhoof has forged yet another delightfully odd pop gem, multifaceted and sparkling with creativity. [Oct/Nov 2005, p.147]

Fortunately, while the pairing produces a mawkish or awkward moment here and there, 'Sno Angel Like You ulitmately captures the unique mixture of ugliness and beauty Gelb has strived to achieve throughout his career. [Apr/May 2006, p.115]

While Rehab doesn't represent the top of Ghostface's game, the MC's approach is as viable as ever.

Staggered between full-on rockers like "Needle Time," "There’s A Story In Your Voice", and "Bedlam," the softer material sounds excessively genteel.

While not as great a leap in style or maturity, The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me showcases more of what's great about the grown-up Brand New. [Feb 2007, p.60]

Even if a few experiments fall flat, on the rest of Youth Novels Li is as witty and self-possessed, even if most of her songs brutally document her emotional masochism.

It would’ve been nice to have more live material. ... We can look at Terror Twilight as the sound of Pavement coming unglued, but we can also hear the music as the sound of a band holding together—just barely well enough—to transcend their limitations and out-do themselves one last time.

These songs are more melodically direct, sonically dynamic and lyrically probing. [Apr 2007, p.60]

In the end, Feeling shows just how delicate the balances are that Mirah is capable of striking, and how fine-tuned a song’s mechanics must be in order for it to work properly.

At this point in the game, all those influences and touchstones have jelled into a sound that's both easily identifiable and quite unique, and though it's still occasionally jarring in its schizophrenia, it's one that manages to be consistent on its own terms.

Delicate despite being epic. [Aug/Sep 2005, p.130]

This is Gough's most succinct album to date--fluid, eloquent and timeless. [Nov 2006, p.79]

It's a welcome surprise that such a young, albeit already well-received, talent can further the analog-digital love affair, minus excessive pretension or mimicry. [Apr/May 2005, p.141]

Represents a step forward. [Oct/Nov 2005, p.139]

Unfortunately, Marshall's own authenticity is too frequently obscured by the album's "authentic" arrangements. [Feb/Mar 2006, p.92]

A marvelous mess. [Feb/Mar 2006, p.111]

As is typical of Thornburn's music, Arm's Way must be approached with an open mind.

Warren shows enough moments of brilliance to make the cycle worthwhile for her audience. And the lasting impression is that even better songs are still to come.

Finds her instantly accessible sound evolving at a satisfying pace. [Aug/Sep 2005, p.130]

Mars still plays the sweetheart card well, but he's proven himself way more interesting as a badass.

Perhaps the album's sides are the opposite of what they initially seem: even when gripping a weapon in his hand, Harper chooses to sing quiet, pacifistic songs of love, while he finds the courage truly to speak his mind only when staring down the barrel of a loaded gun. [Apr/May 2006, p.104]

Deerhunter has graduated, by degrees, from conjuring moods to writing proper songs, and fourth album Halcyon Digest finds Bradford Cox and company strip-mining new aural territory and toeing the line between structure and abstraction.

While Whole New Mess may not be the same grand statement as All Mirrors, it also isn’t trying to be. Even when playing the same songs, Olsen’s performance alone leans into different emotional textures than the music she plays with her full band, and though this may not be the finest example of her solo work, it remains a distinct testament to the stylistic range of one of today’s most compelling singer/songwriters.

Despite its moments of lethargy, Love & Desperation quakes with an energy that’s simultaneously exhausting and gratifying.

Complex yet catchy, lush yet groomed, and organically digital, The Magic Position is how pop radio must sound to the brutally insane. [May 2007, p.63]

It's a voice both genuine and pure, and when she keeps the stylized pitter-patter to a minimum, the effect is downright touching-much like La Grande itself.

Pipes Of Peace as a whole isn’t a masterpiece by any stretch. There are songs that drag the album down, but there’s also a bevy of material with enough meat to make it a hearty collection.

A rough, intriguing fit. [Apr/May 2006, p.101]

Friend and Foe compensates for its occasional melodic malaise with its vigorous, exploratory prosody.

The result is their most mature and polished LP to date.

Throughout her new band, the Mynabirds’, soul-country debut, her voice tends to hover above simple, mid-tempo numbers, though the best moments highlight its new-found nuances.

The sound is more psychedeli-danceable than ever.

Undeniably and increasingly danceable. [#16, p.148]

Perfectly ragged and wholly entertaining throughout. [Oct/Nov 2005, p.131]

Hot Chip is that rare band able to seamlessly meld its disparate elements. [Sep 2006, p.82]

Sad, sweet and mature as ever, the Pernice Brothers keep twisting their emotional kaleidoscope to great effect.

A chaotic mix of gorgeous T. Rex acoustic reveries, cheeky Stones-inflected rockers and studio-jam goofiness. [Apr 2007, p.55]

On close-enough inspection, it proves to be a gamble pays off, at least for listeners with the patience to allow the music to reveal itself over time.

It's a welcome, bliss-smacked comeback. [#13, p.121]

A fitting farewell to a distinctive voice silenced too early.

Underneath the Rainbow finds the band straying from that place. Black Lips were probably the last band you’d expect to sound complacent, and now it’s becoming difficult to remember what made them so special in the first place.

The contrast between style and intent has an amusing effect on the listening experience; Gold Past Life’s material spans years, but the record breezes by its 39-minute duration. Time flies when you’re mulling over your life choices.

As much as some of the songs on Wine Dark Sea fail to reach the level of some of her previous efforts, Jolie Holland deserves praise for the risks she took with it.

Although the slower 1 Hopeful Rd. likely won’t affect Vintage Trouble’s exuberant live performances or reputation, they’d do better to return to their high-energy recordings.

Perfect for a top-down ride to the beach. [Aug/Sep 2005, p.115]

As ambitious as this album is, there's a surprising lack of anguish on display. [Apr 2007, p.54]

On Chemical Chords, there’s nothing in the 14 pleasant-sounding tracks that we haven’t heard them sing about--in breathy, jazz-cat-inflected French--several dozen times before.

A fine collection from a distinct band. [Feb/Mar 2006, p.105]

Mostly, Imaginary Man sounds like Baxter composing a conscious push to the mainstream. It’s just that his previous, strange, and wanderlusting alter-ego seems to capture more curiosity.

As sophisticated as these songs are, it's The M's' offhanded performance that really sells them, giving Future Women the feel of a particularly solid live show. [Apr/May 2006, p.111]

The mellower arrangements are impeccable and classy. [Apr/May 2006, p.101]

Listening to the surfer/artist’s third album is like sitting on a barstool alongside a good friend, knocking back pints and rappin’ it down about, y’know, life and whatever.

While it lacks the churn or drama of his earlier work or the dour intensity of Sea Change, it’s an album remarkable in its consistent, pleasant above-averageness, punctuated by bursts of true genius.

Vive La Void sits credibly and comfortably alongside the rest of this indie-psych power couple’s incredible (and growing) catalog.

It makes me want to evaporate the self and distill it just as Callahan distilled Dream River’s eight songs into these new amoeba-fluid, shape-shifting dub versions.

Declaration of Dependence offers a sense of cohesion their previous albums don’t, a complete story through melody.

This is the Indigo Girls at their best.

The likeable elements of Free Reign are too slight and too familiar to overcome the growing sense of inertia.

If your mood is right and you're able to put yourself in the proper headspace, the effect can b e dazzlingly rich and beautiful. [Feb/Mar 2006, p.111]

In some ways, the too-slick production on Wrecking Ball is a scrim that allows Springsteen to compensate for his social detachment from his working-class subjects while perhaps convincing himself that he's giving the people what they want-a big rock record.

A pleasurable, spun-sugar confection. [Oct/Nov 2005, p.122]

Missteps aside, No, Virginia is a solid effort that proves there’s more depth to the Dolls then just pancake makeup and vampy lingerie.

Leaders Of The Free World would seem by-the-book Brit rock, if it weren't for Guy Garvey. Gruff but generous, with a voice like Peter Gabriel minus the ego, Garvey masters the role of sensitive frontman by staying grounded. [Feb/Mar 2006, p.104]

The material is as hit-and-miss as previous TFC records, but this is the liveliest disc the band has put out since Bandwagonesque in 1991. [#16, p.134]

The Music has cranked propulsive garage psychedelia to stadium-rock decibels. [#14, p.127]

Van Occupanther feels like a contrarian response to so many bands copping from ’60s psych-pop and ’80s New Wave while leaving out everything in between.

Other Nashville all-stars-Lee Ann Womack ("I'm a Honky Tonk Girl"), Carrie Underwood ("You're Lookin' at Country"), and Reba McEntire ("If You're Not Gone Too Long")--contribute perfectly adequate performances, and Miranda Lambert plows duet partner Sheryl Crow into the ground with her saucy delivery on "Coal Miner's Daughter," which features a cameo by Miss Loretta herself. Still, most of the disc's highlights come from those outside of the country genre.

A terrific treat for the faithful and a fine portal for Mogwai newbies. [Apr/May 2005, p.127]

Intricate and atmospheric. [Feb/Mar 2006, p.102]

Each note has a purpose, and every musician playing or singing is doing a magnificent job bringing it to life.

It sounds like they've never left, with many recurring tropes.

Night Thoughts is still a good album, but it lacks the vitality of its predecessor. Even if this works a bit more as a full statement, the songs on Bloodsports were better.

There are some great songs to be found on the record, even for a stubborn folk-rock enthusiast.

Barlow fails to write an indie rock standard, something he usually manages once per album, but EMOH still exceeds expectations.

Price has definitely upended expectations, by gutting her way through the disappointment, self-doubt and financial peril of a musician hoping for a break. She’s earned hers, to be sure, but That’s How Rumors Get Started suggests that she’s still getting her bearings after such a tumultuous ride.