Even if the sound they pursue here is just a detour, its seamless and creative fusion of rock and electronic idioms deserves respect.

Their best record in years.

It's evident the Waxwings wanted a heavier, darker sound this time out, and even though several tracks are embellished with cello, violin, and horns, most of Shadows fails due to a murky, muddled production and mix, not to mention an uninspired track sequencing.

Heather Nova has ventured out on South, delving into the pop side for her own inventions. Fans who aren't accepting of such a move might be critical; new listeners might find South her easiest album.

Full of quietly vibrant moments.

Music that is nostalgic but also stands on its own as catchy, moody modern dance-rock.

Taken together, White Is Relic/Irrealis Mood offers convoluted yet catchy dance-rock that lures with flamboyant basslines while capturing a dancing-while-anxious Zeitgeist.

Silver Mount Zion were already way ahead of many of their contemporaries, but 13 Blues for Thirteen Moons sees them blazing past even further, up and away, to some unexplored, perhaps dangerous, but tremendously exciting new horizons of artistic expression.

The album, though brief, is not only better than it had any right to be, but is close to perfect. Can't wait for the next one.

On California Nights, they made a risky choice and it pays off in a big way. They come off assured and confident, fully in control of the songs and the sound in a way they never have before.

Moon's classic-sounding melodies and instrumentation have a timeless if deceptively simple beauty that's different in all the right ways from Raymonde's former band, and that's exactly what makes Snowbird such a worthy successor.

It's a sturdy, often absorbing record from a singer who is determined to be in it for the long haul.

Although nothing achieves the same height as "Try Me," the EP is promising at the least.

Not one of their releases is the same as another, and with Year of the Snitch, they continue to break boundaries and expectations. The record is another example of true experimentation with their sound along with an uncompromising work ethic and a thirst for originality.

Well-rounded and creative, the album is another solid showcase of K.R.I.T.'s talents.

Hopefully time will lead TV Priest to devise a more individual musical personality, but judging from Uppers, they have more than enough talent to make them a group to watch.

Repeated listens bring a number of sounds to the surface--a hint of heartland twang, plenty of pop melodies, and an endearing messiness (evident in the half-sung, half-shouted background vocals)--but We Built a Fire is mostly concerned with mood, which it casts during the first minute of running time.

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.

Kid Cudi's Man on the Moon II was released in a year where rap album sequels were common, but unlike most of the competition, this sequel has a very strong link to its predecessor.

Stillmatic is all the proof anyone needs that Nas isn't as special as he was five years before the album's release.

What it does has pretty much been done before -- but it's done well, and done right, and in the end, it's successful.

The Boatlift [is] a fun floor-filler, but just not up to Pitbull's usual standards.

Fans of their previous adrenaline-fueled sound may feel slightly cheated, but in such a crowded market, Maybe Today, Maybe Tomorrow is perhaps the kind of record they needed to survive.

Hollywood Vampires is just a lark but it's a fun lark, and having fun is what matters in a party.

The downside is that, from a compositional standpoint, [the cover of Prince's "Strange Relationship] easily surpasses everything else on the album. Comparatively, the other tracks on which Britton's slightly spooky voice is heard are less songs than they are productions with vocals. Almost no living songwriter can be expected to contend with Prince, but the song's presence here is an ill fit.

That ["Only U"] and a couple other exceptions aside, the hour-plus set offers more variations on the narcotic, boast-filled slow jams for which Brathwaite and his fellow OVO Sound artists are known.

Mapping the Rendezvous might not appease those fans still waiting for the return of St. Jude, but eight years after their debut, the Courteeners have grown up and streamlined their sound, resulting in a tight, energetic blast of dance-rock.

As a fully absorbent headphone experience, there is plenty to uncover, but like its title suggests, No Further Ahead Than Today works just as well as a mindful, almost meditative experience.