David Comes Alive – Fucked Up – Brimming with idea and melodies and rocks hard, symphonically Pete Townsendly so on "Remember My Name". But the hardcore screaming gets boring afterwhile, and the album is overlong. Grade: B+
What Did You Expect? – The Vaccines – Actually this is exactly what I expected. Catchy Britpop that hits it good here and there, and is consistent, but needs to be better and may well get there Grade: B+
Brilliant! Tragic! – Art Brut – Black Francis (aka Frank Black) producing, so I guess the idea was to get the songs up from the formula and front and center. Instead, it is neither nor. Grade: B+
This Is Country – Brad Paisley – On a steady diet of country this week, I think I underestimated this one. It is a MOR mainstream 80's type album with enough sharp lyric, compare "A Man Don't have To Die" to Tobey Keith's "Made In America' and you'll see what i mean. Grade: B
Cults – Cults – First signing on Lily Allen's label sound like Sleigh Bells sung by Kidz Bop. Grade: B
Born This Way – Lady Gaga – As important for what it hasn't become as for what it is, this is a mainstream disco album heralding the death of the mainstream. Maybe. Grade: B+