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Other People's Lives (V2) was supposed to be Ray Davies' Love and Theft or, at the very least, his Devils and Dust: A stripped down, back-to-basics record meant to dispel rumors that our favorite old crank had little more to say. At least two of these are true. Davies, the long-time Kink, certainly hasn't lost his keen ear for social satire or his stinging ability to capture the spirit of the time, but these strengths are unfortunately buried beneath excessive studio tinkering. Davies' voice is in fine form here, but his first official solo album has been pro-tooled to death, drowning a lot of fine melodies in layers of gloss, making the record a chore (or better, a shock) upon first listen. Perhaps someone forgot to remind him that what made the Kinks so great in their '60s heyday was their amazing ability to sound tossed-off yet perfectly balanced at the same time. But once you get past the over-production, Other People's Lives shows itself to be a rewarding listen. Recorded in New Orleans over several years, the songs sound remarkably lived-in, and though it's easy to draw parallels between the album and the Katrina disaster last year (the album's first line: "Things are gonna change, this is the morning after"), most of the album has the same tossed off musings of a great Kinks' record (not to mention most of it was written years before the hurricane hit). Highlights include the Kinksian musings of "Is There Life After Breakfast?" - which is remarkably catchy - and the poignant, blistering final track, "Thanksgiving Day." Other People's Lives might be a bit of a let-down for anyone who's been stonewalled for the last 13 years in anticipation (what wouldn't be?), but this relatively recent Kinks disciple is happy to raise a glass to the return of Ray.

3 of 5

Arctic Monkeys are the latest in a seemingly endless stream of British buzz bands that was instantly tagged "The Most Important Band You'll Ever Hear Anywhere for the Rest of Your Life. Period." Oasis went through it. Coldplay went through it. Even Travis went through it. Who is Travis? Exactly. While the Arctic Monkeys debut, Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (Domino) is a fine record by most accounts, its bubble-gum Brit-pop at its most inconsequential. Anyone who delighted at the Kaiser Chief's great record (Employment, check it out) last year will find nothing new here. The Monkeys combine basically every modern rock trend into their own stew, including New York post-punk, European dance-rock, and mid-nineties Brit-pop. While the lads certainly prove they're able (and "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor" is damn catchy), they don't do the sound any better than its creators. Perhaps changing their name to the Strokes Ferdinand Oasis Chiefs would be fitting.  Whatever is a decent outing (and a debut that shows some promise), but it's buried beneath an avalanche of unnecessary hype.

2.5 of 5

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