Dave Short

Corvus Corax — Venus Vina Musica

Medieval songs played with heart, but is its distance from contemporary music a boon or a curse?

3/5

R.E.M — Up

Evokes a dream world, buried in drum machines and synths. Some may find the soporific quality off-putting. Not me.

5/5

Yellowcard — Paper Walls

Unquestionably slick pop-punk, it even rises to some emotional heights throughout the sugarcoated bits.

2/5

I Against I — Headcleaner

Moments of poppy brilliance leavened with stretches of too-generic punk.

2/5

Kirby Krackle — s/t

Self-proclaimed music for geeks, but entirely too obvious song topics, and the music struggles in places.

2/5

The Parasites — Solitary

A fine pop-punk outing. Nothing really sticks in your head, but nevertheless it's a pleasant listen.

3/5

Screeching Weasel — Teen Punks in Heat

Ben Weasel should have found another way to exorcise sexual frustrations. Some good tunes.

2/5

Nirvana — Nevermind

This is the sound of popular music evolving, too bad it's mostly been a travesty since this. Near-perfect.

4/5

R.E.M — Around the Sun

Pretty songs can't make up for straying too far across the line from pensive to rambling.

2/5

Bad Religion — New Maps of Hell

Fast, loud, passionate songs with a social conscience, never preachy. Best post-major label work.

4/5