It's been a long time since the Muses released anything as they've had to restructure after losing Tonya Donnely to Belly. But now, they've recorded a stunning new album. Hersh has never sounded so precise and confident in her songwriting. The songs on University are never predicable, with Hersh's voice dancing around her snaking guitar lines. New bassist Bernard Georges adds a wide, expansive bottom to the tunes, leaving room for Hersh to texture them as she sees fit. Every tune works, and the album is just MTV-friendly enough to land its singles in the buzz bin through Spring.

--Tom Cornell