Kinsella and his crew finally seem to have found a way of expressing themselves that doesn't feel introverted and exclusive.

Green Imagination succeeds because it rarely seems obvious or disingenuous, even as it indulges in copious quantities of shamelessly retro fun.

McNeely and Matz have found their calling and left a lasting impression with this fierce yet fragile album.

A terrific and long-overdue reissue that's sure to satiate established fans as well as the new converts it hopes to earn.

His most compelling, not to mention complete, work to date.

There are some bands who were just meant to be great pop acts -- pop in the George Michael sense, pop in the Fleetwood Mac sense. Phoenix make music that your mom would like, and it's not a bad thing.

Homesongs is his minor key playground, filled with masterpieces in the making. All you have to do to enjoy them is slow... down...

It's all so beautifully simple, especially moody acoustic guitar/piano laments like "Fewer Words", that you almost miss how effective the arrangements are -- gorgeous, heartfelt melodies yield odes to a life that's consistently surprising and alive with optimism.

Unless you're fifteen and were raised with a mouse constantly in hand, the Mae Shi can get overwhelming... but their saving graces (lots of genuine energy, naming their songs things like "Hieronymus Bosch is a Dead Man") charm you into liking them.

This is great stuff, and a significant advance over both of Comets on Fire's previous albums.

Slick, well-constructed and mall-friendly.

Tyrannosaurus Hives has hit garage rock's heart like a huge syringe of adrenaline, and even if it doesn't awaken the hibernating beast, its furious tempest is a blinding final gasp for a genre that has repeatedly rewarded mediocrity.

Sorry I Make You Lush runs on fresh sounds and non-drowsy wit.

This is a big, sprawling, difficult but rewarding album, from a band whose reach exceeds its grasp, but only by a little.

A gleefully cohesive miasma of sound.

It's disappointing to hear them following trends rather than inspiring them.

Soft pop isn't everyone's favorite genre, and there are those who will find Soft Commands too sweet for comfort Still, even at its most pop-friendly moments, there's enough muscle and intelligence here to keep the album from cloying.

The Johns (Linnell and Flansburgh) are firing on all cylinders here, wrapping their suitably obscure and sometimes ethereal humor in the most capable songwriting of their careers.

Despite the band's penchant for uneven electronic dirges, Out Of The Shadow is a very accessible work -- perhaps too accessible for indie enthusiasts who thrive on innovation and sonic exploration.

Sparta seem a bit too retro-focused for their own good.

IATWTC do '80s-influenced dance music the way '80s dance music artists wish they could have.

A gorgeous work of art.

There are too many ambitious singer/songwriter albums out there to easily justify any water-treading.

Magic is liberally scattered throughout the album.

It's as enlightened and as interesting as Ministry has been in years.

It takes Ta Det Lungt a while to lay down its grooves in your head, but once it does, they stay there.

The Real New Fall LP is as solid and interesting as anything the group has released in the last ten years.

The problem is, it all feels a bit contrived.