One coup this unexpectedly friendly record makes me miss is when my favorite records used to have a string of highlights as moments rather than memorable refrains.

Playtime is Over, Wiley's third album, is full of tunes long on hookcraft considering their thrifty origins.

Help Wanted Nights may leave longtime fans of Kasher's tension-and-release cold at first, but after repeated listens it probably hangs together better than any other Good Life release.

Autumn Of The Seraphs is more of the same I have come to expect from Pinback--lovely harmonies and catchy hooks, all with an underlying emotional depth.

I Created Disco is not only the title of Harris' full-length debut, it's also the title of a track on the album that threatens to depose Justice from their perch on high.

Liars is an ingenuous reflection of a band in total control of their wild creativity.

It's good to hear our man Aes no longer forgoing pleasure in the pursuit of ambition.

The result is like if "Sam's Town" worked, without a sign of embarrassing wordplay, conceptual grandeur, or annoying moustaches. The words are blessedly innocuous, leaving the grandiosity to the sound alone.

They can't be accused of not making spirited music, but Northern State are still looking for the right words to express their sensible worldview.

Places Like This is right up there with the year's best madcap adventures into dance and rock.

Kala is only received as a political record if you listen up properly. The music itself no longer asserts itself like a militia; it's too calm and more scattered.

Challengers stacks up against the pillar of "Twin Cinema" just fine; it is the more restrained of the two, equally as satisfying, and more stylistically varied.

Every one of the eleven songs attached to Blacklight is a stunner in purely musical terms.

The Dr. of Mathematics has one-upped it with Andorra, keeping all of the earlier album's core sonic qualities while adding layers of heartfelt atmospherics to craft what is not only one of the most mesmerizing and unique albums of the year, but also one of the best.

Imperial Teen have again made one of the best records of the year.

Mentor Tormentor is an inviting listen; it is, among other things, an advanced course in baroque pop and a warm reminder of the thriving music scene in and around their renowned namesake town.

The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter finds namesake and frontman Ritter boldly claiming musical territory with a reinvented sound, turning from the meticulous arrangements and somber ruminations of his previous album to a more daring, moxie-charged approach that yields some of the freshest, most captivating songs of his career.

There are some very danceable tracks on the outfit's second release, but nowhere is there a worldwide hit to be found.

As much as I enjoy Stage Names, it will never be as highly regarded as the comparitavely masterpiece Black Sheep Boy, as the songs lack the depth and magnitude needed to influence a much more musically inclined indie fan base.

The clincher is A Place to Bury Strangers' impressive final quarter: almost structured like a minituarist's 'Zen Arcade,' the nasty pyrotechnics show set off first as a statement of intent, followed by the true songs, and then takeoff is achieved in the denouement with true anthems.

It falls flat, offering little hope for the listener; after a few disappointing rounds of thinking that the next track simply HAS to be solid, the album exits as if it were never really there. Without a doubt, War Stories is the weakest and most disappointing UNKLE release to date.

Is Is will especially appeal to fans who found "Show Your Bones" a little soft. On the other hand, this release should appeal to any and all Yeah Yeah Yeahs aficionados.

Although the new parts of their "new" album aren't the best, the band certainly deserves some praise and attention for the marathon of 2006. The Broken String will be noticed by at least a few people.

Each of the eleven tracks within Grand Animals can be broken down and taken apart as a stand-alone piece--individually they hint at manner of pop rock sounds--but none carries enough weight to eclipse the album.

From start to finish the album is well balanced and well fueled, and while it isn't quite the total package it is certainly a step in the right direction.

On Our Love to Admire that world-weariness goes from strikingly haunting to fairly monotonous.

Spoon has again produced a collage of songs that may be proverbial, but are not paint-by-numbers.

If you want to get in on the ground floor of something good, then check out Cross and see where Justice leads; with cuts like these, it will certainly not take long until they're all over the place, in commercials, on the radio, and on TV.