Bob Mould

With Hüsker Dü and Sugar, Bob Mould blanketed bleak tales of relationship woes with layers of electric guitar and driving choruses. On later releases, he turned his attention to electronic music. Although remnants of that era linger on District Line, it mainly follows the playbook of his last CD, Body of Song, sounding more like his earlier stuff than something you'd hear at a club. Fans will surely appreciate Mould's guitar heroics on songs like "Return to Dust" and "Stupid Now," but they may not be as thrilled with his lyrics. Pockmarked by cliches, they can be downright sappy, such as on "Old Highs, New Lows," when he sings, "I am speechless in your beauty, you are flawless in my eyes." Mould is clearly happier in his personal life, and it may be cruel to wish that he was still the raging, depressive genius he was during the '80s and '90s, but there you have it.