New Regular Reviews in Music

Pros: Two decent songs
Cons: Terrible use of medium, No alternate renditions

Pros: Very diverse musically.  Fun to listen to.
Cons: None.

Pros: Not quite as hard on the ears as the first album. More lyrics and singing.
Cons: Seems tamer to me than This Heat. Sleep is just not a good number.

Pros: A consistently enjoyable piece of grandiose rock
Cons: May be too much for some

Pros: cello concerto from "Deception"
Cons: vocal bits of "The Sea Hawk" score

Pros: Some good dance music. "Crawl" is a beautiful song.
Cons: Lots of so-so songs and pity parties.  2 disc edition wasn't necessary.

Pros: A near-pefect pop record that blends synth with rock.
Cons: A couple of musically Phil-centric moments.

Pros: Tolerable
Cons: Guest Appearances, Too Much Auto-Tune, The "Britney" Approach

Pros: typical Shakira wackiness, flashes of her "old self", mostly okay transition to dancier material
Cons: Men in This Town, a little all over the place stylistically

Pros: There's some surprisingly good songs that you wouldn't expect Young do have even attempted.
Cons: There wasn't a good reason for those two 10 minute tracks to be so long.

Pros: Mario takes some chances and produces a handful of intriguing songs
Cons: Mario still has no personality and follows current trends a little too closely

Pros: "Urgent" and "Night Life" are pretty good.
Cons: The rest is a snooze-fest.

Pros: Adorable story and surprisingly non-irritating music! Perfect length for this (32 min).
Cons: None that I can find!

Pros: Mix of common and infrequently-collected male vocalists.
Cons: Mostly tired old songs and typical arrangements.

Pros: Brilliantly mixed, great track slection.  Captures the essence of live performances.
Cons: Not the whole set from that night but still great.

Pros: Good vocals, Decent instrumental accompaniment, Lyrics
Cons: Short, Very simple instrumentally

Pros: Top notch rhymes and production, nostalgic 1990s boom bap vibe.
Cons: Too short, missing key clan members.

Pros: The majority of the album is refreshing.
Cons: A few songs are filler and are not consistent with the album's theme.

Pros: Em's flow is typically dynamic.
Cons: Terribly banal.

Pros: The noodling is as dazzling as ever! This is their most entertaining release.
Cons: It doesn't have quite the minblowing moments of the two earlier Mahavishnu albums.

Pros: A near perfect balance of studio wizardry and actual songs. Triumphantly and unapologetically black.
Cons: The stretches of noise and experimentation might trouble some ears. And boy, is it bleak.

Pros: Decent, but average 1980s rock
Cons: There's nothing mindblowing here, and it's definitely not like later MBV releases

Pros: A darker, more haunting Microphones record filled with great composition
Cons: The approach and instrumentation used here probably wouldn't appeal to some listeners

Pros: A blend of intricate beats, varied jazzy melodies and experimental soundscapes.
Cons: Over-tweaking disrupts the ambience occasionally. No mainstream appeal. Some tracks don't work.

Pros: Consistently enjoyable; accessible yet original
Cons: No song strikes me as absolutely stunning

Pros: retro feel to it. the album is a mixture of everything they've done before.
Cons: the new game feel to it: lyrics, 90% dreadful guitar solos.

Pros: Amazing voice, good experimentation, fun listen
Cons: "Shakin' It For Daddy" is officially the worst Thicke track ever.

Pros: Two interesting sonic experiments
Cons: Very short and not really appealing to those accustomed to pop music

Pros: It’s P!nk, great covers, awesome DVD
Cons: The CD is a tiny bit too condensed

Pros: Some classic pop moments. She stepped out of her comfort zone. Slash.
Cons: She's overextending and trying to hard in some spots.

Pros: Great soloing! Great atmospheres!
Cons: Contains a number of slightly dull spots.

Pros: Raekwon's hunger, focus, descriptiveness and flow; strong guest appearances; a handful of beats
Cons: Lack of cohesion/collective power; Dre's beats

Pros: Great voice, Wonderful lyrics, Decent instrumental accompaniment
Cons: SHORT (poor use of the medium).

Pros: Vocals, Production. . . I suppose
Cons: Bland pop-rock, Some truly terrible lyrics, Short

Pros: Incredible voice and passion of David Phelps captured well
Cons: Two songs that didn't work 

Pros: Hansard and Irglova take on a bigger, fuller sound, with remarkable results.
Cons: You may be disappointed if you prefer the more spare, acoustic sounds from "Once."

Pros: Great music, strong lyrics, Ani = greatness.
Cons: While great, the lyrics aren't all that original; same old same old, really.

Pros: A natural and mature expression of deep emotional pain
Cons: It's not exactly a fun listen.

Pros: Surprisingly eclectic; effectively glossy beats; mostly strong first half.
Cons: Overindulgent, unfocused, and simply not as exciting as previous albums.

Pros: Catchy, Simple, Ryan Leslie Is One Mean Producer
Cons: Weak Vocals, Some R&B Throwaways

Pros: Excellent voice, enjoyable songs, good emotion in her vocals
Cons: Sounds like Pink too much at times....song choices often accentuate this.

Pros: There is nothing positive about this record.
Cons: Classless, trashy, musically inane, too comical for words.

Pros: Some surprising musical diversity displayed by dobro player, Jerry Douglas.
Cons: None.

Pros: plenty of Jackson 5 versions of popular - and less familiar - Christmas songs
Cons: a few filler tracks, especially the medley at the end

Pros: Raucous energy and some nifty sonic ideas lift a few standouts above the status quo.
Cons: Switchfoot still hasn't escaped the "vaguely life-affirming" trap. "Yet" and "Red Eyes" are rather boring.

Pros: Great voice
Cons: Short, Familiar, Awkward sound on some songs, Derivative instrumental accompaniment.

Pros: The second cd.
Cons: The first cd.

Pros: Edgy, intense, sexier, the Rated R Rihanna!
Cons: Just 3 small tracks.

Pros: Decent vocals, Some good lyrics, Decent instrumental accompaniment
Cons: Some of her takes are troublesome (to say the least!).

Pros: No Exact Filler, Catchy, Enjoyable
Cons: Nothing Really Special, Maybe A Bit Too Grown-Up For His Age

Pros: several classics; some other sweet country-influenced tunes; cool rhythmic shifts on Words, well-recorded overall
Cons: a couple of throw-aways; lyrics are pretty dark

Pros: An uncompromising, visionary album
Cons: Not for everyone; dense, demanding, and uncompromising

Pros: Fun versions of classic songs but three great original tracks
Cons: The medley of "Away in a Manger/Silent Night"

Pros: These guys are totally dazzling.
Cons: Some tracks lack an emotional connection, but that's a nitpick.

Pros: Production, Performance, Musicianship, Versatile Styles, Dylan Cover, Lyrics, & Vocals.
Cons: Not Up to Par with Jack White's Other Projects.

Pros: Audible cotton candy--no substance, but man, is it fun to consume!
Cons: I'm wondering how long I can stomach the lack of substance. A few dull songs.

Pros: Good recording quality; some alternative elements to the familiar tracks
Cons: How many times can various record producers release the same material from this group?

Pros: A near-perfect guitar pop album
Cons: The Chameleons are tragically one of rock's more under-appreciated bands

Pros: It's definitely unique and quite artistic
Cons: Definitely too experimental both in song composition and album construction for most listeners

Pros: A brilliant modern update on 60s California pop
Cons: None

Pros: Some Strong Tunes, "Everytime" Remains Her Only Artistic Tune
Cons: Hardly Any Contribution To Anything, Enjoyable But Still Filler

Pros: Robin plays the contemporary R&B game better than most. Jay-Z and Snoop aren't bad.
Cons: A couple of lame retreads, idiotic interludes, and the dreadful "Shakin' it for Daddy".

Pros: beautiful, evocative music
Cons: none of the pieces seem particularly relevant to Christmas

Pros: Brilliant use of personal chaos to make a powerful album, Rihanna is compelling and captivating
Cons: "Te Amo" is only okay.  Its a heavy album.

Pros: It's a concise album. Short, but no filler.
Cons: "Speechless" & "Teeth" don't fit the 80s vibe of the album.

Pros: Led Zeppelin are awesome. Duh.
Cons: There are two songs that seem to start getting somewhat boring to me.

Pros:
good themes, layered sound
Cons: some weaker tracks with the good ones

Pros: Just everything. The engaging and varied instrumentals, the beautiful moods and melodies...
Cons: "Can-Utility and the Coastliners" doesn't seem as well executed as the rest.

Pros: Soothing subtleties
Cons: Lack of experimentation with one guest appearance vocals.

Pros: Experimental and beautiful, lyrically haunting, every song is flawless
Cons: This is Elliott's final bow

Pros: 2 Luv Birds, Diamonds, some great melodies, Jazmine Sullivan's back-up vocals
Cons: too guest-heavy, Thicke becomes a parody of himself, not original enough

Pros: Decent vocals, Fun lyrics, Interesting sound
Cons: Repetitive lyrics, Poor use of medium

Pros: The new direction in sound, the lyrics, the hooks.
Cons: A few lame moments, but they are quite miniscule in comparison.

Pros: Fast, raw, old-school metal
Cons: none

Pros: Some really catchy dance music.
Cons: Themes are scattershot. Quality rather inconsistant. More like a 3.5/5 album.

Pros: Very little. A few good hooks.
Cons: Her voice is HORRIBLE. Expensive production with a lack of originality.

Pros:
good ominous mood
Cons:
nothing distinct, low levels

Pros: Tells a story the listener has to create.
Cons: Just a few dull moments in the middle.

Pros: No Godrich, just Hannon throwing a party. Victorian style.
Cons: Not as cohesive as, say, Absent Friends.

Pros: The emotion, the atmosphere, the passion.
Cons: Some really annoying parts. Can't decide if it's melodic or straight-up punk.

Pros: Everything about this album is what makes it so amazing!
Cons: I can't think of anything!

Pros: It's evil, awkward, provocative, primitive and frequently off key. And those are PROS!
Cons: A few spots seem a bit dead to me.

Pros: Her warm voice, good songwriting, accessible but not mundane
Cons: A little long.

Pros: Some creative production...likable if you don't stop to really analyze it.
Cons: Some pretty lame lyrics, creative impulses gone wild.

Pros: huh huh. bugs.
Cons: Leave industrial alone, nu-metal fools.

Pros: Beautiful, uplifting trance, song selection mixing, sense of escape
Cons: None

Pros: Well-written songs that span a variety of moods and sounds.
Cons: A completely unnecessary Beyonce duet.

Pros: Zadok, Inditing, the conqu’ring hero
Cons: less than 43 minutes of music

Pros: Jackie Ryan's singing, great musicians and wonderful songs
Cons: Not one

Pros: A true classic of Christian metal; gripping, original, emotional and musically sound.
Cons: Doesn't quite compare with the musical epic that is their Legend series.

Pros: Fast, fun, catchy, and interesting
Cons: none

Pros: Gangster Lub
Cons: This album is awful, Lack of passion, boring, No Bassing Capabilities

Pros: Some great funky R&B.  Amerie's muscular alto does a great job with those upbeat songs.
Cons: There is still a little too much filler.

Pros: It can calm a baby down, some good tracks
Cons: Not professionally done, Poor Passion, Lack of Full Orchestra

Pros: Great instrumentals, Baby is soothed by this, We like it, Sound Quality
Cons: Its a bit pricey of $17 at baby stores

Pros: Some excellent bass pounding songs, Nelly Furtado shines, Techno/House Beats
Cons: Some Warren G Styled songs that fail, Not as good as Shock Value

Pros: Excellent Condensed Version of Denver’s best
Cons: CD literature not helpful for Epinion; not entirely career spanning

Pros: rich, energetic power pop with artistically baroque arrangements
Cons: can sound a little too cute and twee for some people's tastes

Pros: Catchy, Radio-Ready, Arena Rock Heaven, "Secrets" & "Fear"
Cons: An Extremely Underrated Talent

Pros: Fun Big Band versions of Christmas classics
Cons: Slower tracks don't work that well

Pros: An extremely enjoyable and unique electronic album
Cons: Still not for everyone as it retains some noise/experimental elements

Pros: It's Viking Folk Death Metal from Finland!
Cons: If you wanted to see them, they came and went. They were awesome!

Pros: Amorphis sets sagas from Finland to progressive metal music on Tales from the Thousand Lakes.
Cons: The death vocals are at times hard to understand.

Pros: music, chorus
Cons: that the oratorio isn't better known and more frequently performed

Pros: moments that hint at more than meets the eye, his success opens doors for others
Cons: generic, a mash-up of every current trend in r&b, boring

Pros: Consistently great vocals, Competent instrumental accompaniment, Some amazing songs, Great historical value, Duration
Cons: Some obscure songs (but that's the point!)

Pros: The quintessential blaxplitation soundtrack -- remastered in 24-bit sound (plus a bonus track!).
Cons: None that I can think of.

Pros: A good representation of the band's most prolific years
Cons: The early singles are missing, "Sour Puss" is a little weak

Pros: Josh Groban is the best singer, Classical Music, Tabernacle Choir
Cons: Little Drummer Boy and I'll be Home for Christmas

Pros: Great production, arrangement, musicianship and songwriting. No filler.
Cons: Steve Wilson's lyrics are the weakest aspect of Porcupine Tree. But they are generally acceptable.

Pros: Utterly beautiful in places, entertaining cover art, musically adept
Cons: Thematically odd, purposely impenetrable, thus mostly meaningless lyrics

Pros: The brilliant "Sahara" and "Savannah"... and there's honestly nothing bad here.
Cons: A bit short on content; sounds too similar to older, better RK songs at times.

Pros: the Circus track
Cons: most everything else

Pros: read the review
Cons: read the review

Pros: Production, Guest Musicians, Musicianship, Arrangements, Lyrics, Covers, & Vocals.
Cons: Last Track Might Bewilder Some Listeners.

Pros: some great tracks
Cons: Tommy Lee is missing!

Pros: some great songs that will get stuck on your head
Cons: Nothing I can really think of

Pros: chorus, orchestra, soloists, interpretation, recording
Cons: nothing of any significance

Pros: humble tone of the album, new musicians to explore, Calling It Christmas
Cons: it's a re-release with six tracks missing

Pros: Catchy, Melodic, Experimenting With Sounds, "I See You"
Cons: Still Impersonating At Times, Still A Bit Annoying

Pros: outstanding harmonies, lots of previously unreleased material, Santa's Beard
Cons: a couple of songs that grate a bit, four versions of Little Saint Nick

Pros: Outstanding vocalizations smartly bring the spirit of Christmas.
Cons: A few of the tracks aren’t as sophisticated as their other songs.

Pros: very occasional moments that earned a chuckle from me
Cons: offensive, profane, gross-out humor

Pros: Some amazing vocals, instrumentals, and lyrics
Cons: Some unimpressive adaptations of Pete Seeger's works.

Pros: almost every song is fantastic; a few less common selections; White Christmas is amazing
Cons: none

Pros: four wonderful voices, reverent tone
Cons: Over the Rainbow seems out of place, four voices sometimes seem in competition

Pros: Let's flip some freakin cars!!!
Cons: Lyrics aren't exactly poetry.

Pros: Some beautiful orchestra play and some very romantic themes.
Cons: Some songs tend be a little repetitive with others with small changes.

Pros: An excellent CD/live DVD set for fans and curious onlookers
Cons: None

Pros: Track selection is solid.  Mixing is good.  Still enjoyable 10 years later.
Cons: None.

Pros: Amazing vocals, Great reinterpretation of "I Want You," Decent instrumental accompaniment
Cons: SHORT, "Live And Let Love" gets tiresome

Pros: Mandy's frequently spunky vocals and intelligent songwriting (with a little help from some good friends).
Cons: Minor quibble: lack of liner notes detailing backing musicians' roles.

Pros: vocals are still solid, Maybe, a few moments that give you hope
Cons: Tell Me, complete identity crisis, all over the place, feels very artificial

Pros: Bombastic and brash, but emotionally subtle elsewhere--exactly what this cataclysmic opus requires.
Cons: Filter's heavy metal bombast on "Fades Like A Photograph" is a bit excessive.

Pros: The sound is simply massive; Marco Hietala's unmistakable, crazy voice; nice variety
Cons: A few songs are a bit boring

Pros: A great collection of songs, concept, and atmosphere
Cons: Pretty much Blink-182 in space...

Pros: An above average amalgam of Pacific Northwest-style indie rock
Cons: Not terribly original or truly exceptional

Pros: Beautiful music, positive charity, good balance
Cons: Not in circulation, not sure if it still raises money from purchase

Pros: I'm convinced that this man could dress up twenty plus minutes better than anybody. 
Cons: The bleakest Fela tracks I've heard yet. He was having a hard time coping here.

Pros: A new sound for Belinda Carlisle that's still so, so her. She songwrites!
Cons: Some dull moments. Underrated.

Pros: Bekay steps it up in all areas: he's on point lyrically, production-wise, and topically.
Cons: A few moments of redundancy brings this record down a notch or two.

Pros: Rich pop instrumental accompaniment, Decent-enough vocals
Cons: Overproduced, Short, Unmemorable lyrics

Pros: Everything.
Cons: Nothing.

Pros: It could have been worse-- no song is awful. Production is rich and lush.
Cons: Not one of these songs has a hook.

Pros: Probably the best compilation of her music to date.
Cons: Shades of Michelangelo isn't here.

Pros: Labelle is back and better than ever!
Cons: -

Pros: Esthero might get a little mainstream exposure from performing on this disc.
Cons: Her appearances here are best compared to finding money in a pile of poo.

Pros: Six fun and lively tunes
Cons: This EP is pretty brief and left me wanting more

Pros: Fun music, infectious sound and good vocals.
Cons: Love Story and The Best Day don't offer much. Trite lyrics, sameness.

Pros: A lot of really good songs, lyrics, Oberst
Cons: Still...not as good as Bright Eyes

Pros: A delightful collection of traditional and not-so-traditional Christmas music.
Cons: Leaves one wanting more

Pros: All hits, all good, all right!
Cons: They don't make music this good any more!

Pros: Great instrumentation and lyrics, atmosphere, tons of good songs
Cons: Nothing

Pros: Three great pop songs.
Cons: Waaaaaaay too much filler.

Pros: Raw aggressive intensity
Cons: That Megadeth rarely showed this side afterwards

Pros: A high point in Megadeth's collection
Cons: Dave's vocals, "Lucretia", "Dawn Patrol"

Pros: A few nice performances, but nothing to write home about.
Cons: Too short (29 minutes).  Some really whiney sounding old style country mixed in.

Pros: Great artists, good Christmas classics.
Cons: A couple of forgettable tracks, but overall worth listening to.

Pros: If they themed Nature to this, I'd be watching WVPT all day.
Cons: Limited commercial potential.

Pros: Good mix of songs rendered with feeling in a soothing expert voice.
Cons: Wish it were longer.  Only 33 minutes.

Pros: Some well done gospel numbers.
Cons: Some clunkers. Overall, a mixed bag.

Pros: Some very good choices, great use of uncommon intruments.
Cons: Was this a record the fans demanded?  Probably not.

Pros: A good short set with old and new McCartney tunes
Cons: Could have been a little longer; "C Moon" not a favorite song