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This sophomore set from the Swedish acoustic troubadour is undeniably pretty, but ultimately doesn't hint at much more. Expanding on the elegantly melancholy voice-and-guitar of his debut album, Veneer (released in the U.S.

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Hot Hot Heat are so good at their game -- twitchy, verse-chorus-verse power pop -- that even the band's best bits can seem pro forma. On Happiness LTD., they admirably mess with success, loading up their spastic, skinny-tie ditties with epic heft.

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After 12 albums, Al Jourgensen is yanking the plug on the act that led the way for every Reznor, Manson, and Zombie to follow. His farewell is also the last album in a trilogy vilifying President Bush, and while there's nothing here as dense and biting as the Ministry slams of Bush Sr. in the '90s, Jourgensen can still pile on the jackhammer beats and clever samples.

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Retro lovers should exercise caution when dancing with the past: True inspiration can turn into tired anachronism with one too many reverb-soaked guitar twangs.

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When wheelchair-bound Vic Chesnutt spikes his soul-crushing songs with a wicked grin, he somehow gives discomfort a powerful allure. The bone-dry, bleakly hilarious "You Are Never Alone," whose lyrics suggest relief can be found via abortion and prescription drugs, pushes black humor to the edge.

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What's a young band to do when their much-hyped, long-incubated first album fails to connect with the masses?