It's a clunky end to a disappointing album; one that sounds less like a reinvention and more like a giant step down a path best left unexplored further. Maybe they can strip back down to a trio, get their pedals back, and return to being a first class psych band instead of second rate indie rock troubadours.

Haiku from Zero may be Cut Copy's most Cut Copy album yet, full of hooky songs and breathlessly danceable songs. The only thing it is missing is inspiration or invention, which also means it is their least successful record yet as well.

Maybe it's missing a little bit of the thrill that came along with hearing TERRY for the first time, but there isn't much anyone can do about that. All the band can do is keep cranking out these kinds of smart and snappy pop songs an album at a time, hopefully for as long as possible.

Whichever word one may choose, the record is a delight for lovers of psychedelic guitar interplay, and Beaches continue to be one of the best exponents of that sound around.

It's anyone's guess what the Yawpers might have in mind for the future, but they sure stepped up their game with their sophomore album, and Boy in a Well is an experiment that absolutely succeeds.

Here and throughout Before the Applause, Re-TROS sound fully in command of their sound, and fans of Liars, Battles, Factory Floor, and Public Image Ltd will almost certainly get--and love--where they're coming from.

Highly stylized but memorable for both its unusual palette and what are ultimately consistently good songs (for outright earworms, don't miss "Blue Cigar" and "Daddy Long Legs"), Saturn Over Sunset is recommended for anyone intrigued by the idea of retrofuturist anti-pop.

New Magic is a different animal than Son Little [the self-titled], but both albums are products of a strikingly gifted artist, and listeners who want to hear a smart and passionate musician take R&B into new, thoughtful places owe it to themselves to give New Magic a careful listen.

Mareridt is a work of atavistic mystery, unflinching honesty, and balance. It embraces everything from horror and beauty to the sacred and profane; its creator has encountered them all within, faced and accepted them, and ultimately woven them into the fabric of her being as music.

That Numan can still juggle melodrama and musicality with such effortlessness is impressive, to say the least, but that he can make it so compelling is what sets him apart from his old guard new wave contemporaries.

The Laughing Apple can in some ways be viewed as a compromise, as Yusuf makes an album that will resonate with old Cat Stevens fans, but there's never a moment where he seems less than sincere and committed, and this merging of past and present makes for Yusuf's most satisfying album since his return to popular music in 2006.

Many of these tracks have been released before, and there are few revelations for loyal fans, but Under Cöver is an enjoyable reminder of Motörhead's ability to bend any song to their will, even as they let some of the personality of the originals shine through.

It's a record where Lady Gaga can join in for a six-minute slow-burner styled after prime Faces ("Find Yourself") and feel at home because this is a place where anybody is invited just as long as they share the same vibe. And, as a listener, if you happen to share that vibe, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real is a pure pleasure.

Parallels is the sound of an artist regaining perspective after a devastating setback, and while he still makes music to drift away to, it's more focused than ever.

Mountain Moves' whimsy often feels like a party that just happens to be political, but it's this sense of joy that makes protest--and Deerhoof's career--sustainable.

Considering the sheer volume of material, it's inevitable that not every track on Take Flight resonates, but it does contain a generous number of highlights. At least initially, it seems best to approach the album as background listening and let the tracks reveal themselves over time, rather than attempt to concentrate on them all on the first go-round.

Starr remains fond of late-period Beatles, goosed with a bit of arena rock volume, and since he's working with a group of well-seasoned pros, this guitar pop is all well crafted and amiable.

Unlike Vol. 1, which ran out of steam during its last third, Vol. 2 keeps its momentum from beginning to end, clattering and shambling through its 33 minutes without a false step.

Of the pair, Vol. 1 is the most interesting lyrically, but it's uneven--even boring at times--musically, particularly in the last third.

It may take Haines another ten years to make her third solo album, but hopefully when she does it will be as richly melodic, subtly dynamic, and emotionally powerful as this one is.

There aren't many current groups that do what Antibalas does so well, especially in the United States, and Where The Gods Are In Peace reminds us they take their art and their message seriously, even as their music generates an impressive degree of joy.

Foo Fighters show that they're in love with light and shade, fury and quiet, every twist and turn they can make with their instruments, and even if Concrete And Gold isn't about much more than that, it's refreshing to hear the Foos embrace to the logical flashing conclusion of Grohl's allegiance to real rock values.

An earthy, majestic, endlessly inventive album that caps both his own storied career and points the way toward the future.

A Moment Apart is a further expansion of the ODESZA empire, and the duo's most ambitious, widescreen work yet.

If you want to hear a clever, ambitious, and blessedly noisy set from four people who know how to do it right, then the Dream Syndicate's return to duty will find an honored place in your music collection.

Ultimately, Mount Kimbie strip away any musical excess on Love What Survives, and leave raw vivid emotion.

If you've never liked Sparks, Hippopotamus isn't likely to convince you otherwise, but as a band that seems perversely proud of being an acquired taste, this album shows Sparks are still in fine fettle, and this should delight their loyal fan base.

Overall, Out of All This Blue is a bold experiment that succeeds, and once again demonstrates the depth and breadth of Mike Scott's talent.