Bernard Primeau Evolution (Swing’ In Time) This outing boasts great writing from the pen of Hugh Fraser! 8.5 (LD)

Various Vs. Kitty-Yo (Quatermass/Fusion III) “Everybody (p)arty” with this minimal-electro-jackass comp that adds Chilly to Add N to (X), tips Tal into Peaches, and mixes Mira Calix with Rechenzentrum. 8 (LC)

Otis Taylor Respect the Dead (Northern Music) With a minimum of accompaniment, Taylor lets his tales of death and injustice hide behind nothing. 8 (JC)

Air Everybody Hertz (Virgin/EMI) The Neptunes, Mr. Oizo, Adrian Sherwood and more breathe new life into some numbers from Air’s last disc. 8 (RB)

Carolyn Mark and her Roommates A Tribute to the Soundtrack to Nashville (Mint) Yeah, that’s right, it’s the Robert Altman movie. Man, do these Vancouverites ever have a lot of time on their hands. 7 (JC)

Gorillaz G Sides (Virgin/EMI) The collected hip-pop remixes and extras by these kooky cartoons is characteristically uneven. 7 (LC)

Thorn Eleven s/t (SPV/Fusion III) An annoying hybrid of the singers from Tool and Live, backed by mellow-dramatic crycore. 5 (LM)