A few songs sound nothing like Crocodiles, like the rollicking Latin-inspired ballad "Alita" and the cheerful '60s pop/rocker "Not Even in Your Dreams," but it still works thanks to the focused songwriting and the care they put into the sound. That at least half the songs are among their most powerful and poppiest to date ("Telepathic Lover" chief among them) doesn't hurt, either.

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.

Two Vines may not be the group's masterpiece, but it is their most consistent album yet. Their mastery of modern pop sounds, ability to craft melodies that have a timeless quality, and the real connection they provide to people who want their frivolous pop music to have some depth and meaning, is impressive.

The album is highly focused and engrossing, and continues Hauschildt's run of nearly flawless albums.

Confessions turns out to be as charming as it sounds on paper; at times it's even profound.

Big Baby D.R.A.M. is, at times, odd and imperfect, which is part of the charm.

Packed with breezy, witty, should-be hits, Bonito Generation is a winning mix of subversive art and genuine heart.

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.

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.

Because of their association with Bowie, the quartet's Beyond Now will get attention from a wider range of music fans than a jazz album normally would. But this record warrants attention on its own merits because it showcases the exciting, genre-blurring sound of a sophisticated band coming into its own.

So although introspection may be on full display, it feels more like a celebration of life--a post-realization that it's a mix of highs and lows.

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.

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

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.

If the riffs don't always sink in deeply--and if the entire production feels slightly monochromatic--what impresses here is the thought and musicality within the compositions and the performances, elements that have always been at the band's core and shine brightly on Hardwired... To Self-Destruct.

Mr. Entertainment and his bombast do not disappoint. The Heavy Entertainment Show is his most invigorated album in years, a truer return to the pop realm than 2012's Take the Crown.

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.

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.

The "uh oh"s that punctuate "Hyper Dark"'s shattered balladry hint at Jessica Rabbit's state of emergency, while "Torn Clean" is one of the band's prettiest songs yet. Contrasts like these have been Sleigh Bells' modus operandi since the beginning, but Jessica Rabbit's mix of brashness and finesse proves they can still thrill.

The album manages to sound detached yet intimate as dal Forno's fragile voice and glowing melodies reach toward something intangible.

Sting sifts through familiar territory with songs of protest sitting alongside songs of yearning and love and it all adds up to record that's simultaneously unassuming and revealing: through its modest nature, 57th & 9th stands as testaments to Sting's inherent gifts as a songwriter and recordmaker.

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

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.

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.

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

Monument Builders is a powerful reminder that ambient music is a fine conduit for emotionally and politically charged messages, and it's one of Morgan's finest works yet.

Harvey sends off his final Gainsbourg project with the same spirit he introduced it with: savvy, humor, and an illuminating musical and literary spirit that defies anyone to follow him. Ultimately, it's perhaps the only kind of tribute Gainsbourg could--or would--accept.

Certain listeners might bemoan the shortage of uptempo belters here, but one attentive and thorough listen presents a clear justification.