The overall tone of Burning the Threshold is moody and reflective, and Chasny's embrace of more easily digestible song forms makes for one of the most engaging Six Organs releases in years.

Swift largely re-creates the arrangements and feel of the original 2008 album, yet her voice and phrasing has aged, giving the music a hint of bittersweet gravity. That said, it's only a hint; Fearless (Taylor's Version) serves the purpose of offering new versions that could be substituted for the originals for licensing purposes. It's to Swift's credit that the album is an absorbing (if long) listen anyway.

Frequently immersive and occasionally revelatory, Companion Rises feels utterly modernistic in its uneasy blend of earthy stability and distractive ambience, mirroring what for many is the normal mode of 21st century existence.

The Glass Bead Game is the most forward-thinking and sublimely executed of James Blackshaw's releases to date.

Anyone up for the crazed power of Teenage Hate should enjoy just about everything on his release.

Ghost to a Ghost/Gutter Town is easily the purest expression of Hank3's crazed country vision to date, and anyone who's followed his wild ride owes it to themselves to give it a listen.

While fans of these musicians' individual projects might not find what they expect on the album, Harmonic will reward anyone brave enough to wade into unfamiliar waters to discover something they probably haven't heard anywhere else.

The album works both musically and conceptually, offering up a collection of high-energy songs with a narrative that fans will be eager to dive into.

Atkins has come a long way since her debut and without the distractions of a major label or a major break-up, she seems to be in the driver's seat and completely in control of her destiny, delivering her most artistic and confident album to date.

Sylvie Simmons is smart enough to know the best thing music can do is touch the heart, and that's just what Sylvie does--whatever her résumé may say, one listen to these songs proves Simmons has the smarts and the instincts of a true musician, and her debut is a true gem.

For the rest of us, Weighted Mind is a poignant, bracing work by an adept singer and songwriter. She openly invites us into her world with real vulnerability and honesty, and reveals her inner strength in doing so.

Oh My Goodness is informal and intimate, but with enough grit and groove to make it a joy. Given its quality, one hopes that Fritts will record again, and soon.

Rather than a dry, scholarly guide to the Thankful Villages, Hayman's warm snapshots represent a fading vision of rural Britain, and it's a tribute he gives with great respect and tenderness.

The Hidden Cameras have finally delivered on that promise with a collection of songs that find the sweet spot between homey and fabulous.

This is a focused collection of intense emotional energy, but vocal effects, programmed beats, and atmospheric production take center stage instead of raucous riffs and pounding drums. Fans of their classic sound may be left wanting, but enough of that punk attitude remains, preventing this album from being a total curve ball.

The album feels open-hearted and mischievous, a combination that is disarming upon the first listen and nourishing upon subsequent plays.

Plenty of roots-oriented acts can do the high and lonesome thing, but Mandolin Orange make it cut like bourbon and soothe like honey on Tides of a Teardrop, and it's outstanding work from a group that grow more satisfying and accomplished with each release.

While Unloved's pastiche of ultra-hip influences could easily be too mannered, the emotional honesty of songs like the haunting finale "If" makes Heartbreak a near-perfect union of style and substance from a group growing by leaps and bounds.

Kimbrough's ease is that of a veteran musician, one who knows enough not to hurry or hit his points too hard. This light touch results in an alluring slow-burner of an album built upon a clutch of songs that slowly creep into the subconscious.

After such a reflective and mournful era with The Canyon, it's refreshing to see this usually energetic group kick it back into high gear with such control, hunger, and ferocity.

High-energy and high-strung, Mirrored Aztec is a cut above the usual set of fresh Pollard tunes. The memorable, high-octane, and outright strange moments all sit nicely together in a way that GBV's best albums perfected, but the band don't always achieve.

I Told You So is grittier, edgier, more confident, and focused on staying in the moment; it's kinetic in its adventurous chance-taking yet surrenders none of the good-time feel, groove consciousness, or energy. Hands down, it's their best outing yet.

All of this would merely be bubblegum pop fun if not for the band's knack for writing the kind of Hypercolor, stadium-sized singalong anthems that make up much of Greatest Hits.

Though composed and demo'ed in disparate, less than ideal circumstances, Ancient Astronauts is remarkably holistic in its execution, revealing the band's arrival at yet another creative peak.

Even at its most expansive, Success never feels indulgent, and its directness makes it one of the band's most exhilarating records.

The group still seem like they're working towards achieving a distinctive sound, and it feels like they haven't fully figured out how to integrate some of their more recent influences into their music. Still, the band is consistently inventive, the production is generally fantastic, and the album has several strong moments.

As with so many similarly powerful film scores, this one offers an enveloping listening experience that doesn't rely on the images it accompanies.

Wiggle Your Fingers' ten songs are canny and beautifully executed pastiches of West Coast soft rock, sunshine pop, jangle pop, and polished psychedelia, and he's even moved forward enough to add a dash of new wave to the formula, as evidenced in the slightly angular keyboards on "Second Chance" and the power-pop crunch of "The Dropouts."