The Decemberists - The Hazards Of Love

Don't let the rating get you down, it's just entirely not my style. Colin Meloy is still going to get a ton of credit for making such an ambitious album; one that steps way outside of indie rock's box. If this were a new band, I imagine that it would be ignored. But being the darlings that the Decs are, they'll surely be lauded.

This is a concept prog-rock record straight from 1971. It has romance, terror, an evil witch and a feeling of mystical power given over nature. Basically guy falls for girl, mom doesn't approve, mom sends evil guy out to kidnap girl. Guy goes to look for girl. But the songs are very theatrical. In one, the guy is trying to convince his mom to let him go out partyin'. She eventually lets him, but she give him the drama queen act first. There's also a tale of a guy who has kids, hates them- and kills them. That's pretty cool. I won't tell you how it ends, because frankly... I don't really understand the ending or why its there. It's good enough, but I can't say I'll be giving it another spin. (2.5/5 stars)

Superdrag - Industry Giants

The return of these power-pop/pop-punk Knoxvillians took me back to the music that I played on my weekend afternoon radio shows of 1996 or so. It's good, I just don't listen to this much anymore. However- while normally I would be completely fed up at the end of a record like this- somehow, they manage to pull off two of the best right at the bottom of the list. Check out "5 Minutes Ahead Of The Chaos" and "Aspertame" (included below). (2.5 out of 5 stars)

Kelly Clarkson - All I Ever Wanted

The moniker "return of KC", as this is being dubbed, is lost on me. I was actually a big fan of My December- as dark and loud as it was. So, as the cover suggests, Kelly gets back to the light bright side of town and sings more upbeat songs. The first single "My Life Would Suck Without You" is a shameless copy of "Since U Been Gone", but is still good enough. "I Do Not Hook Up" would be a better example of a familiar sound to Kelly-ites while not being so samey-same.

The highlight times-ten, though, is the punk-pop perfection of "Whyyawannabringmedown". A cover by a dude group called Aranda that I just heard and Kelly was VERY faithful to. (hear the versions played together here.) Sounds better coming from my girlfriend's lungs though. Speaking of Kelly's lungs, she should totally take her shirt off.

It took me a 2nd and 3rd listen though to appreciate much of the rest of the album, but now that I have, I can definitely embrace this as easily as I did Breakaway. I would advise her, though, to follow her own heart, commercial success or not. (4 of 5 stars)

Chris Cornell - Scream

So you know the story by now. Chris collaborated with hip-hop/r&b producer Timbaland. The results have been universally panned already. So much so, that I saw Chris on Leno last night. He has traded all of this production to a live rock band again.

The songs aren't even necessarily that bad. He just dials the pop way up on the bridges and choruses, and repeats those hooks way too many times. Coming from a pop guy, this would be fine. But it's a bad fit here. The lone track that I liked, still too sugary sweet for some, is the John Mayer penned, "Two Drink Minimum". A modern bluesy drinking song. (1.5 of 5 stars)

Two Drink Minimum - Chris Corn...

U2 - No Line On The Horizon

Nothing here hit me like Achtung Baby, but nonetheless it's a decent effort. I would have like to see what they would've done sticking with Rick Rubin as producer- maybe toned down the keyboard use at least. There are a couple of tracks that are far too long. I think this works best when they get riffy and too the point. (3 of 5 stars)