Discerning fans may demand something new from the band's next effort, however, since this is essentially "Move Along" with a revised track list.

Swarming basslines and sluggish beats likewise form the rhythmic foundation, with gauzy and tickling keyboards adding sweetness to Scott's hedonistic hooks. Only on "Guidance," through scuttling drums granted by DF, is there a significant shake-up.

Vision Valley might be a little predictable, but at least the Vines sound like they're back in control of their lives and music again.

It's a good album, no less and no more.

It finds the rap luminaries more or less staying in their respective lanes. Metro Boomin's beats are typically cold and ominous yet lustrous, and Future sticks to familiar subjects such as drugs, sex, and luxury fashion.

It's a great pop record with plenty of guts and a sense of reality that is so often missing from records that sound this fun.

Depending on how much Robin Guthrie you want in your life, Continental is either redundant or another reason to love him.

Ultimately, Mixed Race, with its simmering tension, is a worthy follow-up to Knowle West Boy, and a fine entry in Tricky's catalog overall.

Although very eclectic taste is required to appreciate in full, this is clearly Rowland's brightest, most confident album yet.

This one is so packed and bold, it even exits on a turned-up club stunner ("Act Right" with Jeezy and YG), so consider it the big longevity payoff after years of rocky Yo Gotti albums.

We Loved Her Dearly shows a lot of promise and there's plenty to like about Lowell's attitude and talent, but some gentle tightening of her vision would go a long way in strengthening her image.

An already impressive album that's quite an improvement over his previous effort and on par with the best chilly, spacy avant pop around in 2015.

As it is a Chrissie Hynde project, it is a little inconsistent, sometimes sagging on ballads or dragging its feet at mid-tempos, but there are several strong additions to her canon and the overall feel is appealing and, thanks to her unexpected collaborator, fresher than expected.

Even if Louder Now brings the mosh-pit fun ready to be embraced by new and old fans alike, an attempt to push themselves further would be more than welcomed.

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.

Whatever his method of delivery, Meek sounds like he's walking a tightrope with his head on a swivel.

These may not be the songs that will ever light up their live sets, but together they form what is easily the best Beach Boys record in 35 years -- and a surprisingly cohesive, reflective, listenable one at that.

A more electronic, better built, and altogether better deal than "Monsters," thanks mostly to the singer and-don't-you-forget-to-mention songwriter's better sense of self.

Wener treats the new Sleeper songs as a series of short stories, and that gives The Modern Age its true spine, helping it escape the clutches of nostalgia.

Cage the Elephant didn't exist until 2005, but as this self-titled album demonstrates, their ability to be influenced by alternative rock and classic rock simultaneously is a definite plus.

The dreamy otherworldliness of Kenedy's voice transforms even the tunes that border on upbeat scrappiness into lush dream pop.

As good as Still Corners are at fitting their music into a mold, the tension they create between city and seaside, as well as their pop and experimental impulses, is unique, and Dead Blue is most rewarding when they explore it fully.

Hotel Surrender is a testament to Murphy's skills as an artist and his attitude as a person.

Robby Krieger & The Soul Savages is hip, relaxed, and confident. The quartet sounds like they're having an exceptionally good time and that translates to aural gold for the listener.

They want to be everything to everyone and, in attempting to do so, they've wound up with a record that appeals to a narrow audience: fellow travelers who either thrill at the spectacle or dig for the subtleties buried underneath the digital din.

Song after song whips by, wedding equal doses of neo-thrash aggression and accessibility, represented by frontman Matt Heafy's alternating clean and gruff vocals as well as his and fellow guitarist Corey Beaulieu's jagged staccato riffs and tight-knit harmonies.

They're veterans that know how to use their tools, so even if the raw materials may not be quite as compelling as their earliest singles, the overall craft on Battle Born is more appealing.

Mark's laid-back stride keeps the affair surprisingly buoyant.

He can certainly sing, but years of providing seamless harmonies for Gibbard have given his pipes a clear, breathy quality that threatens to lull the listener into a trance during the album's final stretch.

Perhaps it is a bit stuffy and hidebound for art rock, but taken as a theatrical production, it's adventurously cerebral, an album to ponder if not quite embrace.

Getting Closer comes off as an undecided jumble of background and foreground music. Nice, but not necessary, this one falls somewhere between a promising debut and glossy, pretty wallpaper.

An album that caters to the sensibilities of the Lips'-voracious fan base without doing so exclusively, providing an entryway for old-school prog lovers to check out how weird the guys from that little band that did that jelly song have gotten over the last couple of decades.

This is a disappointing backpedal from America's drill ambassador.

Not bad at all, but unless you're a die-hard fan you'll want to be a little selective.

Woozy, trance-like, and sublime...

Sniffy electronica purism aside though, Cook remains, if not the best overall producer in the dance world, certainly in its top rank, with an excellent ear for infectious hooks, tight beats, and irresistible grooves. On advice from friends the Chemical Brothers, Cook recruited collaborators for the first time -- nu-soul diva Macy Gray, funk legend Bootsy Collins, fellow superstar DJ/producer Roger Sanchez -- and the two tracks with Gray, "Love Life" and "Demons," are arguably the highlights of the entire album.

At 23 tracks, there's a little something for everyone, and although A Day in a Yellow Beat could benefit from some pruning, it is not without its rewards.

Ultimately, this isn't an album of purpose, it's a collection of moments, and it has just enough good ones to solidify Demi Lovato's comeback.

Some of Uzi's experiments are fun and exploratory while others flop, and the entire album is a lot to digest in one go. There are still plenty of solid tracks regardless of what style Lil Uzi Vert is trying on, but more fastidious editing might have delivered a more enjoyable, less meandering overall listening experience.

While it isn’t as immediate as High Time, fans of that album and hypnotic, improvisatory music will love getting lost in The Flexible Entertainer.

One could easily imagine hearing these songs at a store and bopping along as you shop. However, where their '90s idols oozed personality and hooks that defined an era, on their album, Fifth Harmony often just sound fine.

Maybe by the time their next album rolls around they will be able to tame their influences into a more coherent-sounding body of work that will more fully represent their abilities.

Fellow Travelers makes the listener feel like they snuck in the back door of the club and are bearing witness to one of the coolest soundchecks ever, and while it may not be the follow-up that fans were envisioning, it certainly deserves a slot in every Shearwater enthusiast's collection.

Underworld never sound particularly tired on Oblivion with Bells. Granted, the music is less innovative than before, and also more quiet, which makes Hyde's vocals more critical than they've ever been.

The curiously lifeless production means that several listens are necessary before the songs' charms are fully revealed.

Perfect for a summer day.

Years later, however, the well-networked songwriter appears to have finally found her own voice with Light of X.

For all the musical adventure and the growth it reflects, Arrows & Anchors is Fair to Midland's finest effort to date.

Heartfelt, ragged, and stoic.

It's assuredly the group's most congruent outing, and for nice background music that's not overly engaging or challenging, Diver will satisfy your needs.

The songs on This River are tighter and more deftly written than on previous offerings, but the more immediate, in-the-moment-of-creation production and incendiary performances keep things from getting slick.

Tiny Rebels is more a mini-album than an EP, with six tracks dipped in generous amounts of reverb and tremolo and finding Kelly showcasing his knack for sunny pop harmonies and Byrds-esque 12-string guitar leads.

English Heart is a great concept, and for the most part the execution works, but one can't help but wish it had been recorded in the '70s or '80s, when Ronnie's voice was strong enough to make the most of the material.

Oldfield's Ommadawn is an enchanted place and this lush revisitation both honors his initial creation and neatly extends its boundaries.

Throughout Wildness, Lightbody pushes his message with evocative lyrical imagery and the consoling empathy of someone who has fought the battle and emerged triumphant. The result is one of the most comforting and relatable inclusions in the band's catalog.

Emotionally effective but quite different from anything he's done prior, it's an endearing, rewarding peek into Davis' interests outside of his day job.

Ultimately, Prism ends up faring much like the previous two Orb albums -- another eclectic mixed bag that has some amusing ideas but doesn't feel as focused as the group's best work.

The work would not have been out of place on a more skeletal version of My Life in the Bush of Ghosts.

Crocodiles have never been content to stick to one sound and ride it into the ground; they always seem to be searching for the perfect way to transmit their brand of noise and pop. They just might have found it here.

And while the story hangs together quite well, the main impression you are left with is that Byrne and Slim have impeccable taste in female singers.

Snapshot might be more successful at reassuring rock fans of a certain age that some young people find sounds three or four times older than them exciting than it is at getting kids excited about bluesy rock. Taken on its own terms, though, it's a solid debut from a band that can only benefit from more experience.

They get a little too close to trip-hop for their own good on a few songs, and their widescreen drama is missed occasionally, but Penny Sparkle is still another beautiful reinvention for Blonde Redhead.

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

Taken as a musical statement, Sisyphus works fairly well at times, but it's the kind of collaboration no one asked for and much like their mythological Greek king namesake, getting all three artists' styles to gel is a bit like pushing a boulder eternally up a hill.

Fanatics seeking that Ralf and Florian style of restraint will certainly be thrown. Others will find their respect for Bartos has grown after a listen, and once the revelations settle, Off the Record feels like an enjoyable journey back to "Ohm Sweet Ohm."

This is an album that hints at plenty of promise for the future, but most of it has yet to be realized.

No No No is a feel-good mean of the band's prior releases that should appeal to the Beirut loyal as well as serve as a fine representative for any potential admirers who've simply managed to miss them along the way.

She may not yet have the set of skills, or the experience, to give a nuanced, textured performance -- one that feels truly lived-in, not just sung -- but she's a compelling singer and Mind, Body & Soul lives up to her promise.

As far as debut albums go, Until the Earth Begins to Part may not be as important as it thinks it is, but it certainly delivers the promise of greatness.

It's mellow in the canyon tonight, so lie on your back and stare at the stars, let the music wash over you and don't "stop paying attention to the things that used to make you shine."

What gives The Ride its personality how these hooks bend through Congleton's production and Furtado's subdued delivery, shifting this mainstream pop just into a fringe where this singer/songwriter now seems happy to be.

While it makes for pleasant music to have on while you are sleeping away the afternoon in a cubicle or fighting insomnia late at night, the album is something of a letdown for anyone who, not unreasonably, came to it expecting something a little more interesting from Schnauss.

Like so much of "Emancipation" and E=MC2, which is a virtual replica of its predecessor in almost every way, 'Touch My Body' is all about sound, rhythm, and texture and not so much about song, something that helps sustain Mariah Carey's run at the top the charts, but something that also pushes melodic hooks, and in the process singing, into the background.

Refreshingly simple and cleverly stupid, I Get Wet makes indoctrination fun again.

Ask a Yelawolf regular for a listener's guide then split apart this purposeful beast accordingly.

Bloodlust may be pugilistic to a fault, but whatever it lacks in poeticism it more than makes up for in raw power.

There's no arguing Putnam has a genuine talent for writing melodies and giving them shape in the studio, but he needs to add more colors to his palate if he expects people to come back to hear the same tale again and again.

Though it's starkly rhythmic where Cornershop songs like "Brimful of Asha" are lush and trippy, Singh's appealing vocals and the duo's accessible songwriting provide the link between their two projects.... however, too many of these good ideas drag on for too long without progressing.

It might not make for a great listen, but its swagger and white-trash style make it the second-best record in his catalog.

A.R.E. Weapons comes across as partially put-together and all the way dumb -- not dumb meaning fun but dumb meaning dumb.

The compelling three-quarters of Definition of Real that seems to have crawled out of the gutter proves that Plies is best off when he does it the ski-mask way.

On Soft, Bodan is assisted by several producers, and while the backdrops range from light drum'n'bass to the kind of stark and lurching beats heard more commonly on labels like Tri Angle and Modern Love, the album isn't quite as scattered as the singles.

Lover Chanting--the band's first release for underground stalwarts Ninja Tune -- maintained the productivity with three new songs.

Goodbye is striking and rewarding in its own way; it just might take a little more time to sink into the murky new agey abyss.

Just as poetic, mysterious, and bewitching as Blonde Redhead's more baroque albums, Barragán is a quietly audacious set of songs that ranks among the band's finest music.

There's a bit more pure pop intention to be found on Voids, but it retains the left-field charm that made them one of the more captivating acts to watch amidst the alt-to-indie rock shift that dominated the late '90s and early 2000s.

While there are a few moments where Violet Cries' potent atmosphere turns meandering and atonal, this is still a promising and often captivating debut from a band with a bold sound.

As it stands, the album lives up to its name, offering a low-key but promising introduction to the duo's music.

Stills and Collins have a gentle, easy chemistry and the studio-slick supporting performances provide a nice bed for a project that is less nostalgia than a reassuring reminder of the comfort of growing old together.

This live CD shows all of her brilliance and promise, her command and vitality, and much of that is shown on the videos as well.

Maintaining momentum with ruggedly catchy pop tunes sticking out among the more spaced-out garage psych explorations, Ages takes its place in the storied Flying Nun lineage without sounding solely like a replica of previous chapters.

Despite its many head-bobbing moments, Danger in the Club feels more like two EPs--one that builds on 180's exuberance and one that explores new territory--than a consistent album.

Released two years after the international breakthrough hit Only by the Night, Come Around Sundown continues Kings of Leon's journey into the upper echelon of mainstream pop/rock, with super-sized choruses and guitar heroics thrown in for good measure.

If she feels marginally more connected here than she did on "Blackout," it's a Pyrrhic victory, as Circus never feels as sleek or addictive as its predecessor.

Though the record could use a few more high points, there are enough hooky songs and exciting performances to make it very promising.

The faintly cosmopolitan dance-pop grooves and finely measured ballads offer few unexpected turns. They're set apart more by a lack of gospel and soul, consequently rendering Love Goes plain by Smith's standard -- unfortunate for an artist whose instrument is anything but that.

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.

Oceans Will Rise is a return to form for the Stills, who've earned their merit as an experimental group with a strong knack for pop/rock hooks.