The Goo Goo Dolls • Let Love In

C

In their latest studio offering, The Goo Goo Dolls officially disown their punk-rock roots to further court the commercial ballad. With a title like Let Love In, this should come as no surprise. Soccer moms will embrace this work and videos from this album will surely linger in VH1's Top Twenty for some time to come. But that isn't necessarily a good thing. The Goo Goo Dolls have delivered some solid ballads in the past, but their accompanying albums were peppered with up-tempo rockers and a few experimental detours. Let Love In, however, is like listening to their hit "Iris" on repeat—there is little variation in the material (even with standout single "Better Days"). In the post-grunge world of radio rock, the Goo Goo Dolls were one of the few guilty pleasures worth embracing (even if just secretly). But with what little edge removed from their already polished surface, there isn't much left to celebrate.

Deadboy & The Elephantmen • We Are The Night Sky

A

Raised a proselytizing Jehovah's Witness during his early childhood, Dax Riggs lost his faith in God late one evening after watching "The Elephant Man" on HBO. He was just ten years old. Years later, after fronting underground heavy metal band Acid Bath, Dax taught himself the piano, recruited Tessie Brunet (this duo's Meg White) and formed Deadboy & The Elephantmen—a darker version of The White Stripes. The end result is We Are The Night Sky, a raw, emotional debut that is both playful and serious. With a selection of lo-fi ballads that rival the best of today's indie bands, combined with a mixture of fuzzbox blues, goth dirges and stoner metal, We Are The Night Sky is quite possibly the best secret around.

Eagles of Death Metal • Death By Sexy...

87

With a demonically-pleasing cackle, frontman Jesse Hughes kicks off the Eagles fantastically fun sophomore effort. The Eagles go for more bounce on their second disc, more Cars this time around, less Motorhead, and it works. Fear not tho, fans of Lemmy, Carlos von Sexron still bangs the drums to a metal beat and the always appreciated sexual entendre flows like cheerwine(particularly “Cherry Cola,” comparing a young sweet thang to delicious carbonated cherry cola is genius). The album wraps with the bluesy “Bag O’ Miracles,” and this out of the box, for them, stand-out track makes you wanna grow a imitation Jesse mustache of love and listen to this disc once again!

Mr. Lif • Mo' Mega

86

"So I noticed that you mention your opinion..." starts off the album that finds Mr. Lif picking up where he left off on I Phantom, his first proper solo release. So I thought it only fair to mention my opinion...

Clocking in at 11 tracks and just over 40 minutes, Mo' Mega finds Lif relying heavily on the production prowess of Def Jux mastermind EL-P. The pairing is apt, EL-P's Bomb Squad-influenced beats backing Lif's political musings perfectly, making EL-P the real star of the album with a fusion of rock elements and booming drums that would bring a tear to Rick Rubin's sunglass covered eye.

Mo' Mega also shows Lif having more fun with his music, as opposed to the seriousness of the majority of his first album and so Mo' Mega comes off as a bit of an identity crisis, discussing the current state of affairs one minute and laying a hurtin' on his woman the next. Even with the above average beats, the album lacks a cohesiveness, sounding more like a collection of tracks than an album, albeit a collection of good tracks. Sound harsh? What can I say, 'brothaz is taught to bust shots'.

J Dilla • Donuts

94

It seems fitting that the first words heard on J Dilla's instrumental swan song are 'I Don't Care...', because despite the one-dimensional trappings of hip-hop as a musical form, Dilla's was one of the few voices who stood up and said just that. He didn't care what anyone was doing in hip-hop, he was too busy doing it better. And with Donuts, he does exactly that.

An instrumental album--save for some vocal samples spliced in here and there--consisting of 31 tracks (only one track is longer than 2 minutes), Donuts is a breath of fresh air in an asthma-infected genre. If I had to sum up the album in one sentence: Donuts is like switching the dials on a radio found in The Twilight Zone.

J Dilla RIP
February 7, 1974 - February 10, 2006

Ben Harper • Both Sides Of The Gun

A

He has done it before, and he has done it better, but Ben Harper’s eighth studio album—“an album in two parts”—is a worthy addition to his near spotless library. Disc one, comprised of ballads, is both whimsical and poignant (“Happily Everafter In Your Eyes” and “Mourning Yearning” are particularly moving). On disc two, Harper opens up his sound and raises the tempo, delving into soul, funk, psychedelia, Southern blues, and straight up Rolling Stones-inspired rock and roll (“Get It Like You Want It” and “Engraved Invitation” are straight from the Exile-playbook). At just over an hour in its entirety, the two parts could have easily been placed on one CD, and with a little trimming and creative sequencing, he could have perhaps delivered a slightly stronger album. But that would defeat the purpose. Here, Harper gives each of these songs equal weight and importance. And while Harper isn’t afraid to get political, nor shy from spirituality, he doesn’t beat you over the head with his ideology. Both Sides of the Gun is a wonderful album and further testament to his impeccable career.

Arctic Monkeys • Whatever People Say, That's What I Am Not

B

Oasis. Stereophonics. Manic Street Preachers. The White Stripes. Franz Ferdinand. With so many names to choose from, I still can't help but call the Arctic Monkey's this year's Jet. By no means a bad album, Whatever People Say, That's What I Am Not is like attending a college party while in your 30s. The immaturity is so damned appealing for thirty minutes or so, but after a few listens, it's easy to remember why you couldn't wait to grow up (or, in this case, put on another CD). Still, this is a pretty damned fantastic debut. The raw energy of this album is noteworthy and it will be interesting to see where these guys go next.

Band of Horses • Everything All the Time

B

Rich and well crafted, Band of Horses' debut album grows more and more appealing with each listen. Similarities to the Flaming Lips, Morning Jacket and Neil Young are warranted, and fans of any those artists should appreciate the effort behind Everything All The Time. "The Funeral" is perhaps is one of 2006's finest songs; a meld of TV on The Radio's "Staring At The Sun" and Pixie's "Where is my mind?" "The Great Salt Lake" is another album highlight.

Live • Songs From Black Mountain

C

There is nothing wrong with finding God. And there is nothing wrong with singing about it. U2, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash and others have effectively shared their conversions, giving listeners a personal account of their spiritual journeys without succumbing to sentimentality or overwrought clichés.

Sadly, the same can no longer be said about Live. Songs From Black Mountain, Live's seventh album, is melodically pleasing, but painfully generic. And while the songs themselves aren't exactly horrible, they simply aren't interesting. The fault this time out rests solely in the lyrics; they read like a Hallmark Card for someone who has found God. There are no profound revelations, inspired musings, or divine inquiries. While Live was a band that was good at raising questions, (see their near masterpiece Throwing Copper), they falter when selling the answer. This is Live, with lyrics as penned by Scott Stapp.