ARCTIC MONKEYS
Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (Domino/Outside)
The good news if you're one of Sheffield's four Arctic Monkeys is that Britain's influential New Musical Express (NME) has decreed your first album to be one of the greatest of all time - up there with the Beatles and so on. The bad news if you're an Arctic Monkey is that the NME has decreed your first album to be one of the greatest of all time, et cetera. Why is this bad? Why is it bad that this record - which is great fun, but no frigging Sgt. Pepper- sold faster than any debut album in the history of British pop? Well, for starters, it creates expectations for the quartet that they cannot possibly hope to satisfy on either side of the Atlantic. And on this side in particular, every review of the Monkeys' first waxing mentions the NME hysteria - and accordingly treats the band with pronounced suspicion. It's too bad, actually: it's rollicking, tuneful pop-punk, with a sharp eye for social commentary as part of the bargain. But the irony remains: the NME helped lift the Arctic Monkeys out of obscurity - and they may send them right back there, too.
7
Warren Kinsella

BRIAN BYRNE
Tuesdays, Thursdays And If It Rains (Kindling Music)
The debut solo album of former I Mother Earth frontman Brian Byrne sees the Newfoundlander record a mature, R&B/country package of songs, fitting of his Maritime roots. He could hardly go wrong with Tim Thorney (Jimmy Rankin) handling most of the production chores, and songs like the debut single, 'Far From Good', the infectious 'Days Go By' and the steel guitar-flavoured title track are prime AOR radio fodder. It's an album that reflects Byrne's musical comfort zone, and the artists he thanks on the cover, Blue Rodeo and Matt Mays, are obvious directional influences.
7
Keith Sharp

COVENANT
Skyshaper (Metropolis Records)
When I think of Sweden, I think of snow and the warmer impulses which lay behind the skin of that country's residents. Swedish EBM pioneers Covenant have always combined icy, electro tunes with a palpable libido. Skyshaper isn't as grand or polished as their last record, 2003's Northern Light, but it's still a propulsive, mindaltering experience. Album opener 'Ritual Noise' benefits from a vocoder-shaped vocal from singer Eskil Simonsson, while dance floor perfection is achieved on the aptly-named 'Pulse'. A propulsive menace characterizes 'The Men' and 'Greater Than The Sun', while 'Sweet & Salty' is monochromatic, essential EBM. The trio's techno roots are explored on '20 HZ' while burbling electronics and hypnotic female vocals highlight 'Spindrift'.
6
Brian Slade

THE DRESDEN DOLLS
Yes, Virginia (Roadrunner Records)
More punk cabaret for you, kids! Amanda Palmer (vocals, piano, songs) and drummer Brian Viglione's second album is no big deviation from their debut. Palmer's lyrics are simply drier and more venomous; her piano riffs, variously rollicking, raucous and refined. Who are Palmer's influences? Psychopathy, bitterness, sex, hatred and disappointment. No change there. If that sounds like a downer, well, there's enough smirking black humour and genuinely exhilarating music to satisfy fans and intrigue newcomers. Play this for the uninitiated and watch them blush at 'First Orgasm' and 'Sex Changes'. But it's not all embarrassingly libidinous, blasphemous art rock. Within are beautiful songs ('My Alcoholic Friends', 'Sing') even your mom might like - as long as she doesn't listen to Palmer's dirty, funny, poignant words.
7
Arthur Stuart

JEFF MARTIN
Exile and the Kingdom (KOCH)
Caveat emptor: this review is based on a preview disc where several of the songs fade out prior to the end. Then again, a little Jeff Martin goes a long way. Exile and the Kingdom, Martin's first solo album since breaking up The Tea Party, mines much of the same territory his band did, most notably on the crunchy Middle Eastern-tinged anti-war epic 'The World Is Calling', but he also stretches out into dirty blues ('Black Snake Blues'), and even - astoundingly, given his dour reputation - shows a sense of humour ('Good Times Song'). Martin also writes one of his best ballads on the sitar-laced 'Daystar' (which cheekily references the TP album Edges of Twilight). Like his Tea Party work, Martin's lyrics are still dominated by 'tears', 'souls' and 'angels', but the musical bombast of his previous work has been tempered somewhat; a welcome change.
6
Macaulay Connor

MOBILE
Tomorrow Starts Today (Universal)
Much has been made of how this Montreal quintet locked themselves in a local studio for three years to achieve musical perfection before bolting for Toronto in the face of a creative renaissance that enveloped their hometown. However, the end results of their labour are a rather cluttered debut effort that reflects a kitchen-sink mentality to their production. Hyped as the next Killers, Mobile are anything but. Quite simply, there's too much going on for their own good. The debut single, 'Montreal Calling', boasts a frenetic energy but little in the way of a vocal hook that will attract radio airplay. 'Looking Out' starts off with a pleasant piano intro that quickly dissolves into a quagmire of layered guitars and frantic vocals. Live energy is one thing but the sessions are seriously lacking discipline. An independent producer was badly needed here.
4
Keith Sharp

MORRISSEY
Ringleader of the Tormentors (Sanctuary)
Leave it to Morrissey to write a gorgeously catchy ballad and title it 'Life is a Pigsty'. Ringleader of the Tormentors offers few surprises to Moz fans. Lyrics that range from arch self-deprecation to blunt condemnation of America? Check. Honeyed vocals with the occasional falsetto? Check. Immaculate production? Check. But these are strong Morrissey songs, highlighted by delightful tales of patricide ('The Father Who Must Be Killed'), terrorism cut with homoerotic imagery (the organ-drenched 'Dear God, Please Help Me') and disappointment ('I'll Never Be Anybody's Hero'). 'I Will See You In Far Off Places' opens the record with a Middle Eastern tinge, but the rest of Tormentors is more typical Morrissey: polite and tasteful rock & roll with the occasional kids choir to offset Moz's often macabre words. Typical rarely sounded so good.
7
Macaulay Connor

NEKO CASE
Fox Confessor Brings The Flood (Mint)
There's an elegant artfulness to Neko Case's particular brand of country music which disconnects it from the genre. That's partly why I like it - otherwise, I'm no big country fan - but it also means that it lands less of an emotional impact than it might. Of course, I'm talking about Case's poetic lyrics, which are often far less straight-forward than traditional hurtin' music. Case's voice, a joyful instrument when applied to her work with The New Pornographers, is given more range on her solo work, although comparisons to the likes of Patsy Cline do her no favours, as few singers can compare with Cline's big, heartbroken vocals. That's not meant as criticism, simply context. Fox Confessor Brings The Flood ably takes elements of country music and roots rock and makes them palatable to anyone with a love for melody and musicianship (among her collaborators are Toronto's The Sadies and The Band's Garth Hudson). A multi-faceted gem.
8
Sean Plummer

PEOPLE IN PLANES
As Far As The Eye Can See (Wind-up Records)
The year is only three months old but already a new British invasion is taking shape. Arctic Monkeys are getting all the hype, but Welsh five-piece People In Planes are also shaping up as a serious chart threat with the release of their debut, As Far As The Eye Can See. Originally scooped up by Wind-up after last year's impressive performance at SXSW, People In Planes attracted the attention of Joaquin Phoenix who directed their first video, the colourfully titled 'If You Talk Too Much (My Head Will Explode)'; it's a song that builds in intensity around an anthemic chorus and an instrumental arrangement that bubbles with intensity. Gareth Jones boasts an impressive set of pipes and his four mates contribute a distinctive instrumental sound that's richly atmospheric. A very impressive debut.
7
Keith Sharp

PILATE
Self Control For Life's Speed (Maple Music)
As Canadian indie bands get more adventurous, Pilate provides a second full album of sophisticated instrumental arrangements that compliment Todd Clark's distinctive vocals. Much credit goes to producer Joao Carvallo who has pushed the band's musical development and challenged their creativity. Tracks like 'Knife-Grey Sea', the melodic 'Don't Stare' and the pulsating 'Lover Come In' are very much reflective of Montreal's Arcade Fire. Definitely a band that's looking past the self-gratification of a four-minute radio hit, this album shows a group of artists maturing into a forceful unit.
7
Keith Sharp

PLACEBO
Meds (Virgin)
Ten years into their brilliantly debauched career and eight years past the minor North American success of their single 'Pure Morning', Placebo continue to make libidinous, art-damaged rock about the darkest corners of relationships. They've moved past the early Bowie comparisons to become their own point of reference. Medsis a mostly worthy successor to 2003's Sleeping With Ghosts, setting singer/guitarist Brian Molko's nasal but affecting voice against urgent melodies and atmospheric arrangements, increasingly coloured by electronics and piano. The guitar-heavy aggressions of previous records remain ('Meds', 'Infra Red', 'Because I Want You') but are increasingly being balanced with slower, more poignant material ('Follow The Cops Back Home', 'Pierrot The Clown', 'Blind'). Not as immediately gratifying as previous efforts, Meds rewards repeat listens.
6
Sean Plummer

PRINCE
3121 (Universal)
I don't necessarily subscribe to the notion that musical geniuses produce their best work when they're young, then coast into middle age and mediocrity. Johnny Cash, Killing Joke... there are lots of examples of older musicians continuing to make vital music past their alleged heyday. But let's be honest: Prince hasn't made a half-decent record since 1998's Lovesexy. Diamonds and Pearls? The Rainbow Children? Emancipation? Please. Even 2004's "comeback" record Musicology demonstrated little of the vitality of early records like Controversy, 1999 or Purple Rain. As a longtime fan, I hold his Purpleness up to a high standard, and 3121 is another record in a long line filled with uninspired dance floor fillers ('3121', 'Lolita', 'Love') and half-mast, sex-you-up ballads ('Te Amo Corazón', 'Satisfied'). Only 'Black Sweat', wherein The Artist Formerly Known As The Artist Formerly Known As Prince breaks out a sexy beat and sexier falsetto, would move me to break a sweat. There's no questioning the man's artistry, but that "genius" tag he's been saddled with since Purple Rain is in serious danger of revocation if he doesn't kick my ass with some slammin' jams soon.
6
Sean Plummer

THE STREETS
The Hardest Way To Make An Honest Living (Warner)
A rock star whining about the ill effects of fame is rarely so entertaining as it is on The Streets' third disc, The Hardest Way To Make An Honest Living. Credit white Brit rapper Mike Skinner, a talented poet with a quick wit and no fear of writing about his personal life. Skinner's preoccupations include his gambling addiction, migraines and reliance on substances to get through the day ('Pranging Out'), his late father ('Never Went To Church'), mortality ('Memento Mori'), the war of the sexes (on, um, 'War of the Sexes') and letting off steam on tour ('Hotel Expressionism'). It could be serious, but Skinner's black sense of humour and agile wordplay make his screeds both tolerable and enjoyable. His accent and Anglocentric subject matter may turn off North Americans (something he acknowledges on 'Two Nations'), but Skinner is one of the better rappers working today.
6
Sean Plummer

THE VINES
Vision Valley (Capitol Records)
Write off Craig Nicholls as a Kurt Cobain rip-off artist if you will, but the frontman for Australia's embattled Vines has mostly left behind the Nirvana references that brought their debut, 2002's Highly Evolved, so much attention. Album three, Vision Valley, has its share of big, noisy rock tracks ('F*k Yeh', 'Anysound', 'Futuretarded') but also ventures into quieter, more reflective territory (the country-tinged 'Take Me Back', the acoustically-flavoured 'Going Gone'). The band can also temper their garage-rock freak-outs with radio-friendly choruses, such as on the catchy 'Don't Listen To The Radio' and the epic album closer, 'Spaceship', a six-minute voyage into melody and psychedelia.
6
CK Dexter Haven

YEAH YEAH YEAHS
Show Your Bones (Interscope)
Can a band truly reinvent its sound? Reports coming out of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs camp last year suggested that the New York trio had scrapped much of the material written in the wake of the release of their lauded debut, Fever To Tell, because it was too similar to what had come before. Show Your Bones still sounds like the YYY's - there's Karen O's urgent yelps, there's Nick Zinner's sharp guitar scrawls, there's Brian Chase's jazzy drum fills - but the more jagged and deliriously crazed elements of the band's sexy art-rock have mostly been reined in in favour of more conventional song structures and accessible melodies. Zinner has also discovered - heaven forbid - the acoustic guitar. Sometimes these changes are good, sometimes not. The first single, 'Gold Lion', gets catchier with repeat listens, and the simple acoustic refrain highlights Zinner's crazed anti-riffs. It's difficult imagining any of Bones' eleven tracks on Fever; they're one step ahead, one generation evolved. When does this work best? On 'Fancy' (creepy organ fills set off against Chase's vaguely tribal drumming), 'Phenomena' (guitar-driven sex funk and O lasciviously promising that "she'll make you sweat in the water") and 'Cheated Hearts' (a potential single: upbeat and heartbreaking all at once). Less so on 'The Sweets' (a ballad that just drags) and 'Warrior' (acoustic drama that comes close to country). The band's sound wasn't broken and it hasn't been fixed but there's enough invention here to keep it interesting.
6
Sean Plummer