The first Mouse On Mars album to truly surprise.

This album is to Unwound what Daydream Nation was to Sonic Youth: the application of wild imagination and ruthless harmonies to a more mainstream format, while largely dispensing with their heritage and experiments.

The material is maddeningly inconsistent, sometimes in the course of the same song.

Unlike past efforts, the songs don't overstay their welcome, evoking more smile-enducing moments than one would come to expect from RHP

Possibly a step forward from The Boatman's Call, but far from being a return to form.

Guided By Voices sound more assured than ever before, reflecting on the travails of life in a rock’n’roll band with uncommon honesty and power.

While Live In New York City does nothing to diminish Bruce and his bandmates’ reputation as one of rock history’s finest live acts, it doesn’t offer many listeners a substantial reward for purchase.

In relation to what the Dave Matthews Band is capable of -- or even what they've recorded previously -- it's dreadful.

Little more than infuriatingly lame collaborations.

Their music is as strong as ever and they certainly deserve your attention.

It will remind you that Stephen Malkmus is one hell of a songwriter, whether you like him or not.

Low's most accomplished album yet, if not its most creative.

Dog has a strong, old-school rock and roll feel to it.

The Sophtware Slump more than makes up for its repetitiveness with sheer atmosphere and brilliance.

OutKast are hip hop’s version of Radiohead: the only consistently platinum act concerned with not only pushing the limits of their genre to another level, but moving music as a whole.

Stories is rich with texture and memorable melodies.

As musically far away as it is from OK Computer, the record is actually a logical progression.

Effortless, breathy pop music that you just have to close your eyes and smile to.

This ambient/noise/psychedelic amalgam is limited by tedious repetition and a lack of emotional focus.

Ghost have helped Damon & Naomi reinvent themselves on this dream-pop excursion.

Sounds more like a toss-off by a drunk band in the studio.

While Golden Greats features some intriguing tracks and a healthy dose of Brown's trademark bravado, it doesn't come close to ringing in as powerfully as the Roses' era-defining sound.

Mwng fits right in with their unique vision, and shows that the band can happily and productively work outside of the traditional bounds of the music industry.

SDRE has always flirted with prog-rock machinations, but some of these songs are just too over the top to be written off as experiments in musical nostalgia.

With White Pony, the Deftones have crafted the kind of top-notch album that Tool and Korn have been wanting to make for years.

An absolutely awesome album.

The true strength of Elephant Shoe lies in its transcendent quality, in its ability to sweep you away with its hypnotic beauty and transport you to the heights of your own imagination.

Certainly Blonde Redhead's most accessible yet.