Some couples finish each other's sentences. Russell Marsden and Emma Richardson, this English trio's guitarist and bassist, take that tendency into The Shining-twins territory, reciting most of their second disc's clenched-teeth lyrics in a sort of deadpan harmony. Delectably gloomy ballads like "Hometowns," where the two practically strain to out-blasé each other, might actually give you goosebumps. Other times they crank up the amps, the drums stomp in, and it's as if Meg's staging a proxy fight for control of the White Stripes. The band does loud and lurching as well they do as caustic and drifting, but catharsis never quite comes — the singers just manage to keep each other in check. In a way, it's touching.

Listen to "Sweet Sour":

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• Photos: Random Notes

“My President”

Young Jeezy teams up with Nas on this track, in which he compare his own success with the idea of an African-American winning the Democratic Party's nomination in the 2008 presidential election. "When I pulled up in my car, that s--- was unbelievable to people in my neighborhood because they were like, 'We grew up with him. How the hell did he accomplish this?'" he told Rolling Stone. "I feel like it was the same way with Obama. I grew up all this time, but I've never seen a black man this close to running this country."