Conversations ends up a fine debut from the band, tightly focused and carefully constructed but still filled with plenty of understated heart.

While there's a small but significant gap between Honeyblood's outstanding songs and the rest of the album, it's still a debut full of moments of depth and moments of instant gratification--as well as lots of potential.

The patient melodies and glowing sonic architecture of these lovingly crafted tunes manage to weave their way into the listener's subconscious, coming on with a deceptive lightness but leaving deep impressions.

The duo don't put a wrong foot forward, and they've made an album which creates that kind of mood perfectly, which isn't easy to do, and making for an even more impressive debut, it's their first attempt.

Dawn Golden merges crushing emotional currents with innovative production for a debut that's bold and crisp, if somewhat harrowing in its darkest moments.

With over a decade of releases to his credit, Elbogen continues to carve out his own distinct world that combines a smart wit, a strong will, and some solid pop songwriting.

There is a widening sense of exploration at work here; the considerable benefit of that aesthetic is clear even when it falls a tad short of the mark.

2014's more than servicable Strange Weather EP rounds up five covers, all of which are delivered with the usual impeccable taste and gothic flair that have become Calvi's trademarks since her debut in 2011.

Black Market may not be the enraged political album that fans want, but it most definitely feels like the cathartic self-examination Rise Against needed, proving that a move doesn't have to be loud to be bold.

This has the potential to serve as a good sampler for those interested in the ethnomusicological side of contemporary chamber music.

There's a shared past that's evident in every moment of this debut, and that natural, relaxed camaraderie is the reason why No Fools, No Fun is such an appealing listen.

Real is a rare metalcore album with enough depth to demand repeat listening, which definitely won't disappoint the band's die-hard fans.

Ultimately, it's those romantic details sung with sincerity and a dash of infectious, female-empowered punky 'tude that make All the Ways You Let Me Down work.

If there is a heaviness--an emotional weight that seems to be bearing down upon Christian and Anberlin throughout Lowborn--chalk it up to a band nearing the end of an almost 15-year career. However, despite this heaviness, Anberlin have crafted an album of deeply emotive and, one imagines for longtime fans, cathartic songs.

It's beautiful and thoughtful work from musicians who remind us art can be stark and simple and still find ways to charm and move the listener.

As a whole, Upright Behavior is a lot to digest, and whether or not listeners will find enough incentive to spend time cracking Landlady's code depends purely on their appetite for this type of challenging indie rock.

Overall, this is a generally charming debut with a very stylized sound and some solid material within.

This debut album is pretty good, and this band shows a lot of heart.

Here we get her bright, puckered vocal attack showcased on a bevy of instantly infectious cuts.

Ultimately, with Chaidez in spotlight, Kitten is an album of swaggering dance club passion that aims to move your soul as much as it does your feet.

A deep, heady trip, No Time is a step forward for Soft Walls that builds on the debut's strengths and suggests even more potential for Reeves' future solo outings.

Having the songs preserved on record undercuts that intention slightly but this is still an odd, delightful collection of tunes and it's nice that non-musicians--and listeners with an aversion to homemade YouTube renditions--get to hear these now too.

The members of Hooray for Earth are locked in with each other and offer up a riskier, more mind-expanding take on their formerly polite sound.

McLagan's easy but powerful groove makes United States another satisfying episode in the life and career of a true rock & roll believer.

Time Is Over One Day Old is a subtle and moody work that somehow manages to keep moving forward with a mechanical precision, giving one the otherworldly, but not at all unpleasant, feeling of standing still on a moving walkway.

The great tracks are incredible and the rest are not too bad, but Being is strong enough as a whole to offer hope that Mozart's Sister is a project still finding its voice, with even better work ahead.

While The Feeling's playfulness is missed, on Television Man Naomi Punk are a more singular, more insular act, and their cerebral approach to visceral sounds is still fascinating, if perhaps a shade less novel than before.

For quite some time, it has been obvious that RX Bandits have wanted to be more than just a ska band, and on Gemini, Her Majesty, they appear to have evolved into something else altogether, and though some veteran fans might miss the old sound, there's no denying these guys have the chops to pull off this new and inventive approach.