Music Theory: Fall Albums

-A bunch of our favorite artists released new records this month, so we thought we'd do a concise round-up rather than review all of them.
-Due to our mutual admiration for Andrew McMahon, we have reached an editorial consensus and decided to abstain from reviewing the new Jack's Mannequin as it is absolutely terrible. We'll give it an I for incomplete.
-Kings of Leon's Because of the Times was my favorite album of 2007, and their new one might just edge out Nas for this year's title. The band insists that Only by the Night is their most upbeat record, and for the most part it is. However, tracks like the aptly titled "Cold Desert" are still saturated with the Southern edge that got them famous and the desolate ambiance that defined Because of the Times. A.
-LA's best rapper just released a new album, and it's not called LAX. Murs has worked his way up from the underground with the help of steady campaigning and word of mouth. Murs for President is a solid record, but too much political commentary has me wishing he would go back to spitting about girls and skateboarding. B-.
-TV on the Radio blew me away a few years ago with their Young Liars EP, and I am still completely floored by everything they put out. There is nothing left to be said about the indie media darlings: they are black (almost), they live in Brooklyn, they kind of sound like Genesis, yada yada. All I know is that they are easily the most sonically creative band since Radiohead. Still, Dear Science is a small step down from their last few. A-.