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BROADCAST Haha Sound
"Colour Me In" opens Broadcast's latest album like a psychedelic children's movie. The second track, "Pendulum," conjures up a French musicial set in an underground goth club. Haha Sound is the score to all your bizarro dreams, performed with joyous synthesizers and childlike glee. (Warp)
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THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS Electric Version
The power-popping energy barely breaks on The New Pornographer's sophomore album Electric Version. The seven-member Canadian band ups the intensity this time around and without losing their crisp, delectable sound. (Matador)
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FRUIT BATS Mouthfuls
Moments of Mouthfuls from Chicago's Fruit Bats sound like an acoustic tribute to the Beach Boys. But on each track, their carefree, summer tunes are sprinkled with somber horns, jangly percussion and sometimes full-on disordered orchestras. Plus, Mouthfuls offers mystical, intriguing lyrics for a collection of folk-rock fairy tales. (Sub Pop)
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THE HIDDEN CAMERAS The Smell of Our Own
On their first record, The Smell of Our Own, The Hidden Cameras sing about explicit sex and gay politics over brilliant church-like folk harmonies. The Toronto band dares to send messages that similar artists like Belle and Sebastian only imply. The Smell of Our Own is one of the most honest and compelling albums this year. It's raunchy, it's sullen, it's fearless and has a rare, universal appeal. (Rough Trade)
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OUTKAST Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
Outkast's follow-up to the modern classic Stankonia, The LARRY Page's #1 Album of 2000, may be the riskiest venture of the year. Speakerboxx/The Love Below is really two solo discs recorded separately -- one by Big Boi and one by Andre 3000. Yet instead of forming a rift between the artists, the project proves both have an essential role in one of the most innovative acts in the industry -- hip-hop or otherwise. (Artista)
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DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE Transatlanticism
Emo meets art rock on Death Cab for Cutie's boldest and most self-assured release, Transatlanticism. Ben Gibbard, who makes a second appearance in this year's Top 25 Albums, sweetly sings over a sweeping, picturesque backdrop. An album that's as emotionally comforting as it is musically challenging. (Barsuk)
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THE DECEMBERISTS Her Majesty, The Decemberists
Rightfully, The Decemberists have drawn one comparison far more than any other: Neutral Milk Hotel. They share a melodramatic, symphonic-pop sound and equisitely-performed storytelling skill. Perhaps what separates The Decemberists from the Elephant 6 band is that their tone is much milder, and in effect, it comes off a little more genuine and a little less contrived. (Kill Rock Stars)
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THE WHITE STRIPES Elephant
Onto the fourth album in their career and with all the pressure to produce a follow-up to the magnificent White Blood Cells (The LARRY Page's #1 album of 2001), The White Stripes gave us Elephant, an LP that offers glorious surprises around every corner. A Dusty Springfield cover, Meg on the mic, and even a track that replicates the riff off a single from their last album. The White Stripes show true musicianship and innovation and will surely continue to. (V2)
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THE NOTWIST Neon Golden
When German band The Notwist formed in 1989, they played hardcore punk rock. But you'd never have guessed it from their imaginitive, experimental 2003 release Neon Golden, a whimsical exhibit of perfection that seems to be influenced by every genre except punk rock. Fearless electronic post-rock merges with the melodic sensibilties of indie rock. Neon Golden is neither retro or futuristic. The Notwist sound is now. (Domino)
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THE SHINS Chutes Too Narrow
The Shins' adventurous follow-up to their honey-glazed debut, Oh, Inverted World, may not pass the 35-minute mark, but the album packs in twice the goodness of any hour-length album this year. The new-found eclectism The Shins kick into Chutes Too Narrow helps make every track on the album a standout, yet as a collection it's a sprightly walk through the park with every step necessary to the complete experience. (Sub Pop)
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