With 11 Past the Hour, May has crafted a generous, collaborative album that feels like she's lifting others up, just as they are lifting her.

The choruses are delivered in joyously emphatic unison. If there is a complaint about Cold as Weiss, it's that at 40 minutes, it's a tad short, because no one wants this dance party to end. (If you do, please check your pulse, you may have expired.)

Smith helps give Blues Deluxe, Vol. 2 a loose, lived-in feeling that contrasts with the eager fire of the 2003 record. It's a change that suits Bonamassa.

If Innerstanding favors aural texture to melodic immediacy, there's intrigue in how its electronic pulse intermingles with shimmering mantras, resulting in a record that reveals its mysteries over time.

Like some of his other albums, though, Landscape from Memory runs a little too long, with a few of the slower, less exciting tracks seeming unnecessary. That's not to say that it all sounds samey or lacks inspiration, however, and the record's best tracks are exceptional.

While some of the songs on Oh Snap are as poetic and musically engaging as her best work, others -- including the vocoder-steeped, house-infused number "A Little Bit More" and her brief, off-the-cuff a cappella take on the Commodores' "Brick House" -- though intriguing, never fully transcend the feeling that she's just having some fun in the studio.

There is much that is admirable about The Diving Board--the feel is spacious and haunting, the ambition is commendable--but the emphasis on tone over song means it leaves only wistful wisps of melancholia behind with the actual songs seeming like faded, distant memories.

While Half of Where You Live is a slightly more streamlined electronic album than his debut, it still manages to be a transporting work that is easy to enjoy as a hip, calming background mood piece, and stands as a nice, fitting addition to the Ghostly International catalog.

Equal parts whimsical and despondent, it's Disintegration-era Cure wearing an Imagine Dragons hoodie that's trying to have an LCD Soundsystem, "All My Friends" moment, and while the Faint don't quite pull it off, they're all the better for trying.

Sic Alps isn't quite as flowing as its predecessor Napa Asylum, but it still does a fine job of balancing the band's increasing prowess and the sprawling, noisy mischief for which they've always been known.

A couple tracks might sonically resemble inferior versions of years-old tracks that helped make Nas a hip-hop deity and, nearly ten years after Nas was first accused of selling out, he might still sound a little awkward over radio-friendly productions. But the MC has never made an album as engrossing or as necessary as this one.

Ida continues to create slow, sad music that maintains interesting depth within the ache.

Feels comfortably familiar even as it rages to say something new.

There are some great moments on Haven... but until Borth learns how to realize his vision, his albums are going to fall a little short.

There are many (too many?) bands in 2013 playing this kind of raucous garage rock, but thanks to the perfect production, the high-quality hookage in every song, and the nuanced yet powerful performance The Jacuzzi Boys deliver, there are precious few bands doing it better.

Though it's hard to believe it's possible, Antonoff shares even more of himself on Gone Now than on Bleachers' debut, and it makes for some of his most immersive and satisfying music yet.

While not all of Magic 2 is this strong, there are several moments like this one ["One Mic, One Gun"] that can contend with the best of the King's Disease material.

Despite the prominent guest stars and radical musical changes, Shiver's focus is always on Jónsi and his innate gift for expressing pure feeling. As he reinvents what is essential to his music, he delivers some previously unimagined thrills.

Similarities to their debut are much easier to find than differences, although the songs aren't quite as memorable (except the single "I Don't Feel Like Dancin'") and Ta-Dah is slightly samey in comparison.

It's a stronger and more satisfying piece of work than most of his other post-millennial albums, and it's the closest thing he managed to a truly effective rock & roll collaboration; it's an impressive finale to a genuinely remarkable career.

There is nothing in the fiery spirit of "Low End," but there are some dynamic moments where songs like "Pushing Out" or "Looking Out" crescendo almost to a majestic rock-out. However, most of the album is more in a mellow Americana/alt-rock style that favors bluegrass instruments, and lush orchestration.

Foam Island is a curious, enjoyable album that abundantly showcases Darkstar's tendencies for experimentation as well as pop songwriting.

Bankrupt! isn't nearly as devoid of new ideas as its title suggests, but it doesn't feel like quite the leap forward Wolfgang was compared to what came before it. Not that it necessarily needs to be.

More than just musical footnotes, these reworkings add extra depth to Mount Eerie's already complex body of work.

They take things just seriously enough that their albums don't feel like a joke, but aren't afraid to have a little fun, making Maximum Overload another dazzling heavy metal romp from the stalwart shredmasters.

Panic Prevention isn't much better than its best three or four songs, and it's due to Jamie T.'s stubborn insistence on being understood only by himself, or perhaps a precious few in his coterie.

While somewhat brief with just seven songs, there's more than enough diversity on Deathfix to keep things interesting throughout.

The 70-minute length of To All the Girls does make the album feel a little samey, but that can be a good thing, as it makes for nice, romantic mood music or a drowsy Sunday afternoon at home.