Anyone with a little distance from their own pain will find much to admire in the honesty and craft of the album.

The third outing from the Punch Brothers picks up right where 2010's Antifogmatic left off, offering up another quality set of offbeat sophisti-grass that blends the whirlwind musicianship of Béla Fleck & the Flecktones, the spirited delivery of the Louvin Brothers, and the cinematic urban melancholy of Jeff Buckley into a sometimes impenetrable but always fascinating.

The Something Rain's grace, elegance, and beauty are enhanced throughout by its subtle but certain spirit of chance.

The dynamics of accessible songwriting mingling with weird breakdowns and abrupt production jumps make sure the songs are always engaging enough to keep the listener riveted, even when the saga of the twins starts to lose the plot.

Roses may not immediately grab hold--and it's lacking one strong single to pull listeners in--but it's well-constructed adult pop that's unashamed of being either adult or pop.

When White hits the target--and he does so more often than he misses--he's still a singular musical artist with a singular vision, and he's not even close to running out of stories on Where It Hits You.

It seems designed to hover in the background, covering the sound of clinking glassware and forks tapping plates and blending smoothly with subdued conversation.

They remain faithful to the New Orleans musical ideal in the sense that they turn everything they play into celebratory party music.

Nothing here reinvents country, but what the Dirt Drifters do is sound natural and grounded with their sound.

While it's understandable that The Thousandfold Epicentre's broader canvas may require a little more time for digestion than 2009's The Time of No Time Evermore, and certainly 2008's kick-upside-the-head Come Reap EP, there's no shortage of creativity or entertainment to be found here.

They do add a distinct Norwegian metal patina to the whole affair, resulting in a listening experience that can feel a little like cueing up tracks from At the Gates, Black Flag, and Dimmu Borgir, and then pressing play on all three, which is not necessarily a bad thing.

Growth since his previous effort is obvious, both for the good (writing skills) and an arguable definition of bad (Penthouse Forum might even balk at some of the aggressive sex talk here).

A rather ramshackle collection of rarities, The Second Three Years is perhaps more for his long-term fan base rather than any new converts, but it's an intriguing listen that suggests Turner's slow-burning rise to fame could reach even loftier heights.

Beautifully crafted, if slightly inconsistent, Underrated Silence is undoubtedly still more of a mood setter than a head-bobber, but it's a far more challenging and ultimately rewarding listen than your average chill-out fare.

Hairdresser Blues offers a more intimate window in to a more down-to-earth personal world, allowing room for that enormous persona to be folded back into the greater sum of Bogart's infectious songwriting personality.

Check the Preview EP for a better introduction, but if you're a fan, Breakfast is a great way to start the day.

New Multitudes, on the other hand, aims for a darker and more introspective tone, and when Farrar takes center stage, he unwittingly reveals his Achilles' Heel--no matter who he works with, he insists on dominating the musical conversation, and when his co-writer has been dead since 1967, there's not much hope for any real balance.

Taken as a whole, Ternion is a strong step forward for the band, one that takes them to the front of the line of bands looking to re-create the sounds, and more importantly, the feel of classic synth pop.

If some songs breeze by without sticking, other songs like the two-part "Point of Go," split between a calmer and a more energetic section defined by the drumming, stand out.

Every Time I Die are moving in some promising new directions.

It's all pretty smooth, sleek and, for the most part, fairly subdued.

Meltdown is a forceful reminder that there really is strength in numbers, and these six guys generate a powerful sound Ryan could never come up with all by himself.

Their sometimes winding songs seeming more taut than ever.

One Second of Love's main issue is not one of sonic fidelity, but consistency. If the murk of earlier recordings hid some of Nite Jewel's intentions, they also succeeded in hiding slightly forced stylistic leanings.

We Are Augustines have created a record that gives the listeners all the time they need to explore the ideas inside without ever threatening to push them out the door, creating the life-sustaining atmosphere necessary to make Rise Ye Sunken Ships the kind of place you live rather than visit.

Liddle has previously described their sound as "folky gospel music played by a post-punk band," and Shallow Bed's eclectic spiritual nature proves that isn't just hollow talk.

Everything continues to feel heavy.

The album grows stronger as its second half wears on.