There has always been something captivating about Swedish singer/songwriter Lykke Li. From the minimalist mix of icy electronics and playful indie pop of her 2008 debut Youth Novels to the weightier, percussive anthems on 2011's Wounded Rhymes, she has flexed her considerable creative muscle but never quite managed to dial in on a sound that would define her. She manages a tunefulness that aspires to great pop heights, yet retains the wintry austerity of her Nordic roots. On her third album, 2014's I Never Learn, she manages to meld both of those assets into a beautifully crafted set of lonesome break-up ballads. Like a snowbound version of Beck's Sea Change, the album gets sad and personal on somber tracks like "Love Me Like I'm Not Made of Stone" and "Sleeping Alone," which count among some of the sparer arrangements. Co-producing with longtime collaborator Björn Yttling (of Peter Björn and John), Li has built a true Wall of Sound around her songs, adding enough reverb to last the rest of her career. Most of the time this works well, with excellent tracks like "Just Like a Dream" and the huge pop ballad "Never Gonna Love Again" reaching for the skies with anthemic choruses that could very well vault her into the pop stardom she's been flirting with for years. It's not a particularly warm album either in tone or delivery, and there remains the feeling of being kept at arm's length even as Li spills her heart out. But perhaps that unattainability is part of her allure. She sounds every bit the wounded princess, unwilling to let anyone help her pick up the pieces as she delivers these lovely, sad songs from behind a shroud of her own making.© Timothy Monger /TiVo

20/20 was not a proper album, being compiled from singles and leftovers in order to fulfill contractual obligations to Capitol. Nonetheless, it's one of their better post-Pet Sounds records, with a couple of good medium-sized late-'60s hit singles, "Do It Again" and "I Can Hear Music," that were fun retro sort of exercises. "Time to Get Alone," with its unusually shifting, jazzy melody, was one of Brian Wilson's last outstanding compositions. "Never Learn Not to Love" is far more notorious, not for the music (which is average), but for the fact that it was, according to some sources, composed by Charles Manson (although the song is credited to Dennis Wilson). The highlights, however, were a couple of Smile-session-era tunes, especially "Cabinessence," a suite-like collaboration between Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks that gives some idea of the complex directions that were being explored during that ill-fated project. Therein lay the group's dilemma: as hard as they were trying to establish their identity as an integrated band in the late '60s, their new recordings were overshadowed by the bits and pieces of Smile that emerged at the time. [Friends/20/20, a Capitol two-fer CD, combines this and its predecessor Friends onto one disc, adding five bonus tracks also cut in the late '60s, highlighted by the minor hit "Break Away," Dennis Wilson's oddly spacy "Celebrate the News," and a cover of "Walk on By."]© Richie Unterberger /TiVo

Shortly after the release of her eponymous debut in 1995, Brandy became a star. Not only did the album sell well, but she starred on UPN's Moesha and Disney's made-for-TV Cinderella, all before she released her second album, Never Say Never, in 1998. Needless to say, there was much more riding on the second record than the debut and, fortunately, she follows through with Never Say Never, delivering an album that rivals her first. Brandy wisely decides to find a middle ground between Mariah Carey and Mary J. Blige -- it's adult contemporary with a slight streetwise edge. As with most adult contemporary albums, the record is bogged down by some filler, but Brandy's delivery has improved and her subdued vocals can make mediocre material sound convincing. Still, what makes Never Say Never a winning record is the quality songs and production. The smooth Monica duet "The Boy Is Mine" and the tripped-out "Top of the World" (which features a rap from Mase) are two examples of what Brandy can achieve when everything's in the right place, and they help make Never Say Never a more adventurous record than her debut.© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo

Steve Goodman's 1971 self-titled album marked the debut of a great new songwriter. "City of New Orleans," which was (then) soon to be a hit for Arlo Guthrie, is the obvious standout, and "You Never Even Call Me by My Name," later a country hit by David Allan Coe in a revised version, is also impressive, but "I Don't Know Where I'm Goin', but I'm Goin' Nowhere in a Hurry Blues" and "Would You Like to Learn Dance?" also show off different sides of this versatile talent. Versatility is the key here, as Goodman broke well out of the "folkie" tag to embrace pop, country, and arcane jazz, including not only his own compositions but also covers of songs by Hank Williams, Johnny Otis, and pal John Prine while utilizing a who's who of Nashville session musicians. Beyond the musical eclecticism, there was also a variety in tone, with gentle evocations of tenderness and humor alternating so that you didn't always know whether Goodman was serious or kidding. At a time when sensitive singer/songwriters were all the rage (a trend that probably earned Goodman his record contract), this was one guy who was at least as interested in picking an old country song as he was in baring his soul. [The 1999 reissue added two bonus tracks, "Election Year Rag," previously unissued in the U.S. and featuring Bob Dylan on piano, and the previously unreleased "Georgia Rag."]© William Ruhlmann /TiVo

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The dismal collection of self-indulgence and proudly ignorant misstepping that Eminem offered with 2018's Kamikaze left him with nowhere to go but up. Though his technical mastery hadn't waned at all, cringe-worthy lyrics and a mentality somewhere between seventh grade locker room bragging and an active midlife crisis made for one of the worst albums from one of the (historically) best rappers. Also released without any publicity or lead-up, Music to Be Murdered By sees Eminem pulling himself out of Kamikaze's wreckage somewhat, though he still falls victim to moments of willful dumbness and a tedious self-obsession that's become par for the course. On the album's best tracks, there are still hints of the fire that made Eminem a rap legend. The minimally eerie "Darkness" finds him taking on the perspective of Las Vegas music festival shooter Stephen Paddock, occupying the role with the same chilling intensity that made his earlier albums so unsettling. The substandard production of the last few records is also improved on, with help from familiar friends Dr. Dre (in particular on the creeping beat of "Lock It Up," where Dre's trademark slinkiness provides a backdrop for Em) and Anderson .Paak to trade inspired verses. A posthumous feature from Juice WRLD provides the chorus for "Godzilla," one of the album's most pop moments. Eminem flexes his technical abilities in the song's final quarter, spitting a storm of dizzying rhymes that comes close to outdoing his hyperspeed flow on "Rap God." "You Gon Learn" is also a standout, with an organic feel driven by live drum sounds and chopped soul samples. Eminem still can't quite get over himself, breaking the fourth wall to rant at his critics and detractors enough to take away from the more imaginative material. There's also no shortage of punny punch lines and eye roll-eliciting lyrical reaches (Including a reference to a '90s sitcom alien in "Marsh" with the stunningly bad line "With all this A-B-C shit, I'm starting to sound like Alf a bit.") With 20 tracks and an hour-long running time, the good-to-bad ratio on Music to Be Murdered By is a solid 50/50, but that's way better odds than Kamikaze or 2017's similarly disappointing Revival. This particular act in Eminem's story is a strange one, with much of his late-2010s output tarnishing earlier glories. Luckily, Music to Be Murdered By fares better than records that could have just as well been left in the vault. It presents an accurate depiction of where Eminem is at in this weird stage of his career, one where his best work comes when he's able to step out of his own towering shadow. © Fred Thomas /TiVo

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The dismal collection of self-indulgence and proudly ignorant misstepping that Eminem offered with 2018's Kamikaze left him with nowhere to go but up. Though his technical mastery hadn't waned at all, cringe-worthy lyrics and a mentality somewhere between seventh grade locker room bragging and an active midlife crisis made for one of the worst albums from one of the (historically) best rappers. Also released without any publicity or lead-up, Music to Be Murdered By sees Eminem pulling himself out of Kamikaze's wreckage somewhat, though he still falls victim to moments of willful dumbness and a tedious self-obsession that's become par for the course. On the album's best tracks, there are still hints of the fire that made Eminem a rap legend. The minimally eerie "Darkness" finds him taking on the perspective of Las Vegas music festival shooter Stephen Paddock, occupying the role with the same chilling intensity that made his earlier albums so unsettling. The substandard production of the last few records is also improved on, with help from familiar friends Dr. Dre (in particular on the creeping beat of "Lock It Up," where Dre's trademark slinkiness provides a backdrop for Em) and Anderson .Paak to trade inspired verses. A posthumous feature from Juice WRLD provides the chorus for "Godzilla," one of the album's most pop moments. Eminem flexes his technical abilities in the song's final quarter, spitting a storm of dizzying rhymes that comes close to outdoing his hyperspeed flow on "Rap God." "You Gon Learn" is also a standout, with an organic feel driven by live drum sounds and chopped soul samples. Eminem still can't quite get over himself, breaking the fourth wall to rant at his critics and detractors enough to take away from the more imaginative material. There's also no shortage of punny punch lines and eye roll-eliciting lyrical reaches (Including a reference to a '90s sitcom alien in "Marsh" with the stunningly bad line "With all this A-B-C shit, I'm starting to sound like Alf a bit.") With 20 tracks and an hour-long running time, the good-to-bad ratio on Music to Be Murdered By is a solid 50/50, but that's way better odds than Kamikaze or 2017's similarly disappointing Revival. This particular act in Eminem's story is a strange one, with much of his late-2010s output tarnishing earlier glories. Luckily, Music to Be Murdered By fares better than records that could have just as well been left in the vault. It presents an accurate depiction of where Eminem is at in this weird stage of his career, one where his best work comes when he's able to step out of his own towering shadow.© Fred Thomas /TiVo

Tower of Power was very much in its prime in 1974, when the Bay Area outfit tore up the soul charts with the outstanding Urban Renewal. Lenny Williams, a passionate, wailing, gospel-influenced dynamo of a singer, had joined Tower the previous year, and he worked out remarkably well; whether digging into tough funk or romantic ballads, Williams is in top form. Funk doesn't get much more invigorating than horn-driven gems like "Maybe It'll Rub Off," "Give Me the Proof" and "Only So Much Oil in the Ground" (a commentary on the mid-'70s energy crisis), and soul ballads don't get much richer than "Willing to Learn" and "I Won't Leave Unless You Want Me To." Tower (an influence on everyone from L.T.D. to the Average White Band) recorded a number of essential albums in the '70s, and Urban Renewal is at the top of the list.© Alex Henderson /TiVo

There has always been something captivating about Swedish singer/songwriter Lykke Li. From the minimalist mix of icy electronics and playful indie pop of her 2008 debut Youth Novels to the weightier, percussive anthems on 2011's Wounded Rhymes, she has flexed her considerable creative muscle but never quite managed to dial in on a sound that would define her. She manages a tunefulness that aspires to great pop heights, yet retains the wintry austerity of her Nordic roots. On her third album, 2014's I Never Learn, she manages to meld both of those assets into a beautifully crafted set of lonesome break-up ballads. Like a snowbound version of Beck's Sea Change, the album gets sad and personal on somber tracks like "Love Me Like I'm Not Made of Stone" and "Sleeping Alone," which count among some of the sparer arrangements. Co-producing with longtime collaborator Björn Yttling (of Peter Björn and John), Li has built a true Wall of Sound around her songs, adding enough reverb to last the rest of her career. Most of the time this works well, with excellent tracks like "Just Like a Dream" and the huge pop ballad "Never Gonna Love Again" reaching for the skies with anthemic choruses that could very well vault her into the pop stardom she's been flirting with for years. It's not a particularly warm album either in tone or delivery, and there remains the feeling of being kept at arm's length even as Li spills her heart out. But perhaps that unattainability is part of her allure. She sounds every bit the wounded princess, unwilling to let anyone help her pick up the pieces as she delivers these lovely, sad songs from behind a shroud of her own making.© Timothy Monger /TiVo

4 stars out of 5 -- "It’s a collection of neon-pink power pop that teases heavier influences, and maintains both tight riffs and a confident snarl."© TiVo

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20/20 was not a proper album, being compiled from singles and leftovers in order to fulfill contractual obligations to Capitol. Nonetheless, it's one of their better post-Pet Sounds records, with a couple of good medium-sized late-'60s hit singles, "Do It Again" and "I Can Hear Music," that were fun retro sort of exercises. "Time to Get Alone," with its unusually shifting, jazzy melody, was one of Brian Wilson's last outstanding compositions. "Never Learn Not to Love" is far more notorious, not for the music (which is average), but for the fact that it was, according to some sources, composed by Charles Manson (although the song is credited to Dennis Wilson). The highlights, however, were a couple of Smile-session-era tunes, especially "Cabinessence," a suite-like collaboration between Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks that gives some idea of the complex directions that were being explored during that ill-fated project. Therein lay the group's dilemma: as hard as they were trying to establish their identity as an integrated band in the late '60s, their new recordings were overshadowed by the bits and pieces of Smile that emerged at the time. [Friends/20/20, a Capitol two-fer CD, combines this and its predecessor Friends onto one disc, adding five bonus tracks also cut in the late '60s, highlighted by the minor hit "Break Away," Dennis Wilson's oddly spacy "Celebrate the News," and a cover of "Walk on By."]© Richie Unterberger /TiVo