Life Love & Hope doesn't, and hearing it might lead a devoted Boston follower to believe that, despite the few moments when things come together nicely, maybe Scholz has finally lost his touch. Check back in another decade for further developments.

Join the Dots shows that instead of limiting themselves, TOY have just gotten better overall--arguably the more difficult, and rewarding, path for a band to take.

Connecting with the album is nearly impossible, understanding it is difficult, and often enough, its inflated ego is irksome, but Because the Internet is too free and fascinating to be dragged down by these complaints, so if a Yeezus with more flash and fun is what's required, Gambino's got the good stuff.

Occasional resemblances to Drake and the-Dream are as blatant as the Isley Brothers and Michael Jackson exercises of Write Me Back. The similarities are so obvious that it's tough to discern if Kelly is acknowledging his younger followers, aiming to beat them at their game, or both.

The often awesome The Second Album is more concerned about opening doors than just preserving the Latyrx legacy.

What follows is a sort of half-comforting, half-sad jamboree with Oberst and a small army of friends at his house playing through Christmas standards.

Hansard and company play it safe on the title cut... while the three original cuts, the evocative "Pennies in the Fountain," the soulful "Renata," and the empowering, completely a cappella "Step Out of the Shadows" should please fans of the Once star's 2012 solo debut, Rhythm and Repose.

The intimacy and raw beauty of Live at the Cellar Door makes it not just a must for super fans, but a valuable companion piece to any of Young's early studio output.

There's an element of nostalgia for times that are long gone, but with songs this strong, it almost feels like a necessary self-referencing for anyone who missed the band the first time around.

The beefy, Steeleye Span-meets-MGMT rocker "The Sixth Wave" are spilling over with ideas, and would probably have fit right in on Terra Firma's ambitious back end, while the amiable title cut, a breezy two-chord shuffle that should please fans of the band's hook-filled debut, delivers the EP's most instantly gratifying moments of pop acumen.

For most of the album, however, Jessie J shows how wide her range is.

[Carcass offers] up an 11-track tour de force that's as visceral, inventive, and grotesque as Symphonies of Sickness, yet infused with the dense, machine-shop precision and chrome veneer of 21st century metalcore.

Good fun for confirmed followers, and not a bad sampler for those needing a taste of Thee Oh Sees' special brew.

Think of A/B Til Infinity as a more mysterious version of the project's 2011 LP Bible Eyes, and all the meticulous production, overall album flow, and attractive song structure rules still apply, but this one can be parted out much easier, offering up about four 12"s worth of late-night dancefloor intoxication that are still rich enough tracks to hold up for headphone listening.

There's a Dream I've Been Saving is a prime cultural artifact documenting a high point in an independent era in pop recording, production, and D.I.Y. aesthetics. It deserves a Grammy for content and design.

By the end, the dizzying and beautiful piece expresses the fury and unpredictability of life while maintaining a zen-like calm at its core, finding clarity just as easily as it rises to chaos.

Harlem River is a journey worth taking and an excellent debut from an emerging singer/songwriter.

Along with celebrating the boldest parts of Stewart and Simone's art, Nina marks the return of Xiu Xiu's uncompromising side at its often exhilarating best.

DeGraw's unique production mastery finds some of its most vivid articulation on Sum/One, and sinks its hooks in effortlessly despite the fearless weirdness that comes through on every track.

Think of it as a personal and meaningful gift for fans, not just some "didn't think much about it" trinket or faceless gift certificate.

More of a well-crafted showcase for Benson's always strong tunes than a greatest-hits collection, You Were Right feels like a proper album and meets the same high bar set by his previous work.

For perhaps the first time, his solo work feels less like a tangent to his work with the Strokes and more like something sustainable in its own right.

This music seems clumsy and half-hearted, and Ginn's interplay with new drummer Gregory Amoore feels sluggish and leaden at every turn.

There are the purely lovely moments like "Midnight Glories" that help make Sumie a quietly compelling, inviting full-length introduction to an artist who can't help but bewitch listeners willing and able to embrace her stillness.

As the album opener, [Alien is] hard to ignore but it inadvertently sets the tone for the rest of Britney Jean: she's not one of us and doesn't feel comfortable where she's at, and that uneasiness underpins the rest of this vaguely dispiriting album.

As song after song of hazy quiet storm clouds roll by, it's easy to fall into an intoxicated trance that's only jostled into a dim awareness a few times by brightly strummed, very '80s-feeling guitars ("Light Through Lace"), finger-snapped basslines ("Under the Rose"), and the occasional vocal that cuts through the mist and almost delivers some naked emotion.

EVE has the undeniable edge in vitality when compared to More!, the duo's previous album, and there's much more depth and variety.

While these eclectic songs are intentionally less cohesive than either of the duo's albums, Nun's progression from Tracer and 7AM is equally logical and exciting.