The energy she put into these versions helps make up for the vocal shortcomings and audible use of Auto-Tune.

Ultimately, Little Mix's stylish, decade-blending synergy works, and Get Weird ends up being a lot of fun.

The complex but tuneful standout, "Restless Summer," offers Color Film's best shot at a pop single, but for all of its craft and musicianship, much of Living Arrangements feels like an enjoyable, if somewhat rote, tribute to the very specific sound of another era.

red. As Light Return might not be the most inventive or exciting record the Telescopes have made over their long career of defying expectations, but it is the purest expression of their dark and twisted, noise-battered souls, and for that reason alone it is worth hearing at least once.

The tones, timbres, and sounds that draw listeners to this type of music are all there, but as a whole, Jaguwar struggle to establish their own voice on this debut.

The melodies are engaging, and the turns of phrase are typically sardonic, with song highlights arriving via the breezy but narratively decadent "Everybody's Coming Together for the Summer" and the winking opener, "Angry Man on a Small Train." It's also nearly impenetrable for anyone outside of the U.K., as it's immeasurably steeped in the region's culture and vernacular.

Sometimes the sounds feel a little too alien to decode, but when production spirals out of control for a moment, part of the appeal of 1 Time Mirage is listening to the production team reign their wild creations back in.

While the energy tapers off on the second half of the album, these midtempo jams are as addictive as the euphoric singles, providing contemplative balance and additional opportunities to showcase each inspired collaboration. What Is Love? was worth the long wait, taking the promise of "Rather Be" and topping it many times over.

In other hands, that much material could turn into a tedious slog, but Lil Baby manages to keep every moment fresh, finding a unique and unlikely midway between artistic inspiration and commercially viable entertainment.

While arguably overlong, The Painter not only feels heartfelt on occasion but offers just enough variety, mainly through its guests, to sidestep sameyness while sticking to his signature sound. Trivia of note: Orbit also did the album's painterly artwork.

Call it an age thing, but Siberia makes total sense for where Echo and the Bunnymen stands 20 years on as a band.

That I'm Not Bossy, I'm the Boss continues a string of strong, entirely enjoyable releases is a bonus for Sinéad's audience, but as evidenced by liner notes that proclaim "this album is dedicated to me," she's still doing it for no one but herself.

PersonA finds the group still offering music-festival-friendly fare, but of a nature that's more jammy than jamboree.

Constructed with flawlessness in mind, Galore succeeds in its ability to sound intensely produced and polished but never sterile.

It's this kind of focus on the ennui, the mundane tragedy that permeates many people's daily lives, that works as creative fodder for Angus & Julia Stone. Ultimately, it's that ennui, combined with the pair's heartbreaking sense of melody, that makes this album a delightfully sad yet engaging listen.

The minuses overwhelm the pluses, however, and the rampant mediocrity takes care of the rest.

Some of Still Corners' most intimate-sounding music, Slow Air's finest moments feel less like they're adopting the customs of a new land and more like they're adapting them to what they do best--capturing moods beautifully.

If some of the ballads aren't as distinguished as the livelier tracks, they nevertheless are as sharply crafted as the rest, and the end result is that It Won't Be Soon Before Long is that rare self-stylized blockbuster album that sounds as big and satisfying as was intended.

Where "Avenue B" was a pretentious mess, Preliminaires is flawed but significantly more successful.

While Campfire Songs isn’t nearly as dense or kinetic as Animal Collective’s later work would be, it shows off their penchant for layered harmony and experimental song structures, which makes for a fine piece of atmospheric headphone listening.

For Screening Purposes is worth checking out for those who like their music prickly but with an undercurrent of pop to it, too.

Their breed of futuristic pop is more polished than ever, and loses some of its edge with that increased emulsion.

While there is some appeal in this bright blast of sound, especially when he's in party mode--"One Beer Can" in particular recounts the aftermath of a raucous adolescent bash--it can also seem vaguely desperate, as if he's still clutching a reality that's faded into the past.

Perhaps the strangest twist about this record is how much of it sounds more crude and antiquated than the duo's first two albums, which were released over 20 years prior to this one.

She may be older now, but she still sounds like a little girl, which undercuts both the glistening, sensual midtempo grooves that dominate the album and the big, booming uptempo cuts that offer a change of pace.

Streamlined, confident, and cohesive, Behave Yourself finds Cold War Kids getting their groove back.

White Knight is split fairly evenly between solid senders and odd detours, which just makes the overall package weirder: it has the bones of a good record but Rundgren seems disinterested in actually making a good record

Power of Peace is loose, but everybody brought their chops to the party. This is what happens when great musicians gather simply to see what happens and enjoy one another's company.