XAM Duo is a synth lover's dream, a calming balm to the hectic hustle of modern life, and a trippy excursion into the futuristic past.

Jeezy doesn't say much that deviates from previous ice-veined rhymes, but he attacks just about every track with intense focus and ferocity

It delivers an excellent portrait of Wobble as disciple, master, and prophet of dub.

On Telling It Like It Is, Marching Church sounds like a congregation running wild, searching for the truth. Even if they don't know where they'll find it, it's thrilling to join them on the hunt.

The duo's love of huge, fuzzy guitars hasn't dimmed and anyone who shares that love will find Balance to be something pretty special. So will lovers of psychedelic music, fans of dream pop, shoegaze aficionados, and people who want music that will remind them of the past, but take them somewhere new.

From front to back, the quality is so balanced that there are no obvious peaks or lulls, though the tracks that incorporate harp and harpsichord stick out a little more for their uniqueness relative to standard soul-funk revivalism.

As its title suggests, there's an eldritch purity to Older Terrors' combination of post-rock, shoegaze, and metal that makes it some of Esben & the Witch's most ambitious and captivating music.

At first blush, this is not one of Anderson's most immediately engaging albums, but it has a meandering charm that works its magic over time.

"Charlie Brown" is a swirling circle of doom, "I'll Take It and Break It" punishes with its stomping riff, "Bums" races along, while "Nightcrawler" revels in its menacing depravity. All this makes The Deaner Album sound a little excessive but there are also moments of madcap pop ("Bundle of Joy," "You Were There"), twisted country ("Tammy"), and funk ("Mercedes Benz"), all parceled out with expert pacing, so the album plays like a drunken, giddy party.

Pharrell Williams is on the couple's perseverance anthem "Work on It," a wobbly ballad, while Illangelo was involved with "Holy War," where some dulled drums interrupt a mostly acoustic number about backward societal views of war and sex. These songs, like a fair portion of the album's remainder, are not lacking in energy or conviction, but they're raw as in crude.

Become Zero is a stunning album that takes Helen Money's already otherworldly, highly accomplished sound to fascinating new levels.

That one track ["Canna-Business"] aside, Brotherhood of the Snake is not only on par with Testament's best records during the millennium thus far, but ever.

All that's here, dark or bright, is vital.

For all its emphasis on the past, Stripped sounds like a step forward.

The music represents a brave move forward. The lyrics, however, are not so innovative.

It also exhibits a sleeker sound than the notably rough-hewn debut, with McClure having invested in "a laptop and some decent microphones." Thankfully, these changes don't erode the outfit's free-spirited charisma.

The album isn't a comeback but a continuum, and a welcome return from a true oracle of traditional song.

Two decades on, Lambchop are not only still able to surprise listeners, they're doing some of their best work at the same time, and FLOTUS is an unexpected triumph.

Bon Jovi and Shanks may not have done much to freshen up the band's sound--they don't take any mid-2010s musical trends into consideration--but that simmering defiance does mean this is the band's liveliest album in years.

Seven years is a long time to wait between albums, but if that's how long it takes to make the album as good as this is, then the wait was worth it.

Those seeking the wacky thrills of Regions of Light and Sound of God might be surprised--or even put off at first--but closer listening reveals the poignant and provocative Eternally Even as a stronger, deeper album.

It's a bit of a mess at times, but there's no denying that Crying's sense of fun is a major part of their appeal.

Songs like these and "Keep It Simple" make the most of Lo's big voice and personality on an album that, despite its provocative title, often feels more straightforward than Queen of the Clouds did.

Fortunately, for every formless track, there are two more like the brilliantly buoyant "Dream Orchestrator," a glimpse of 21st century psych-pop at its finest. Moments like this make Clear Shot TOY's most ambitious and rewarding album yet.

Dissociation is an impressive album and a perfect endpoint to a very noisy and varied body of work.

Redemption & Ruin is a fine covers album: it not only illuminates and adds new dimensions to these songs, but it unmistakably reflects the Devil Makes Three's musical persona, making it a welcome addition to their catalog.

On the ambient side, tracks often play into one another with quiet transitions, making single-track play potentially abrupt.

An album full of potent atmosphere, dirty guitars, and emotional honesty, Burn Something Beautiful ranks with Escovedo's best and most adventurous work, and both fans and curious neophytes owe it to themselves to give it a listen.