While the album title suggests that Winston's talents may be less than genuine, King Con is never anything less than truly inspired.

Folila is great music. Period.

These are slick but straightforward productions that mix a deft synth and drum program studio vibe with a warm, overall earthy vibe.

There are a few lesser moments, but they don't distract; Slipstream reveals Raitt at another creative peak.

Admirers of Griffith's earliest recordings will no doubt delight in Intersection as much for its familiarity as the quality of its songwriting and performances.

"Boat Trip" is the album's strongest moment, a gently treading meeting of spacy Fleet Foxes-style harmonies and buried aquatic melodies cribbed from post-SMiLE-era Brian Wilson mania.

It's just a flat-out good-time rock & roll record and that's all that really matters.

It feels like they've channeled the looseness of their playing on Survival into a willingness to try anything once, and fortunately, most of their experiments stick.

Fans who were wondering if Ward's mainstream successes would yield a stylistic sea change can rest easy, as his signature, sepia-tone demeanor, for better or for worse, remains steadfast.

Vol. 1 is commendable and helps make the album a worthy addition to White Fence's excellently warped catalog.

Like strangers arguing in public or a weary couple who went out to dinner just to break up loudly in the restaurant, Acousmatic Sorcery offers a similar, sometimes unbearably honest look into a very personal world.

Prisoner remains one of the boldest statements of intent from a fledgling act this year, and while it will be a little too intense for some, it pinpoints the Jezabels as one of the bands to watch from Australia's thriving indie rock scene.

Rant goes far beyond any glee club or barbershop perceptions with its reverence and creativity; while it may not change the mind of anyone who thinks a capella pop music is inherently hokey, it's still one of the Futureheads' most exciting albums.

While De Vermis Mysteriis is probably not the group's finest hour (2002's Surrounded by Thieves still bears that distinction), it is nonetheless a very fine hour indeed.

Breton sound more natural when they let their rock side dominate.

Royal Baths' singing and playing have grown significantly since their debut.

There's a roving chaos to the disc, not completely divorced from the springy shifts of his other band, but definitely a different animal.

Regardless of how his bandmates might feel, those who like their indie pop filled with soft light and tender beauty will fall in love with this album quite easily.

Individually and together, these records are as potent, squalling, and beautiful as when they were issued.

It's clear that the gore-obsessed band shows no signs of slowing down.

Spooky Action at a Distance might be more low-key than some of Pundt's other work with and without Lotus Plaza, but it's still a great showcase for his winsome songs.

Changed marches to a deliberate beat, the tempos shifting only slightly when things get either insistent or gentle, the group layering its harmonies heavily on both the soft and loud numbers, giving every cut a candied gloss.

Their breed of futuristic pop is more polished than ever, and loses some of its edge with that increased emulsion.

No matter which era or what record you prefer, as an album, Locked Down stands with Rebennack's best.

Cut the iffy pop off these 19 tracks and you're left with Roman's true four-star empire, but as it is, Roman Reloaded is a frustrating mix of significant and skippable.

New Wild Everywhere may not bring anything new to the table, but what It does bring, as is the case with the best comfort food, has been honed to perfection.

Even the lesser songs have enough catchy moments to rank Mouseman Cloud up there with any of Pollard's unending solo material from the decade preceding it, but the strongest songs leave one wondering what kind of masterpieces he could construct if he'd just limit himself to one record a year.

This is one dense and tight set, barely over half-an-hour in length, and it's definitely in contention for Muldrow's most focused, funkiest, and (somewhat ironically) personal release to date.

On In Between they ditch any SY trappings and go full shoegaze, removing much of the energy and dialing the tempos down to mid. It works really well, allowing the band to create a mood of wistful, well-produced melancholy that builds and builds until the album ends in a swirl of barely expressed emotion and guitar clatter.

Quakers is the kind of album where favorite tracks change from listen to listen, and a testament to hip-hop's enduring power.

Even with this change of tone, the album is still classic Shinedown, and though this kind of triumphant mood will probably disappoint fans looking for something to cut loose and pump their fists to.

Both Lights isn't always completely on the money.

Brain Pulse Music is the most traditional album Batoh has recorded, as well as the most radical and fascinating.

This is a harder and faster-than-usual album from the group, and yet there's also a heavier element of control throughout.

It's a swaggering, sexy, shake-your-ass, greasy, deep roots record.

Oberhofer has imagination to spare, but Time Capsules II would benefit from reeling in a bit -- most of the songs are at least three and a half minutes long but finished saying what they needed to before reaching that time point, and as welcome as xylophone is on an indie pop record, hearing it on what feels like every song is a bit much.

Had it not been for the underground releases, this disc would be one of 2012's best debuts.

This is the perfect type of album for people who think dubstep is too singular and great proof that there are still possibilities for expansion in the genre.

This loose, adventurous collection of songs is more vital than many of the other overcooked projects that Rocket Juice's main players have been involved in during the 2000s and 2010s.

This is a record that buzzes with ideas, it's giddy with the noise it makes, and once its initial rush fades away, it still has plenty to offer in substantive songs and sheer sonic pleasure.

It isn't for everyone; it leaves questions of her versatility as an artist (though at this point in her career, it's not necessarily a priority); but most importantly, it's a singular, uncompromised vision that, in a world where the definition of beauty sometimes seems to be growing more restrictive, will resonate with listeners who prefer to find beauty in unexpected places.

Happy to You is an album that aims for commercial appeal, so there is a noticeable push and pull between prescribed pop and the eclectic electro that the team is known for, but the songs that land in the dead center have a nice even balance.

Meshuggah have easily proven to listeners time and time again that they know their way around their instruments better than most, so even though Koloss isn't the band's most daring or experimental work to date, it's definitely worth any metal fan's time.

While it's true this album often feels like the listener is being asked to endure a personal confession without redemption as a reward that is also part of its hopefully deliberate, perverse charm.

The results should satisfy any post-industrial shaman with warm, slowly developing, and often cavernous synth soundscapes providing the welcoming base.

Noctourniquet highlights the more intellectual, esoteric sound the band has championed over the years, but even though the album soars creatively, it feels emotionally restrained.

In almost every way, Sees the Light is an impressive leap forward for Goodman that shows she's more than ready to make La Sera her full-time musical outlet.

All this exertion leads to an excessively lean album: there's not an ounce of fat on MDNA, it's all overly defined muscle, every element working with designated purpose.

While it's sometimes a little too delicate for its own good, Mountain Echo is still a highly encouraging first offering which proves the Duffy comparisons don't do her any justice.

With Sentenced to Life, Black Breath have crafted a no-nonsense slab of modern hardcore that draws from a diverse set of rules, but yields to none of them.

Christian Mistress' second formal release--and first full album, if one counts Agony & Opium as an EP--finds the Olympia quintet in even stronger form than before, the group's eager embrace of early-'80s metal energy and singing coming together with a bang once again.

Sure, it's messy, but Alex Chilton always was--it's also some of his richest and best music, and it's never sounded better than it does on Free Again: The 1970 Sessions.

Like all Stew's work, the album jumps easily from genre to genre, but all the tunes are marked by strong melodies and Stewart's dense, literary lyrics.

Ultimately, Busting Visions is a sprawling yet thoughtfully constructed album full of backwoods, sandals, and sunburn rock with enough slippery electric guitar work, backing vocals, chiming bells, plinky pianos, and various freaky percussion bits to qualify as a kind of modern-day hippie noodle-rock opus.

An album that gives lie to the phrase "they don't make 'em like that anymore."

It's a marvelous portrayal of being forlorn, no matter in what state.

Free from vague thematic restraints, this volume works as the most immediately listenable and comprehensible of the Nomad Series and stands alone as another strong volume of the craft Cowboy Junkies have been honing for years.

It's not as glossy as the '80s, there are fewer keyboards and more guitars-the sensibility remains the same, so Tuskegee generates a bit of déjà vu: the surroundings are new, yet everything feels familiar.

The sheer density of the tunes becomes an issue right away.

The Hunger Games: Songs from District 12 and Beyond would be an impressive collection even if it weren't associated with one of 2012's most anticipated films, but the care put into the soundtrack makes it an experience that much richer for fans of the books, the movie, and any of the artists here.

There's no mistaking the more personal vibe here, and on the whole Silent Hour/Golden Mile offers proof that Rossen's songs can stand proudly on their own.

For all the people camping out in the cold, The General Strike definitely has enough fire to keep you warm.

Haunting as it may be, A Church That Fits Our Needs succeeds on nearly every level.

Almost every note, lyric, and sound could have appeared on any Weddoes record of the past 20 years or so without any problem.

While the title may reflect a a certain ponderousness, these 11 tunes are anything but.

While Radio Music Society may play better to younger pop audiences than more die-hard jazzheads, this program is so diverse and well executed--despite a little overreaching--it's anybody's guess.

Between the Times and the Tides cements Ranaldo's role as a dreamer and poet who can remain true to himself and reveal new things at the same time.

On In a Dim Light, Nedry never get as self-consciously slick as many of the bands that made trip-hop so dully tasteful in its later years, but they're still at their best when they're fully in touch with their volatile side.

There's a comforting softness to the album (only occasionally broken by a stray emotion in Eric Emm's vocals or a danceable tempo) that makes it perfect background music for working away in a cubicle or relaxing after a long day.

Questions of semantics and authenticity aside, Port of Morrow's songs are compelling enough to keep most fans listening and enjoying.

Hype warranted, the mystery continues, and while no kid should write "666" on their forehead before getting their driver's license, Odd Future remains a vital force in the hip-hop underground.

It's just accomplished enough as an amalgam--not entirely groundbreaking but definitely enjoyable as a collective reworking of impulses, with Wexler and a variety of guest players creating an enjoyable little treasure in its own right.

Accelerando is a triumph in creativity and expert musicianship, and further underscores Iyer's status as a genuine jazz innovator.

Adjust to it being low-key, sometimes background music, and SSSS won't be leaving the average synth pop fan's headphones anytime soon.

Sounds from Nowheresville shows that the Ting Tings have more range than their debut suggested, but while it's more ambitious and crafted, it's just not as coherent as We Started Nothing.

Normally, a live album without a ton of rarities would be a hard sell to fans of the band, but We All Raise Our Voices to the Air is such a strong set of performances that even Decemberists diehards might have a hard time passing up on this one.

Mies and Mullen have successfully mined this kind of temporal, freak-folk territory before, but Out of It and Into It feels more like a step backwards than a cerebral expansion.

Spoek makes the "hard truths" sound like "real talk" while putting some of the world's most innovative rebel music underneath.

It's obvious he's grown and matured as both a songwriter and a producer, and this is the finest moment in his catalog thus far.

The album creates a nice contrast between the pleasant melodies of the songs and the seething, dissatisfied lyrics that rest on top of them.

If the songs don't quite deliver upon their promise, at least Crook's production and Meat Loaf's performance keep things interesting.

Women & Work is the sound of a mature, confident band, fully embracing their hometown's musical legacy, and wrapping it inside their own sound, making each both larger and deeper.

They're in an increasingly crowded field but hover well above all of their contemporaries.

Even if there's nothing inherently new about the band's take on rock, and at times they seem too comfortable coasting on trends from the mid-2000s, Delta Spirit manage to convey a likeable sound that is strong and intimate at the same time.

The more beneficial mix of songwriting and production collaborators, including Jack Splash, No ID, Rico Love, and Salaam Remi, helps make The MF Life superior to the debut in every way.

There are some missteps and some rookie mistakes here, but ultimately, the collaged beats and convergences of found sounds stumble onto brilliance more often than they fall to the wayside.

Even in their best moments, every move feels overly calculated and wraps up so nicely that even what are intended as unpredictable turns are pretty predictable.

Recruiting a variety of guests and fellow travelers, including Eyvind Kang and Crys Cole, Oren Ambarchi continues in his vein of excellent solo releases on Touch with 2012's An Audience of One.

By reining in the freedom that made Clovis People, Vol. 3 such a puzzling wonder, Taylor manages to up the ante musically and lyrically on Contraband.

In Ghostlike Fading is a low-key debut, full of mellow, worn-in songs replete with extended jams, guitar maelstroms, and harmonicas.

While this would be a step backward for anyone else, the band has a talent for effortlessly making the unpolished seem charming as it bashes its way through tracks like "Nostalgia" and "The Worst Has Yet to Come."

[Goatwhore delivers] another album of relentless and refined blackened death metal that speaks volumes about the band's level of craftsmanship.

Ultimately The Promise doesn't point toward the future, but it does deliver fulfillment abundantly, from the place things really are, showcasing a confident, relevant, singer and songwriter.

It's a pretty timeless approach that could have ended up sounding tired and played out, but the group's enthusiasm and Cunningham's ability to craft sticky melodies make it sound oven fresh.

Between the exquisite wordplay and dusky melodies, there's plenty to return to in these tunes.

While the two don't always match up exactly in terms of presentation, by the end, Byrne's nerdy rock and Veloso's airy sonnets prove highly complementary to each other, especially in tandem.

As a starting point for One Direction fan memorabilia, for which it appears there is limitless potential for the time being, this is a perfectly sized, and targeted, collection.

Ultimately, Mia Pharaoh is so full of catchy, disco-on-the-cheap numbers that it sometimes sounds a bit like a vintage Eurovision Contest compilation--and that should be taken as a huge compliment.