Exploring new directions with experimental confidence, an ever-playful BØRNS takes the necessary steps in artistic maturation on Blue Madonna, a worthy and satisfying follow-up for the mischievous Lothario.

Ladyhawk just aren't memorable enough to stick in the mind as they could.

Millan's "plain jane" delivery may be occasionally sleep inducing, but it's comfort, not boredom that delivers the serotonin.

The Meat of Life might sound like "another Clem Snide album," but considering that it wasn't so long ago that it looked like this band was over and done, getting another serving of what these musicians do so well is more than welcome even if it doesn't break much new ground.

They resisted the temptation to knock out another collection of power pop and instead hibernated for a few years, eventually teaming up with Dave Fridmann--a former member of Mercury Rev best known for his production work with the Flaming Lips--with the intention of reinvention, resulting in the mildly bewildering Of the Blue Colour of the Sky.

The Whigs have zeroed in on their strengths and wound up with a rich, layered pop album that suggests a long, interesting future.

While in some ways Testing is more musical than anything we've heard from A$AP Rocky before, it's also more confused, with ideas and musical shifts colliding at times to the point of randomness.

La Petite Mort is a quality release and a welcome return for a band that refuses to sit down.

Davies still possesses a sharp eye and sly sense of humor, so Our Country has its moments, but they're moments, not songs, and they're overwhelmed by his clumsy dramatic pretensions, which are undone by his reluctance to tie his theatricality into an actual narrative.

It's fun, frivolous, and low on excess.

The Carpets have also crafted a set of songs as strong as any of the records they released in the '90s, which means this is a surprisingly effective comeback.

The productions--the majority of which involve Doc McKinney and/or Cirkut, low-lighted by maneater dance-punk dud "False Alarm"--are roughly as variable in style as they are in quality. When pared down to its ten best songs, Starboy sounds like Tesfaye's most accomplished work.

Our Version of Events is an earnest collection of works by a woman who is as good a composer as she is vocalist, a lethal combination in today's pop music business.

2 Chainz is still a punch-line rapper at heart, but B.O.A.T.S. II adds some Bootsy Collins charisma and ambitious ringleader style to his discography. Pick the sequel over the original and get ready for some stinky, dank, and fun me time.

The constant repetition with more or less subtle shades of developing dynamic and texture in all but the last of these tracks creates a nearly endless groove. And perhaps that's the album's point, creating an album of dance music that's fun to listen to; a mirror image of Someday World's more carefully structured avant pop.

A display of complacency and retreads.

While Faces & Names lacks the same physical power as Soul Asylum's best work, the best songs here manage to sound comfortable, magnetic, and passionate all at once.

Paper Monsters is a competent solo debut, and although it doesn't stray too far from the Depeche mold, Gahan does manage to put his own stamp on the songs.

Still dour and humorless, but pruned of its experimental tendencies, Ministry delivered its first solid record in a decade.

This is a solid if flawed first try.

The Kickback is a cool, slick, and easy party for the most part, with the occasional ballad slowing things down a bit too much.

Those who shudder at the thought of a Dawson's Creek soundtrack should steer well clear, but loved-up fans of good old-fashioned singer/songwriter pop will find plenty to enjoy here.

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

[The last] three songs better illustrate what Kwes. is capable of as a producer and musician, falling somewhere between Thundercat and James Blake, in a cool blend of downtempo, dubstep, and R&B.

"Silver Lining" finds the group at its most savage, while exceptional moments like the anthemic, harmonious choruses of "Learned Behavior" and "Strange Comfort" balance the scales and help the Color Morale to reveal themselves as one of the most dynamic acts of the genre.

For those of you already caught in the band's spider web of eternal summer, this album delivers the goods.

Everything Infinite is an amazingly focused debut from a couple of guys who have already perfected their sound and give the impression that they could keep doing it for years to come.

It's definitely a step back in the right direction after the last album's stumble and stacks up to be their most consistent and enjoyable record to date.

Intimate, sensitive, and unabashedly vulnerable, Mama's Boy is far and away their quietest and most introverted affair to date, yet it adds a depth and substance to LANY's catalog that had been lacking from their usual feel-good Gen Z anthems.

These gangly excursions in rap are evidence of Sheeran's youth and his generation, something that keeps X from being merely a bit of excellently crafted mature pop and gives it some appealing character.

Asleep at Heaven's Gate isn't a bad record, it's an unnecessary one and there's really no excuse for that.

Soft Money has a firm foundation, with SP-1200 fetishism being just one small sliver of its appeal.

Experimental while always pop-oriented and engaging, Was I the Wave? is a great summer afternoon album for chilling at the beach or day-driving with friends.

Rebel Soul is appropriately rebellious and conservative, a dose of old-time rock & roll at a time when the style is starting to fade.

It’s a long journey through a track list that approaches two hours of music, but if time does indeed reveal it to be his final album, The Fall-Off is a worthy swan song.

Overall very little distracts from the qualities that have made him the most durable talent in commercial yet traditional R&B music.

Swift's young age may be a major point of interest in bringing listeners in, but by the end of the record she's succeeded in keeping them.

Pebble to a Pearl is a bit of a gem, a true blast of retro-soul that helps push Costa out of the nu-diva pack and into her own distinct groove.

It's a confident debut, bristling with energy.

This blend of the new and the familiar makes Disguises a refreshing entry in the Aiden catalog, and makes for an album that fans should have no problem losing themselves in.

Hardcore Perry fans will probably be divided on this one, but nevertheless, it's not difficult to conclude that Rise Again is one of his most satisfying releases of the past ten years.

The sound is standard-issue pop-punk in the Green Day/Blink-182 manner, with an echo of Jimmy Eat World in the contrasting vocals.

Chain Letters is an evolutionary step. Idiosyncratic, revelatory, raucous, it's a nasty, beautiful rock & roll baptism in pleasure, both carnal and spiritual.

The Del-Lords once embodied the spirit of the ragged, rootsy, New York rock & roll scene at the end of a magical era; but that culture has long since vanished into history, making most of these songs, no matter how well constructed or intentioned, feel like exercises in nostalgia rather than anything vital.

EVE has the undeniable edge in vitality when compared to More!, the duo's previous album, and there's much more depth and variety.

It's Alive is a debut that should appeal to both lovers of old-school surf pop and anyone who's into the modern "surf" noise-pop style, but always wanted more waves and less whine.

It may bear the mark of Venom, but it lacks the heart-stopping toxicity of its inception.

The band is undeniably tight and flush with ideas, and Hale is such a force of nature that the occasional foray into AOR snooze-ville can be forgiven.

Recorded their solo over a finished mix, which explains the presence of the late Jeff Healey and also how the guitarists don't necessarily seem fully integrated into the album. Nevertheless, that disconnect is ultimately a minor point because there's a gonzo energy to Bachman's originals.

What might be considered a sellout by some can sometimes be a positive move when handled with finesse, and Tonight Alive make a convincing go of it on soaring anthems of empowerment like "To Be Free," "Drive," and "Power of One."

On the whole, it's an engaging debut with memorable tunes that should be tried on by fans of any of the above-mentioned bands or melodic descendants of post-punk and Brit-pop.

The album's tempo could have been more varied, but that's a small complaint; there's plenty to enjoy here.

In shifting gears to stoke their creative flames, Within Temptation have created an immersive--if not wholly original-sounding--set of songs that play to both their strengths and weaknesses.

Swimmers is a flowing, peaceful listen that doesn't need to be broken into small bits; it works best as a unified 35-minute diversion from the stress and struggle of the daily grind.

Not quite as malevolent as the title indicates, it's a little more openhearted than Faiyaz's earlier output, but it does contain flashes of the cynical outlook and more of the remorseless (if sensitively delivered) slow jams for which he's known.

Where the Viaduct Looms is a daring and mostly rewarding undertaking, especially for Smith. Performing the songs of one of alternative music's most acclaimed acts with another backing her, she uncovers meanings and feelings that weren't fully present in the original material -- and that bodes well for what she might be capable of with her own songs.

While Tinariwen would hone their sound and achieve even greater sonic depths in the decades following their cassette releases, Kel Tinariwen offers a compelling and charming aural window into that development.

Seemingly willing to dip a toe in every genre. It's certainly interesting, and often successful, though a sense of continuity is missing from the album as a whole, which feels almost like an anthology. Still, there are plenty of highlights.

Evil Urges ultimately ends the same way it began--with a willingness to explore, to challenge, to poke and prod at My Morning Jacket's past work while creating something entirely new.

It all makes for a more balanced, arguably more enjoyable listening experience than the original Lost Themes, and with the triumphant yet suspenseful "Utopian Facade" suggesting a threequel, it's another must for Carpenter fans.

This captures a less self-conscious Oberst, which is often a better Oberst.

Watt's music is no less ambitious or brave than it was in his youth, and for all the inner rumblings of Hyphenated-Man, the final product reflects an agile and active mind that's not about to stop confronting anyone with the courage to listen.

The predilection for ruminative introspection eventually gets a little heavy, but on a track-by-track basis this collection is very good.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of all, though, is that Sohn hasn't pushed his musical boundaries further; perhaps next time he will completely run wild.

Apart from these standout tracks, it's a solid album that shows off the individual members' songwriting skills and holds together very well as a display of smart and savvy modern pop.

All blunders aside, Burning at Both Ends is an album that has a lot to offer for Set Your Goals devotees, and might even make converts out of the uninitiated.

[Invisible Stars is] a looser, livelier record than Welcome to the Drama Club.

Whatever Ghost's intentions, they've definitely managed to carve out a niche within the increasingly fragmented world of heavy metal, and while purists may revile them for their insolence, it's their insubordination that ultimately earns them a place in the genre.

While I Decided. may not light up the club like his past efforts, it shines a different, more nurturing light onto deeper parts of his soul.

It's too bad such a fine record has to end with a misfire, but you can just hit stop before you get there and be completely satisfied with the really good album Son, Ambulance have crafted.

If False Idols was the return, Adrian Thaws is the great diversification, and if being disappointed with your universally accepted classic inspires greatness like this, then Maxinquaye be damned (but only in Tricky's presence).

We Are Scientists come off well in being both snide and playful. Finding that balance is what makes With Love and Squalor a solid debut.

[Kyle] Fischer is normally a quite capable guitarist whose antics and energy have been noticed for some time by fans at live shows. However, it seems here that his guitar work is merely meant to tread water, biding time for some big explosion that never seems to come.

It's not that the music is now simplistic, since there's still some tricky rhythms and shifts in tone, but the group doesn't have much room to stretch in Ballard's precise arrangements. In a sense, they sort of benefit from this increased focus, since the group's instrumental excursions can be a little flabby, but it still robs them of much of their character.

We Are Science sees Dot Allison going beyond even the highs of One Dove and crafting an accessible, evocative masterpiece that consistently surprises and thrills.

The two have captured a cohesiveness that was lacking on previous Azure Ray albums.

Much of This Time Around feels like a conscious attempt at furthering their craft, defining their sound, and honing their songwriting skills. In other words, it's a stab at maturity.

A sophisticated pop pleasure from start to finish.

Classics is meant to be pure entertainment and even though most of these songs have been sung before by a variety of other artists, in the hands of She & Him, it comes off less like a novelty and instead sits very comfortably in their growing catalog of fine releases.

Offset seems equally at home in almost every style he tries on, and though the heavily varied production and artistic approaches from track to track can give the album a less-than-consistent feel, the steady stream of guest appearances from stars like Future, Young Nudy, Latto, and others all help to emphasize how Set It Off is more exciting than it is uneven.

Less busy instrumentally than P:ano, the band still deals out polyrhythms generously and peppers its tunes with a vast arsenal of instruments that include expansive lap steel, woodwinds, and string and horn sections.

Although Wale's got so much to say, he often says it over the same tempo, and if it weren't for "The Girls on Drugs" (rescued from another Seinfeld-themed mixtape, Festivus) and a couple other kicking moments, the musical spectrum here would be narrow. Still, it's a minor complaint as The Album About Nothing is bigger, bolder, and better than expected.

Everybody's Coming Down is ultimately engaging if meandering, and at its heart--whatever the style--is memorable, energized songwriting.

King Perry doesn't rank among the pioneering artist's classics, but it's an enjoyable late-period effort that reminds listeners of his adventurous spirit and inimitable character.

If one wants to really hear the gifts that Adkins is endowed with as a vocalist, one that can reach people in the marrow of where they live, toss away the hits and listen to the rest.

There's a core of at least seven songs here that rate as highly as the best from the first two albums, and they're anything but reheated.

This is as entertaining and frivolous as a one-night stand should be.

If you were figuring that the Murderdolls were going to expand musically upon what they laid down on their debut album, Women and Children Last will prove your assumption wrong--they're sticking as close to their original vision as possible.

Guitarists Jake Pitts and Jinxx are the showstealers here, riffing in constant harmony, and incorporating the speedy guitar pyrotechnics of similar-minded bands like Dragonforce and Escape the Fate while throwing in showy Zack Wilde pinch harmonics, and Yngwie Malmsteen sweeps.

They do add a distinct Norwegian metal patina to the whole affair, resulting in a listening experience that can feel a little like cueing up tracks from At the Gates, Black Flag, and Dimmu Borgir, and then pressing play on all three, which is not necessarily a bad thing.

While its melancholic and understated nature may not make much of an impression on first listen, it soon reveals itself to be a record of beauty which only confirms her undeniable class.

The band's mastery of various styles, moods, and sounds here is impressive, and while it bodes well for future albums, it also means that Hooded Fang have arrived as one of the most exciting indie rock/pop bands around in 2013.

Even if some of the songs have spare, measured rhythms that seem easy enough to follow, the group will make the guitar notes spiral into strange directions or build the feedback up to hair-raising levels.

The tributes come across as affectionate rather than rote. That's due in large part to a distinctive, emphatic voice and lyrics concerned with their own troubles and colorful characters.

There's plenty to dissect on Run Fast Sleep Naked, with subsequent listens revealing new layers and surprises. With this deliberate rebranding to a more authentic self, Murphy delivers a more genuine vision that is satisfying and brimming with imagination.

Familiar in style and approach, Engine of Paradise offers a sturdy distillation of Green's worldview, albeit a slightly darker one.

Much of the album follows this complex formula of heavy emotions and sunny sounds, with Lauv finding a way to turn his dark memories, bad trips, and deepest regrets into something digestible and light.

While Megan strays somewhat from the formula of invincible confidence and crowd-pleasing summer anthems that we're used to from MTS, its moments of bitterness and uncertainty do a lot to humanize the larger-than-life rap queen, one whose head has grown heavy from wearing the crown.