Stereolab

“Margerine Eclipse” (Elektra)

Compare to: Morcheeba, Tortoise, Beth Orton

Bonjour and hello! The soothing sounds Stereolab sells spawn smiles. The band’s 10th album, “Margerine Eclipse,” is no exception.

Devout fans may be saddened, as this is the first full-length since the death of backup singer Mary Hansen. Thankfully, it hasn’t lost the joy that accompanies its music. “Margerine Eclipse” is so happy it doesn’t matter that one-fourth is in French.

Stereolab is purely an exercise in aesthetics. The listening experience will be noticeably altered based on one’s stereo lab. For intense, sometimes jarring stereo separation, headphones are recommended, as speakers will flatten many layers into something more diluted — although it’s still enjoyable.

Compared with past records, songs are shorter and have fewer movements. Overall form and sound stay the same, however. Stereolab defines itself so well that it must be judged as a whole, rather than song by song. The music will either be a thousand fairies dancing in one’s eardrums or will turn the listener off with its sappy sassiness.

“Cosmic Country Noir” is an example of the delightful cheese Stereolab cuts, sounding at times like a Sonic the Hedgehog video game. Keyboards in “The Man with 100 Cells” plunge the listener underwater into a dreamy trip through time signatures that give musicians goosebumps. When the energy and urge to dance is present, “Bop Scotch” gets shoulders and hips shaking appropriately with a disco groove.

Trundling bass lines, vintage organs, and old school drum machines are a unified team from start to finish on this masterpiece. “Margerine Eclipse” continues the legacy of Stereolab, and shows the group at the top of its creative game. All that’s left to say? Bravo.

— Andrew Mabe

Incubus

“A Crow Left of the Murder” (Epic/Immortal)

Compare to: Hoobastank, Absolve

Pardon the pun, but “A Crow Left of the Murder” should be “left” on the shelf. There are some good songs on Incubus’ new album; overall, it feels like it’s been done before.

After a label dispute with Sony, “A Crow Left of the Murder” is Incubus’ first album on Epic. It’s also the first with bass player Ben Kenney, formerly of The Roots. Not that these new developments have changed much of the band’s sound.

For the most part, Incubus stays with the formula it adopted on 1999’s “Make Yourself” — alternating heavy songs with slower ballads, which led to the band’s explosion onto the scene and produced the hit singles “Stellar,” “Drive” and “Pardon Me.”

There are a few really good harder songs, such as the first single “Megalomaniac.” An angry anti-Bush anthem, “Priceless,” is a heavier song where the verses are delivered in short couplets by lead singer Brandon Boyd, is by far the best song on the album.

In the slow song category, this album is somewhat lacking. “Here in My Room” is an ethereal ballad, somewhat reminiscent of Placebo, that works well. But, the slower songs are unimaginative and add nothing significant. As Boyd says on “Beware! Criminal,” “I swear I’ve heard this song before.”

The few songs that stray from the formula are huge mistakes. “Southern Girl” is Boyd singing in a half falsetto about a girl who is “an exception to the rule” — whatever that means. “Agoraphobia” also features Boyd screaming in a falsetto, a sound the band would be much better off avoiding.

There are several good songs, but overall, the album doesn’t stand out from hordes of similar-sounding bands. “Crow” is bound to be a commercial success, but Incubus’ formula is starting to wear thin.

— Kyle Sederstrom

The Mountain Goats

“We Shall All Be Healed” (4AD)

Compare to: The Decemberists, Songs: Ohia, Kings of Leon

John Darnielle, leader of The Mountain Goats, never ceases to produce something delightfully uncanny and colorful. His latest effort, “We Shall All Be Healed,” brings the familiar Mountain Goats’ bleating with something extra on the side. Comprised of quirky, catchy tracks, the album doesn’t stray far from its predecessors when it comes to Darnielle’s songwriting formula and frantic guitar playing. Unlike past albums, however, every track but one is shared with the band.

A backing band is fairly new to The Mountain Goats, but Darnielle’s lyrics are the soul of the album.

Known for his nasal tone, Darnielle picks the perfect off-the-wall lyrics to explain his stories. Whether singing of love, pollution or rats, the singer knows how to capture the listener’s attention by using everyday objects to construct charming poetic metaphors.

The brilliantly crafted “Cotton” demonstrates Darnielle’s unusual way of thinking. Dedicating the tune to rats, soil, troubled families, cars and items left in his desk drawer, the track proves only Darnielle could make a song about rodents so lovely.

Carefully picking and choosing his words, Darnielle puts a great deal of emotion into every word he sings. He can shift his voice back and forth from soft and delicate to forceful and whiny.

On “Your Belgian Things,” a helpless Darnielle lets his voice fall low and fragile. The optimistic “Quito” sparkles with powerful lyrics and guitar plucking and adds a twangy folk feel with the strumming of violins.

“We Shall All Be Healed” captures Darnielles’ wonderful lyrics and expressions, but The Mountain Goats sound best when stripped of instruments and left with Darnielle and his acoustic guitar. His lyrics alone make a person ponder for a good hour or so.

— Katie Piepel

Musiq

“Soulstar” (Def Soul)

Compare to: D’Angelo, Jaheim, Donny Hathaway

Musiq’s latest studio release is a catchy mixture of modern soul tunes that almost earn the self-ascribed moniker “Soulstar.” The 15 tracks effectively showcase Musiq’s skill as a creative vocalist and songwriter, but fall short of building an interesting, unique album.

Taalib Johnson, aka Musiq, hails from west Philadelphia, which artists The Roots, Eve and Jill Scott call home. This rich musical environment has a marked influence on Johnson’s sound, which, like Philadelphia, is a melting pot of styles. The light, sinewy vocals on “Soulstar” evoke the sound of 1970s soul singers like Stevie Wonder and Chaka Khan, peppered with funk, jazz, hip-hop and gospel.

With a such a broad range of ingredients in his vocal stew, it isn’t too surprising that Musiq’s main shortcoming is the lack of his own musical flavor. Many songs, such as “Womanopoly” and “Infatueighties,” not only sound like any other run-of-the-mill R&B song but also sound disturbingly like each other. Some songs begin brilliantly but quickly lapse into clich‚ lyrics and dull lovesick crooning. For example, “Whereareyougoing” starts with flutes and a funky synthesizer line (think Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition), but soon return to Bryan McKnight land.

To be fair, there are a few keepers. The title track, an upbeat tune accented by DJ Aktive’s turntables, ends with a ragged a capella melody that segues into the jazzy “Youloveme.” Also noteworthy is “Missyou,” a soulful rendition of the Rolling Stones’ funky classic.

Musiq is a talented vocalist with influences ranging from early jazz to classic rock. “Soulstar” is a decent attempt to showcase diverse musical styles, but this “star” shines no brighter than the others.

— Aaron Butzen