The eMusic Dozen: The 50 Greatest Summer Albums: 40-31

39 I hooked onto this album when it came out because of a combination of the sound and interesting songwriting. Not all but many of the songs have something unusual about how they're put together, and go past being well-made pop songs to evoking vivid emotion. xmasthecat

You will never hear music like this anywhere else. This album is the best of their electronica dabbling/incorporation that they delved into on their last three albums. This is delicately crafted music which pays an amazing amount of attention to detail. This should be heard. e-strings

38 I love it. Maybe because it reminds me of this gal from New Zealand who looked just like Bridgette Bardot and went by the name of Alison. Not sure. Anyway, I love it. Despite everyone who disparages it, I love it. And she really was too much, that Alison. dreamdrift

37 Put simply, this is one of the most amazing records in my collection. Somehow, Frank Black & Co. manage to put together a beautiful yet ear-splitting collection of unique and memorable tunes with equal parts noise and pop. The standout track is, of course, "Where Is My Mind?," but there are so many gems here. Steve Albini's production is dirty as hell and gets the job done just right; there's a nice roomy sound to all the instruments and the whole feel of the recording is something of a nightmarish daydream (the drums sound huge!). I wouldn't call it lo-fi, but it's definitely not slick. Put simply, this is a perfect record. If you're in your late-20s or early 30s and you came of age right around 1990, you already have this, I'm sure. But the rest of you take note: this album changed music for the better. www.rocketcityriot.com

36 Funny story: the first thing that caught my eye about this album was actually the cover art. Colorful animals were only the beginning, though. I grabbed one track that sounded catchy ("The Compromise") and it grew on me until I couldn't resist buying the whole album. I soon found each and every song infecting its way into my heart and before I knew it, this flexible and charming album had me falling in love with the Format. On that note, I have to add, "I love being in love!" Kekko

Fresh, frank, the beach boys for this millennium. 00B556F9

35 Cat Power re-imagines her aural identity yet again on this record and the results are truly great. She has made her sound more accessible which may make some of her older fans who enjoy her quirks think less of this effort. Lyrically she picks up where she left off on "Good Woman." A very raw introspective place that fans of her are familiar with. On this record, it is even more searching for the source of her problems, and not necessarily to fix them. To me, she is like a modern William Faulkner baring the faults of her Southern soul as if in a confession. Stick-Up-Artist

For those long and lazy summer afternoons — and it sounds just as good on the dark drive home with sand in your shoes. stuartb67

34 If there was ever an album to drive down the California coast in your best friend's '67 Beetle, this was the one. The horns still smell like the ocean breeze; this album was born with the soul of children laughing, laughing with the freedom of the open ocean. PaperTiger

I happened to stumble across this album at a local library a few years ago and I'm damn glad I did — this album is a masterpiece. Perfect music for a cloudless, warm summer day (or for those who would like a cheerful pick-me-up from the cold). The production and arrangement of these songs are world-class. I love the lyrics of "A Good Man..." My favorite song is the wonderful finale, "Night is the Day," perhaps this is how Jimmy Buffet would sound if he were a part of the Bay Area indie-pop scene. rocknrollsulan

33 Don't know why Johnny Cash always says summer to me — maybe sunshine and dust and constant movement like train wheels. firmin

32 Came out right before the beginning of the summer and is sure to blast out of my car through Labor Day... this takes me back to many summers past. lovinemusic

From the first guitar lick this record brings back memories from back in the day when sore eardrums meant a good-@#$%ing time. So good to hear these guys again: warm weather, windows down soundtrack for the summer. Didn't realize how much I missed J and the boys. samlix