Ray at last gives full voice to her riot grrrl urges, and if the CD isn't exactly combustible, it does evoke the spirit of such Ray heroes as Husker Du and mid-period Replacements.

God Bless the Blake Babies is a return to the simpler sounds of honey-infused indie rock.

A sophomore album that actually lives up to its hype.

An expert balance of vintage Aerosmith and more contemporary stylings.

Borland neither plays the kind of hip-hop-rock Bizkit fans would want, nor the Van Halen-esque guitar-rock some Bizkit-haters might have hoped for.

By assembling a heavyweight lineup of talent to support -- including soul legend Bobby Womack, the Congos, and the Pharcyde -- Rae & Christian set lofty aspirations and, more often than not, reach them.

Floats, captivates, and repulses simultaneously.

But the Dave Matthews Band retains one essential ingredient that transcends Everyday's calculated pop: Dave Matthews. With his sassy, unassuming swagger, unique vocal delivery, and blatant sexual urgency, Matthews carries the load amply...

Rather than the classic R&B soul sound that Knight, backed by the Pips, took to the top of the charts earlier in her career, At Last references RB's new urban sounds.

Cydonia breaks little new ground.

The album has no filler, no played-out skits or weak collaborations. Instead, Crown Royal exhibits the energy, grooves, and phatness of a future hip-hop classic.

But for all these guests and all of Silkk's versatility, My World, My Way still suffers from the same formulaic production -- all bleating synths and skittering drum programs -- that makes all No Limit productions seem indistinguishable.

Mirwais lays down grooves that aren't even sensual; they're rambunctiously horny.

Spoon's 1998 album, A Series of Sneaks, was a near-perfect blend of elementary rock, sharp lyrics, and hooky melodies. On the band's just-released follow-up album, Girls Can Tell, the group manages to build upon the greatness of its previous effort.

Fixed Context is a prime example of mutable sound, which is to say, songs that are less about structure than direction.

Throughout Standards, Tortoise takes the listener on mini-journeys into sound that alternately shimmer, contort, seduce, and confound...

An album that takes a dramatic leap forward from the wafer-thin reggae he was peddling on his debut album...

A funny and engaging spoken-word collection from a man who's done enough of them to know what works.

Boy George's Essential Mix certainly is unsettling, but only because of its sheer, unexpected brilliance -- which perhaps should not be so surprising, considering George is now a veteran performer on the decks.

But, despite the added highlights of obscure noise effects and spaced-out keyboards, you can't help but notice that the music seems, at times, to lose a bit of momentum on certain tracks, serving as merely a backdrop for Malkmus' spontaneous bursts of guitar improvisation and catchy hooks.

A short, razor-sharp set...

Low has crafted a recording that exceeds its own high standards of creativity, harmony, and subtlety.

The performances aren't much different from the studio versions beyond an extra dose of guitar grit, so this is mostly a case of tossing a bouquet to Luna collectors.

Guitar-heads will automatically buy this, but it also deserves to reach any audiences excited by imaginative music working outside commercial boundaries.

Like John Mellencamp and Bruce Springsteen, Stewart has done a reasonably good job of making his music millennium-friendly without alienating aging baby boomers for whom the occasional Tom Waits cover is adventure enough.

It's obvious right from the start that Vitamin C is going for a sexier, vampier, and more grown-up image on More... But for all of her provocative lyrics and musical innuendoes, Vitamin C doesn't necessarily make a convincing argument that the change is a positive one.

Fortunately, the energy and enthusiasm with which the seven tunes are hashed out here makes them compelling enough to render the miserly production inconsequential...

Dolly Parton has at last returned to her musical home and, boy, are the neighbors ever grateful. That "home," of course, is Kentucky bluegrass music and the melancholy acoustic strains of the Appalachian Mountains.