> CD Review

Kayne West’s new album, “Late Registration,” is one of the most consistent, poetically political and authentic albums in years.

While other hip-hop and rap artists waste their cleverness rapping about rap’s overplayed truisms, West compiles a series of songs both personal and politically engaged with a masterful usage of sampling.

Dar Williams

“My Better Self”

From two of the most demented, yet loved, minds in music comes a fresh heaping pile of b-sides.

Gene and Dean Ween have shoveled together 12 unreleased tracks from the past few years onto “Shinola,” which doesn’t play like an album of junked tracks not fit for pressing, but like any other of the numerous offerings the band has drummed up out of who knows where over the years.

If 2005 was a signifying year for the impending doom of scourge from above, then Reverend Glasseye’s “Our Lady of the Broken Spine” should have been given its credit and made the soundtrack.

As the third album from this amazing Boston band, Glasseye’s latest release is an experimental stride, to say the least. Not only have the songwriting and production progressed, the aesthetics have become finely tune to a unique, impacting musical craft apt of truly altering the listeners’ perspectives.

Electric Six
“Señor Smoke”

After five years of waiting, “10,000 Days” is Tool’s highly anticipated follow-up album to 2001’s “Lateralus.” This outing marks the band’s venturing into the land of little to no singles.

“10,000 Days” is a long way from being radio-friendly. However, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. This time, Tool tries hard to step further into the progressive rock unknown.

With a name straight out of the bizarro Basketball Hall Of Fame and a sound that can only be described as indescribable, Gnarls Barkley is not your ordinary group.

And their debut output, “St. Elsewhere,” isn’t your ordinary album. Instead it’s a wonderfully eclectic genre-bending trip through hip-hop, indie rock, soul and techno.

The words “Narrative-based progressive lit-rock” aren’t often called upon to describe many songs heard on the radio lately. However, they are words that most accurately describe Capitol Records’ rookies The Decemberists and their most recent effort “The Crane Wife.”

The Decemberists have long been gaining popularity in the underground music scene because of their incredibly descriptive lyrics and unique music involving many eclectic instruments. After last year’s release of the band’s third album, “Picaresque,” the Decemberists moved from Washington-based indy label Kill Rock Stars to major label Capitol.

It’s been almost six years since Damien Rice’s debut, “O” (not zero, but “oh”) was released.

He received some attention after his song “The Blower’s Daughter” was attached to the movie “Closer.” This was unfortunate because “Volcano” is infinitely a better song, and was only a mediocre hit.