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.

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

Toward the Low Sun is crushing in its sadness, unrelenting in its sweetness and pure aural emotion.

It was brave of Memoryhouse to drastically change their approach on their first full-length, but while The Slideshow Effect has plenty of appealing moments, they don't add up to a satisfying album.

Ultimately, the great thing about the '80s vibe on Rooms Filled with Light isn't that Fanfarlo have aped their idols, but rather that they've found a way to make these Day-Glo, spiky-haired melodies feel utterly contemporary.

The result is a wonderfully immediate album that feels like a Saturday night house party--complete with moonlight, dust flying from the carpet under the feet of dancers, and crickets and night bird calls out the open windows.

Much of what remains is pleasant and executed with finesse, yet not as memorable as the majority of The 18th Day or Shine.

Mouse on Mars sound only like themselves on Parastrophics, an album that's a rebirth and a welcome return for one of electronic music's most restlessly creative acts.

mately, despite his loftier intentions, this works perfectly well as another excellent Chuck Prophet collection that for most listeners only marginally adheres to its stated concept but is no less impressive because of that.

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.

Ghostory is as lushly layered as ever, with spectral textures and propulsive dance rhythms, both programmed and played, equally affecting.

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.

A Brief Crack of Light shows signs that Therapy? are capable of restoring their former glories, but its overall uncompromising attitude suggests they'll continue to remain a cult moshpit-inducing force for now.

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.

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).

Melodic and mercurial, immaculate and overwrought, it's not for everybody, but six albums in, Lacuna Coil have proven themselves more than worthy of both the attention of commercial rock radio and the adoration of the progressive metal community.

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.

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.

This sampler offers plenty of quality listening and anyone who hasn't given Sultan's music a listen will find this CD to be an excellent starting place, delivering music that's wild, ambitious, and soul-satisfying all at once.

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

Overall, Colours is a joyful and inventive record which suggests Scott may have finally found his forte.

Despite a scattering of fantastic material, overall this collection is unworthy of the Sparrow's mighty legacy.

Gregory Porter's sophomore effort confirms the talent that was so apparent on his debut.

The Megaphonic Thrift largely avoid falling into the same self-indulgence trap that blights many all-star side projects, but they aren't quite engaging enough to suggest the hobby should become full-time.

Whichever era Foster picks and chooses from, Let It Burn always feels utterly timeless.

The album tries too hard to make its points, generally misplacing Walker's organic, rootsy appeal and obvious talents in the process.

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

Carnivale Electricos is a crunchy, rowdy recording with some beautiful twists and turns by its guest performers.