While it's not as brilliantly cohesive as Future Politics, Hirudin's exploration of losing someone and finding yourself sounds like the music Stelmanis had to make.

While nothing quite matches the baddie intensity of "Big Boy," Dopamine works nicely, conjuring a vibe of sultry, post-club afterglow.

For a couple days working things out on the spot, Myths 003 came together almost perfectly and is a worthy addition to each band's impressive catalog.

Solid performances and a vision beyond the obvious equate to an album that makes more sense than it should and one that pulls immediate gratification out of unexpected places.

With one foot in the constantly building atmospherics and experimentation of groups like Explosions in the Sky and the other in the openhearted optimism of the emo scene that they grew out of, Appleseed Cast offer up some of their best work to date on Illumination Ritual.

Detractors will rightfully point out that Free Love utilizes the same sonic architecture as its predecessors, but it's a fairly idiosyncratic template and one that Meath and Sanborn have shown great skill with over three albums now. Besides, the world always needs more dance music for introverts.

More rankled moments include the circular anthem "I Don't Care" ("I gotta do what I want to"), but these are outweighed by hard-won gratitude and affection on a set that above all delivers on big hooks.

He's come into his own carrying on the tradition of Afro-beat, but putting his own beautiful signature on it as its original heir.

Though its second half isn't quite as deft as its first, Francis Trouble continues the streak Hammond, Jr. has been on since the AHJ EP. With albums like this, his identity as a master of smart, emotional guitar pop is secure.

At 20 tracks and nearly 80 minutes, Eardrum is both too much and too little, never quite understanding exactly what it needs to be.

Back to Me is a powerful and affecting album from an artist who is quickly establishing herself as a major talent.

Mayfield's songs are darker, with more discontent, and all contain elements of the subtly sinister or perverse.

The album doesn't immediately grab you, but if given time to spread through you like warm cider on a fall day, Levek's subtle charms will win you over and this album will be one of the first you'll want to reach for to help capture or create a mood of autumnal melancholy.

We Will Not Harm You does just what it does on the tin, and so much more.

Birthdays is so fragile and broken that listening to it without signing some kind of non-disclosure agreement feels borderline voyeuristic.

A creative step forward for Such Gold as they step back from the poppier accents of their 2012 debut, Misadventures, and embrace more complicated song structures and deeply personal lyrical themes.

On Mythologies, Cheatahs expand on the surreal, otherworldly aspects of their sound, and seem to take abundant pleasure in wringing sweetness out of caustic, discordant noises.

A top-notch Lil Wayne appearance plus an unofficial Lox reunion with Styles P and Sheek Louch guesting on the LP help put this one through the uprights, giving veteran Jada one of his best and most ambitious showcases to date.

Gulp show that they aren't just masters of cheerful avant pop; they can do other things at a high skill level, too. It makes for a well-balanced listening experience that fans of Broadcast or any of the other bands mentioned above would certainly find right up their alley.

Essentially, the album is business as usual for Laibach, which means that if you're in on their grand scheme, it's another exquisitely orchestrated laugh riot.

The high quality of its majority shows that the singer/songwriter is at a new creative peak.

Dancer Equired! should be required listening for any band looking to grow its brand in new ways without losing its core audience--and also for those who like their pop dirty, sweet, and fairly audible.

For anyone interested in underground music from the later '60s through the mid-'70s, Love Has Made Me Stronger is recommended listening.

Silly, savage, and willfully schizophrenic, Nookie Wood is at its best when its creator is channeling his more pastoral works.

The attention to detail Nobody uses throughout is staggering.

Even if this isn't much "Deeper" than the average Three 6 Mafia album, the glitz and guts of Deeper are a big step up, making Ross sound like a Miami-fied version of Young Jeezy.

D.N.A. is more a natural development than a series of drastic shifts, and while it will please the majority of the fan base, the material does not allow Mario--a vocalist more versatile than many would like to admit--to do much more than toggle between a Lothario and a softie.

Era of Manifestations is fine stuff for listeners who appreciate a challenge rather than a passive experience, and it's a must for those who enjoy Oneida's sonic experimentation.