Lady Antebellum always have been a pop band so this concentrated gloss doesn't feel inappropriate.

Raven in the Grave may not be what you expected going in, but by the time it's through the powerful emotions transmitted through the words, voices, and sound will win you over completely.

Usually, Inside Llewyn Davis is straight satire, though, as it concentrates on the titular character's channeling of Von Ronk and, as such, has no intention of treating the music cavalierly; it winds up as something unusual for the Coens: an homage that comes from a place of warmth, a salute so loving it's hard to deny the affection.

While Breakout isn't as much of a breakthrough as it could be, it still moves Miley closer to an identity and career outside of Hannah.

Far more interesting than any of their other records, or their peers'.

Add it all up and this not-so-conceptual-after-all album points out both the rapper's limitations and his strengths. Call it a draw.

Dear Miss Lonelyhearts is more about what the band does best rather than breaking new ground, and the result is some of Cold War Kids' most promising and satisfying music since their debut.

Ode isn't quite as strong song-wise as "The Boy" but it makes up for the difference with its deepened palette--again, this palette may not be as rich as some of their peers, but compared to Travis' other work of the past decade, this is richer and livelier as sheer sonics go.

Rowe seems even more like an instrument rather than a lead voice, but it's all comforting, if not revealing, made more for background or late-night listening than complete emotional immersion.

As always, the beauty of the duo's music makes these moments all the more haunting.

Maximizing that powerful female energy is Tennessee-raised lead singer Rachael Price, whose dusky, highly resonant vocals, reminiscent of Dusty Springfield, ground the album with a warm virtuosity. It also doesn't hurt that Kearney, guitarist Mike Olson, drummer Mike Calabrese, and touring keyboardist Akie Bermiss frame her in earthy, organic arrangements with a tactile, live-in-the-studio feel.

Return to Center can feel like a bit of a lark, but it's administered with enough gravitas that it's easy to dial into the flow.

This, though, is the kind of nice, safe album a listener wants to like badly, but whose flaws ultimately leave one fumbling for the skip button on repeat listens.

Skaters' knack for writing infectious melodies often offsets their enthusiasm, so although Manhattan is an uneven record, its bright spots still have capacity to shine like Times Square.

While Face the Promise isn't quite Night Moves or Stranger in Town, it stands proudly next to those albums and is most assuredly the work of the same singer.

While many of the group's songs aren't quite as unusual as that string of letters seems (most of them do, in fact, incorporate choruses), the group steers pretty far from the norm on their self-titled record.

It misses a little more than it hits.

They've rediscovered what made them vital.

Thoughtfully crafted and full of melancholic lyricism and quietly desperate romanticism, My Head Is an Animal should appeal to any fan--whether man or monster--of sweet and wide-eyed folk-rock.

Ultimately, with Brass, the Royal Bangs have tested their musical mettle and created a possible future classic to be appreciated for years to come.

With the distractions of Flynn's burgeoning acting career and the birth of his first child, Country Mile may not have been the great creative leap forward that some fans were hoping for, but this beautifully written album stands up to anything in his catalog.

If the intended result for fans is just hearing the combination of Davies' arch lyrics with Matthews' majestic arrangements and occasional breathy backing vocals, then it's mission accomplished.

All of this is a far cry from Azure Ray's work, perhaps, but Ask the Night is often gorgeous in its simplicity.

Johnston's craft as a vocalist can rise to the level of Falkner's well-crafted soundscapes, he's going to sound out of place on his own albums if he keeps making records like Is and Always Was.

People and Things might not be as accessible as Everything in Transit, which contained some of the brightest pop songs of McMahon's career, but it's stronger than The Glass Passenger, indicating that McMahon has begun to move onward and upward.

Fortunately for Flobots, the messages in The Circle in the Square feel pretty universal. While the matter of whether or not hip-hop backed by a live band is your taste is purely a subjective one.

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.

Overall, Weird! is an energetic breath of fresh air that doesn't sacrifice heart or a hopeful, supportive message, adding another jewel to Yungblud's crown as princeling of the outcast masses.