Pop

A review of the debut album Alright Still, by the 21-year-old British singer Lily Allen.

Rock historian Ed Ward says that 1964 was a "magical year" for Motown Records.

The new season of TV's American Idol starts on Tuesday, but four previous Idol stars — Taylor Hicks, Fantasia Barrino, Kellie Pickler and Chris Daughtry — have all put out albums within weeks of each other. Rock critic Ken Tucker says their styles vary widely, but that quality-control is a common problem.

Never Hear the End of It is the new double album by Sloan. The quartet from Nova Scotia was formed in 1991, and has spent most of the time since then as one of Canada's most popular rock bands. Their new album consists of 30 songs, which is an unusually large amount of new material.

Milo Miles talks about the music of Brazilian singer, songwriter, and bandleader Marisa Monte. Monte produces her own records, organizes bands and shapes every aspect of her career. She released a pair of albums earlier this year, Universo ao Meu Redor, and Infinito Particular.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews The Captain and the Kid, Elton John's new album.

On his new album, Timeless Love, rhythm and blues legend Smokey Robinson sings hits from the American songbook, including "I Can't Give You Anything But Love (Baby)," "Night and Day" and "More Than You Know." Robinson William "Smokey" Robinson recorded dozens of top 40 hits for the Motown label as a solo artist and with The Miracles.

Our rock critic reviews Pick A Bigger Weapon a new hip hop album from The Coup.

Music critic Milo Miles reviews the new album St. Elsewhere by Gnarls Barkley, a persona of two Americans: producer and DJ Brian "Danger Mouse" Burton and rapper and songwriter Thomas "Cee-Lo" Calloway.

British guitarist and vocalist Romeo Stodart of The Magic Numbers talks about the band's music. The other members are his sister Michele, and Sean and Angela Gannon (also siblings). In sound, they've been compared to early Beach Boys and the Mamas and the Papas.

At a time when hip-hop dominates the R&B scene, it's often easier for a rapper to achieve commercial success than a singer. Our music critic examines why that is, in his review of two new albums by R&B vocalists: Ghetto Classics by Jaheim and On the Jungle Floor by Van Hunt.

The girl group Reparata and the Delrons worked its forward-looking magic on songs like "Captain Of Your Ship," "Boys and Girls," "Shoes," and "Whenever a Teenager Cries." The band became far more popular overseas than in America, however.

Stuart Murdoch is the front man for the Scottish indie-pop band Belle and Sebastian. For the group's new CD, The Life Pursuit, they've broken two long-standing traditions: making quietly precious music, and refusing to embrace the media.

Fresh Air rock critic Ken Tucker offers his picks for the best music of the year, including Fiona Apple's latest album and a Bob Dylan DVD. He also addresses the topic of women in music, and he talks about the year in hip-hop. Tucker is the film critic for New York magazine.

Neil Diamond's new CD 12 Songs is the result of his work with the producer Rick Rubin, who previously put his personal touch on albums from Jay Z, Tom Petty and Johnny Cash, to name a few. The move is a departure from the work Diamond is better known for: hummable hits like "Sweet Caroline," "Cracklin' Rosie," and "Cherry Cherry."

Confessions on a Dance Floor, the new CD from Madonna, represents her renewed devotion to dance music. The songs echo propulsive disco favorites of the '70s, updated with Madonna's flair for the dramatic.

The solo album by John Simon, a record producer who worked with many groups from the late 1960s and early '70s, is being reissued. Among one of Simon's most popular projects was his work with The Band and Blood, Sweat and Tears.