On the surface, Tiller still gives off that wallflower baller vibe; the brashness of the debut largely remains. The lack of connection made on the one stylistic shake-up--the lightly jutting "Run Me Dry," a cousin of Rihanna's "Work" and Drake's "One Dance"--suggests that Tiller will likely be better off continuing to refine the sound for which he's known.

EVOLVE feels very much like the digital zeitgeist of 2017: good intentions aside, its bold, colorful textures elbow aside any notions of introspection or reflection.

Maybe it's not a major record but its mellowness is charming, and the two bluesmen play off each other like the longtime friends they are, which is an endearing thing to hear.

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.

The ways they refashioned vintage pop on Days Are Gone felt risky, but Something to Tell You offers safer, smaller pleasures.

Short for "good night," GN is hardly bedside reading material, full of tales of life trials, some personal, some harrowing, some both. Its musical warmth and unassuming tone, though, may be just the thing for those seeking a melodious, soft-focus diversion.

Overall, the album is still an agreeable first effort, although it doesn't really produce anything demanding immediate attention.

Lifetime of Love is more about aesthetics and movement than message or structure, but it's got a little of all of those things keeping it anchored in the familiar.

Despite the flares of inventive arranging and limber songwriting that flash from time to time, Boo Boo is the first Toro y Moi album that doesn't work overall, the first to feel like product instead of artistic expression.

Fans that feasted on the band's seven previous outings and enjoyed the minerally aftertaste will likely rate Gravebloom a success, as it descends as deep or deeper into the abyss, but those with more curious palates should probably bring some snacks.

While Bloom isn't as thrilling as his debut Lace Up, fans of 2015's General Admission will appreciate the familiar blend of pop-savvy rap and the occasional guitar riff. Even though MGK assumes a dark and brooding energy for much of the album, the efforts toward introspective maturity are admirable.

Overall, Issa is a competent statement that demonstrates promise from the young rapper.

Often, Montana gets lost in the guest shuffle, but of the six tracks where he's riding solo, he showcases his own skills well enough.

Overall, there is just enough on Everything Now to appease fans and attract newcomers with accessible singles, but as an Arcade Fire record, it's unfortunately too inconsistent and ultimately hollow. Arcade Fire sought to make a Big Statement but instead produced one of their least impactful works.

With a playing time of over an hour, and a reflective, more often than not formless complexion, even acknowledging its subtle whimsy and California roots, Eucalyptus goes by like a long drive through the plains, rewarding the patient and attentive.

Despite the array of reference points touched upon, they manage to maintain a uniqueness in their work that's both confrontational and entertaining. Bands like Breakfast Muff are reclaiming punk from its heritage status, and molding it in their own image. The result is anything but ambivalent.

The release is certainly pleasant, but it often seems too laid-back and sluggish to really get excited about.

Anyone who missed Hype Williams the first time around should start with any of the group's early albums rather than this, but there's no guarantee that they'll make any more sense.

One could easily imagine hearing these songs at a store and bopping along as you shop. However, where their '90s idols oozed personality and hooks that defined an era, on their album, Fifth Harmony often just sound fine.

The album may take an unexpected tone, but it's not without its seductions. David Metcalf handles the majority of vocals with a haunting, Nick Cave-like quality that comes with an air of noir-ish suspense, and arrangements that highlight ensemble vocals and animated percussion without encroaching on the realm of stomping banjo folk are, at the time of release, a novelty.

Starr remains fond of late-period Beatles, goosed with a bit of arena rock volume, and since he's working with a group of well-seasoned pros, this guitar pop is all well crafted and amiable.

Of the pair, Vol. 1 is the most interesting lyrically, but it's uneven--even boring at times--musically, particularly in the last third.

Stills and Collins have a gentle, easy chemistry and the studio-slick supporting performances provide a nice bed for a project that is less nostalgia than a reassuring reminder of the comfort of growing old together.

2017's ambitious full-length Emperor of Sand saw the progressive/sludge metal veterans delivering a heavy-hearted concept album about grief, and while Cold Dark Place's title would suggest an extension of that narrative, it's more of a loosely knit addendum that illuminates the latter outings' soul-searching proclivities by proxy.

The Desaturating Seven is unlikely to attract new fans. Typically eccentric, it's an interesting exercise, although nonessential outside the sphere of Primus/Claypool devotees.

Pinewood Smile should be all killer no filler, but late-album offerings like the vapid "Happiness" and the infantile no-fatties ballad "Stampede of Love"--Spinal Tap's "Big Bottom" was ludicrous and infantile, but it wasn't cruel--suck some air out of the room, making the whole thing feel a little stale, which is the last thing you want from a project that so fetishizes another era.

As they're both charismatic singers with a way with an elliptical melody, it's pleasant enough, but by the time its 45 minutes wrap up, Lotta Sea Lice feels like a party where the hosts are having a much better time than their guests.

There's none of the emotional mess that has enlivened some of P!nk's best work, and while this sense of calm may be well earned, it does result in a tamer record.