The Swimmers, an indie rock band from Philadelphia, released their new album "People Are Soft" earlier this month. Katy Metcalf describes it as "incredibly cohesive in its sound and production … a fantastically solid listen." Check inside to see why.

Sufjan Stevens has already turned out some of the most interesting music of the decade, but he has outdone himself with his most recent release, a mixed-media work about the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. An unusual choice of subject matter, to be sure, but Stevens manages to produce an orchestral suite of genuine brilliance. The result is critic Katy Metcalf's favorite album of the year.

Jay-Z arrives in town this week to perform at the Assembly Hall in support of his latest album, "The Blueprint 3." Critic Will Fernandez says this third and final installment of "The Blueprint" series turns out to be a good album but not on par with classic works such as "Reasonable Doubt" and "The Black Album," which gave Jay-Z his legendary status in today's hip-hop world.

With spacey vocals and ominous synthesizers throughout, Kid Cudi's debut album evokes feelings of a modern-day Pink Floyd, able to take listeners on a journey through sound and time. Very futuristic and very cool. This is hip-hop taken to the next level, and fans of both rap and indie rock will find much to like about it, according to Will Fernandez.

Though synthpop is on the rise, it's rare to find a band that mixes real musical talent with technological innovation. Not so with British duo La Roux. Their self-titled debut album dances from snarky to biting to lovelorn to icy and back again. "In short, I love this album," writes Katy Metcalf. "I absolutely adore it." Read on to find out why.

On their latest album, the alternative band They Might Be Giants continue their foray into children's educational music. But not to worry — you don't have to be a kid to enjoy TMBG's musical science lessons about shooting stars and other topics. Reviewer Katy Metcalf was skeptical at first, but now she's a fan of "Here Comes Science."

Without listening closely, it's all too easy to confuse Muse and Queen. On Muse's latest release, "The Resistance," the resemblance becomes more than reviewer Katy Metcalf can bear: "For a band with so much songwriting talent and originality as Muse, it's just hard to listen to such a blatant imitation. I don't want to buy a Muse album to listen to Queen. I have Queen albums for that."

Generally, music critic Katy Metcalf would start a CD review with some witty and innovative twist on the album's title or a lyrical something or other. But after listening to Modest Mouse's new EP, only one reaction came to mind: She's floored. All in all, she writes, it's a fantastic album, with marvelous range and depth for such a short piece.

Owl City (aka Adam Young) breaks away from the generic in his exquisite new adventure in synthpop, "Ocean Eyes." Singing about everything from love to dental care, he's managed to create a beautiful, upbeat album with very few sticky spots, according to reviewer Katy Metcalf. Check inside to listen to the album yourself.

The Eels have done it again, with an outstanding new concept album on par with any recent alternative rock to date. Following the life of a young werewolf, "Hombre Lobo" displays an almost unimaginable depth and range of emotion layered over beautifully written melodies. Read on for the rest of Katy Metcalf's review.

After a hiatus that began in 2005, Eminem is back with an album full of great beats, creative rhymes, and controversy. The rapper spent years in the darkness struggling with addiction, and he has emerged with a powerful work of art, according to Will Fernandez. But please DON'T listen to "Relapse" if you can't handle intense language and subject matter. He is just a little insane.

Say hello to one of the most original albums of the year — a concept piece about a girl named Margaret who falls in love with the shape-shifting William in a magical forest. In the hands of a lesser band, this could be unbearably precious. But indie/folk darlings The Decemberists are at the top of their game, and the result is pure genius, according to Katy Metcalf.

In 2006, singer/songwriter Lily Allen's debut "Alright, Still" hit stores in the United Kingdom, and a slightly dysfunctional star was born. So what's changed with her since then? As Laura Dripps discovers, the answer turns out to be not a whole lot, but that's not always such a bad thing.

Bruce Springsteen's most ambitious album in years comes at just the right time, as America begins a new political era led by the man Springsteen campaigned for, Barack Obama. The result is nothing less than an album on par with the best The Boss has ever done. According to Will Fernandez, "Working on a Dream" is both a lyrical and musical feast.

In his latest album, the Louis Vuitton Don has taken to singing instead of rapping, and that's just the beginning. Much else is different as Kanye West tries to come to terms with a painful year in his life. Are the changes an improvement? In this second of two Gargoyle reviews of Kanye's "808s and Heartbreak," Laura Dripps says not really.