While McGraw may not be the greatest of warblers, nobody in country can touch him at conveying emotions too deep to express in words.

We Were Dead... is denser than its predecessor with tunes that seem willfully harder to penetrate.

Seal never goes all out in any direction and this coolness, combined with Trevor Horn’s perfectionist production, plants the album inescapably in the realm of adult contemporary (although this is as good as adult contemporary gets).

Duff edges ever closer to adult sensibilities; her goofball Lizzie McGuire days seem far behind.

He's an expert at creating mesmerizing, sophisticated pop.

Compared to ambitious contemporaneous concept albums by peers such as Common and the Roots, Quality feels unexpectedly conventional--a strong collection of songs in need of a unifying force.

All in all, this is a calmer Truckers set, less ragged and more polished.

You'd buy this album for the same reason you buy Robyn Hitchcock, for the observations, sardonic-ism, and sarcasm--not to mention Eef's singular, strained voice.

Although this isn't the masterpiece that the self-titled Black Mountain disc was, it certainly gives devotees lots more music to listen to until their next disc comes around.

The album sags in spots, and McGraw and his coproducers misstep in adding faux R&B vocal washes here and there. But this is a good, solid effort to make music and not just the radio charts.

Beneath this band's graceful posturing lies a deep discontent and anger, but band lyricist Michael Timmins manages to once again turn that gentle simmering fury into poetic grandeur.

He sounds rushed, like he doesn't have time for too much tinkering. This is a good thing.

Hope of the States pull off the commendable trick of twisting avant-garde apocalyptica into bona fide pop songs. [Amazon UK]

As before, he continues to flawlessly integrate straight-ahead, unforced vocals into a riproaring sound.

As with the band's other releases, the music inspires clear feelings of love and hate.

The result is an energetic paean to the Cars' power-pop heritage, capturing the band's classic feel-good vibe with all cynical subtexts intact.

As an album, it probably won't spawn any MTV-hogging video classics--certainly, that was never the intention--but Finn fans in search of a mellow listen should find Everyone Is Here hits all the right buttons.

Songs like "Baby Come On" and the spooky "Little Death" show the musicians finally delivering the substance that was promised on Blink 182's self-titled 2003 release.

Like its predecessor, Genesis, this album is sonically superior to most in the marketplace.

Garcia and company wear their '80s influences proudly throughout, yet bring enough fresh ideas to the mix to avoid being mere slaves to precious retro-fashion.

Ozomatli serve up a rhythmically seething musical mélange that serves as virtual mirror to the dizzying cultural contradictions at the heart of their Los Angeles hometown.

Lost Highway isn't "Bon Jovi goes country" so much as a meaningful tribute to the Nashville ethos done on their own terms.

Ripe rides a similar vibe to 2005's "Awake Is the New Sleep": quick-and-dirty pop melodies polished with chiming guitars, piano fills, and Lee's exuberant, boyish vocals.

If you're over 21, file souljaboytellem.com under guilty pleasures. If you're younger, let it rip without reservation.

Without a doubt the most challenging collection of music she has ever released.

As a player, his bold, midrange-heavy tone complements his most nuanced vocal performances.

The darkest, most mysterious album of his career.

Red Light District has its share of filler, but, track for track, Ludacris still delivers satisfaction.