Fans of James Blake's Overgrown and Bon Iver's self-titled second album should find this appealing, but this stands apart from both those records. It's not only smart, it's honest, emotionally and musically.

These ten songs sound almost designed to be played on repeat, and keep with the always colorful and ecstatically fun sound audiences have come to expect from one of the best acts going in retrofitted classic soul.

How much Howe Gelb one needs is a question only fans can answer for themselves, but if you're up for a major journey through Gelb's universe, Little Sand Box delivers the deluxe guided tour with the sage himself as your guide, and there isn't a single false or insincere moment to be found in these eight albums.

This album confirms once again that she's matured into a singular artist with the talent and the vision to make these stories of her travels in the South come to vivid and affecting life.

Most of the time, Tough Age make it sound pretty amazing, and to both the head and the heart, these folks stand out from the run of the mill garage punk acts of the new millennium.

Strictly speaking, these 12 songs don't cohere into a mood or narrative but after two decades of deliberate, purposeful albums, it's rather thrilling to hear Springsteen revel in a mess of contradictions.

They've made a good career out of mixing the tongue-in-cheek with the truth, and Stoke Extinguisher is another in a long line of solid releases from a band that's made drifting between not caring at all and caring too much into an art form.

This one is so packed and bold, it even exits on a turned-up club stunner ("Act Right" with Jeezy and YG), so consider it the big longevity payoff after years of rocky Yo Gotti albums.

Even if Wig Out at Jagbags is quieter than, say, 2008's churning Real Emotional Trash, it feels looser than most of the Jicks records; the compositions are tight but the attitude is ragged, which winds up being more infectious and fun than albums where the songs drift but the instruments are tight.

Cobble out the stellar EP inside or consider it a pre-mall mixtape because the puzzling Underground Luxury mixes mack daddy music with mall rat tracks, even if B.o.B's conviction throughout suggests he sees them as equals.

Frustratingly, the quality of Diary does dip in and out, with "What Am I Supposed to Do?" providing an unimaginative guitar bounce, for example. But when it works, it really does produce some memorable moments.

The band has found a nice balance between the more contemporary prog-inflected craftsmanship of Field Music and the retro synth romanticism of bands like Delphic and Naked and Famous.

Ocean Colour Scene are agile within the confines of their wheelhouse so it's enjoyable to hear them play and construct records, even if they rarely give you a reason for a return visit.

In time, it should be seen as a career highlight from a superstar--one of the hardest-working people in the business, a new mother, in total control, at her creative and commercial peak.

Hardcourage is a rich experience that rewards return visits. Add a near perfect flow from start to finish, and this fun bundle of irresistible future garage can be considered crafted, even when the spirit is as easy as Sunday morning.

Mostly though, the album is a successful blending of the past and present, with every new idea working out just right, with the end result being an album that capitalizes on the Liminañas' many established strengths and sends them shooting off in new directions that prove just as satisfying.

Those who possess inside-out knowledge of the Prince and Jam & Lewis songbooks should be thrilled with it.

This is easily the producer's most emotional and story-like output.

For serious listeners not content with the original vinyl and/or CD pressings, this excellent and thorough package is essential.

A Mary Christmas won't likely reach the high status of, say, Mariah Carey's Merry Christmas, but it's a full-effort holiday release that many of her fans should be able to enjoy for several years.

Sometimes, Davies' blend of hard rock and healing doesn't quite jibe--it can lose form and drift or it can hammer its points home too hard--but there's a dogged individuality to his mission that's appealing even when the music itself is not.

Both Sands and Owens are superb, technically adroit musicians who complement McBride's warm, generous bass playing at every turn on Out Here.

Among the Grey songs drift quite naturally into and out of one another, creating a dreamy, labyrinthine, beguiling, listening experience.

Kirchen has always been tasteful but his playing has gotten sharper over the years, which gives Seeds & Stems precision but also depth, as he knows these songs and styles inside-out yet can still find new nooks and crannies hidden deep within them.

This isn't a dogged re-creation of the past, the work of an artist concerned with painting within the lines, this is an album of celebration of groovy sounds that is pretty hard to resist.

With such careful attention to detail, The Eldritch Dark isn't just an homage to the sounds of the past, it's also a gateway to another era in metal history that, with any luck, more bands will go into and explore.

This is too unfinished and uneven to call a masterpiece, but Kaufman's loyal fan base should still check out this insightful and wonderfully weird experiment.

Personal Appeal, as inconsistent and slapdash as it is, probably serves as the most accurate overview of Moore's overwhelming back catalog of obscured freak-outs and cracked pop gems.