Ryan Adams & the Cardinals, Cold Roses
A bountiful double disc—the first of three Adams release this year—finds the alt-country star in near full bloom, working in a band setting for the first time since he left Whiskeytown.
Ben Folds, Songs for Silverman
There is nothing trendy or gimmicky on this singer-songwriter's first-rate new CD, just artful, piano-driven pop with rich melodies, Beatles-esque harmonies and smart lyrical spins.
Shelly Fairchild, Ride
Move over, Gretchen Wilson. There's another authentic, exciting young country-blues singer on the Nashville scene. Her "Redneck Woman" is "You Don't Lie Here Anymore."
Nine Inch Nails, With Teeth
Six years after the last studio album from Trent Reznor's one-man band, NIN comes back with a vengeance on this biting, often brilliant work. The hard-rock disc to beat in 2005.
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