A terrific, slowly insinuating album that owes debts to The Flaming Lips and The Shins, Band Of Horses' Everything All The Time (Sub Pop) will take its time in tugging your ears, but they'll get tugged just the same. Huge melodies are hidden in plain sight on the standouts "Wicked Gil" and "The Funeral," but Everything works best all at once, with the towering "The Great Salt Lake" at its center. It may seem almost run-of-the-mill at first, but it proves amazing… A-
Only diehards will need the massive three-disc version, but anyone with an ear for snarly, sneering rock should rejoice in the single-disc Mcluskyism (Too Pure), the posthumous best-of collection by Mclusky, the nastiest, funniest Scottish band since The Vaselines—though it's 10 times more raucous. "Lightsabre Cocksucking Blues" and "To Hell With Good Intentions" are the obvious high points, but all 12 tracks (delivered in under 30 minutes) deliver on a mean-spirited promise. The optional bonus discs feature B-sides, previously unreleased songs, and live rawkings… B+
The sound of theatrical, swirling New York band Elefant falls squarely between The Killers and Interpol: It isn't as dark as the latter or as pop-radio-ready as the former. Since it tries to reach both sides, The Black Magic Show (Hollywood) runs the risk of pleasing neither entirely. The album does have some excellent moments ("Uh Oh Hello" and "Lolita" are catchy as hell)—they just don't feel like the kind of moments that will matter in a year… C+
Fans of the late-'90s sensitive-indie boom are growing up, getting real jobs, and having children. Rather than subjecting them to Raffi, here's an alternative: See You On The Moon! Songs For Kids Of All Ages (Paper Bag) coaxes medium-sized names into performing tunes suited for small ears. Low's Alan Sparhawk delivers his story-song about embarrassing head lice, Broken Social Scene provide a lengthy reading of "Puff The Magic Dragon," and Mark Kozelek works through the downer "Leo And Luna." Other noteworthy participants: Sufjan Stevens, Kid Koala, and FemBots—the last notable mostly for its too-scary "Under The Bed"… B-
Deadpan country-soul-indie-whatever outfit Lambchop gathers stray songs from its early years on The Decline Of Country And Western Civilization Part II: The Woodwind Years (Merge). Some tracks are destined to be throwaways (like Mark Robinson's weird remix, "Two Kittens Don't Make A Puppy"), but there are plenty of A-sides, too, like the unstoppable weeper "Your Life As A Sequel" and "Mr. Crabby," which picks the pace up to a trot. B