This attempt from dynamic indie group British Sea Power initially seems so promising. Upon lending an ear to the opening track, “”All In It,”” excitement to hear the rest of the album builds like the song itself, but sadly dissipates as Do You Like Rock Music? carries on.

“”All In It”” is beautifully reminiscent of Arcade Fire, with a stomping beat driving repeated lyrics forward, hazed in somber voices, organ and an overall raw composition.

The execution of British Sea Power clings on through “”Lights Out For Darker Skies,”” which takes off at the start with a driving guitar and then softens completely with drowsy guitar melodies and smooth vocals. The track picks up again and crescendos to the end.

“”No Lucifer”” is the last track on the impressive song-streak of the band’s and exhibits more qualities that are similar to what makes Arcade Fire so delectably breathtaking.

It’s a damn shame Do You Like Rock Music? lost focus after the first three promising tracks.

“”Waving Flags”” kicks off with an epic, surreal feeling, but the continuation of this feature seems to fall flat by the end.

British Sea Power tries to implement simplicity in their album with “”No Need To Cry,”” but the track lacks effort. The album ends with “”We Close Our Eyes,”” which could have potentially made listeners feel better about the lackluster grouping of songs, but only proves to be puzzling, with fading organs, echoing vocals from “”All In It”” and some distorted clips of a woman laughing and muttering.

British Sea Power is better than Do You Like Rock Music?. The band has proven it before, and the solid quality of the first three tracks in comparison to the rest of the album highlights the truth that something went wrong somewhere along the way.

Kelli Hart

It’s been 25 years since Michael Jackson’s Thriller was released, eventually becoming the best-selling album ever for which Jackson won eight Grammy Awards. Now the King of Pop is back with a remastered version of the classic album and six previously unreleased tracks.

The CD comes with a 48-page booklet overflowing with rare photos, and a DVD featuring three Michael Jackson music videos, including the video that changed the world of dance forever – when Jackson performed the Moonwalk on TV in 1983. The biggest draw to this CD is that there are new re-mixes of songs with artists like Akon, Fergie, will.i.am and Kanye West.

Akon and will.i.am slow down the classic “”Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ “” while Fergie speeds up “”Beat It”” as she sings alongside Jackson.

Jackson’s young voice shines on “”For All Time,”” originally recorded in the Thriller sessions but unreleased.

Thriller is undeniably an everlasting classic and I can think of no better way to celebrate it than to release hip-hop influenced versions of our favorites.

Alexandria Kassman

Jack Johnson’s latest, Sleep Through the Static, should satisfy – maybe even impress – most of his fans. He delivers catchy rhythms, quiet acoustic guitar and, of course, his patented smoother-than-a-surfboard-slicing-through-waves lyrical flow.

If you are expecting an exploration of what this musical talent has to offer beyond what you’ve already heard, don’t get too excited. While I have to give him credit for exploring some deeper, even political lyrics and for a very subtle shift in his sound, the album is hardly breaking new ground.

Despite wishing he had gone just a little further, I still found myself grooving to “”Go On”” and lamenting my lacking outlet for romance during “”Angel.””

If you like his old stuff then this album should be a classic; otherwise, he’s probably not the epic 50-foot wave you’ve always been waiting for.

Mitch Levine

There’s some method to the madness that is Louis XIV. The provocative garage rockers’ latest effort, Slick Dogs and Ponies, is an interesting mix of intense noise and calming melodies.

When Louis XIV wants to rock, it delivers. Most of the tracks are fairly abrasive, driven by fuzzy guitar riffs and snappy drum beats. They’re fairly catchy and don’t sound too under-produced. The opening track, “”Guilt By Association,”” definitely gets the record off to a running start, while other tracks such as “”There’s a Traitor in this Room”” and “”Swarming of the Bees”” continue the speed.

But when they want to take it slow, they practically bring things to a halt. Slower songs, like their first single and pseudo-epic “”Air Traffic Control”” and the scandalous “”Stalker,”” are peppered throughout the album to give everyone a chance to catch their breath.

Louis XIV makes strange music, no doubt, but give it a few listens and you might enjoy some of it. Otherwise you’ll just be irritated with the erratic tracks, the super fuzzy guitars and the equally fuzzy shouting of the vocalists.

Daniel Brelsford