Replacing some ballads with more upbeat selections would help this disc’s flow; it gets slightly repetitious over its 50-minute playing time. Regardless, there are enough resilient moments to make this a welcome, if long overdue, addition to the group’s impressive catalog. Hopefully it won’t take another three decades for its follow-up.

Every pretty melody, every sweet-tart lyric, every vocal and instrumental flourish... they definitely earn her--to borrow a title-song reference--a 4.0.

Justin Townes Earle pulls off the feat quite nicely on Kids In The Street, demonstrating impressive versatility without getting tripped up by any single stylistic detour.

There aren’t many groups whose fifth album is as riveting as their first, but there also aren’t many groups with a vision as clear, focused and defined as that of Camera Obscura. And with Campbell at the helm, five more of the same will be just as welcome.

A band this large is best when they don’t overthink the arrangements and just groove, something you wish would happen more often on this impressive if occasionally strained release.

“If They’re Shooting at You,” “Deathbed of my Dreams,” “Do It for Your Country” and “Prophets On Hold” manifest as engaging and affecting ballads, sweetly suggestive and instantly engaging.

All in all, The Nihilist allows Finn to stretch out and explore his ambitions on a scale that dwarfs anything he has released to this point.

While the dizzying array of sounds The Limiñanas fuse into their splendidly unique final product might make it seem like the mess you get throwing these against the wall, it works unusually well. And at a relatively compact 40 minutes, you’ll find yourself wanting more of wherever this came from.

It’s a cohesive and complete statement, one of Calexico’s best yet.

Honeymoon isn’t quite as fine as Ultraviolence, but that’s less an indictment of the new album than high praise of the older one, which feels like an immediate classic. In any case, Del Rey’s rollercoaster of a career seems to have steadied on an impressively high level.

Overall the Haden Triplets don’t bring enough of anything special to these songs to make the album an overall success.

It marks a certain maturity that underscores Hiatt’s authenticity as both an artist and individual, and the strength she possesses when it comes to propelling that presence forward.

The impact of Bloom lingers long after Scally's last guitar moan and Legrand's last breathy sigh, making you want to cue it up all over again and wallow anew in Beach House's existential abyss.

Even without his electric axe (and accompanying pedal board and crater of Marshall stacks) Mascis is still a virtuso.

Here's To Taking It Easy stands as a triumphant proclamation of Phosphorescent's ongoing ability to provide quality heartbreaking Americana.

There are no wasted moments, let alone throwaways on this superbly sequenced 40 minute disc. Every track glistens with Lanegan’s emotional and expressive words, perfectly sung with just the right balance of ennui and intensity.

It might also be argued that Hey Clockface is Costello’s attempt to redefine himself as a more mature performer, one cognizant of the fact that he has an aging audience seeking subtlety and sentiment. Indeed, as the title suggests, time is ticking away, ensuring relevance becomes more a priority than rambunctiousness.

By shifting back to his roots, Eli Paperboy Reed swings into the future for his most direct, honest and propulsive set yet.

Storm Damage is generally a difficult scenario to weather, in more ways than one. Happily then, Ben Watt proves he’s got the desire and determination to see the situation through.

It’s an interstellar pop journey well worth taking.

His vocals are slightly generic yet the songs are solid and when he shifts into falsetto, you'll take a time trip back to the 60s heyday of this sumptuous and frisky R&B that moves from the dance floor to the bedroom.

The good news is that this one is so powerful and varied that it will make those hard truths a little easier to bear even after the disc ends.

There’s nothing “brand new” about the Mavericks’ music; yet in this era of by-the-numbers, narrowly pigeon-holed playing, the group’s inclusive, adventurous vision is refreshingly unconventional and truly alternative.

These guys clearly know their roots, and English Oceans is all about getting back to where they came from.

There’s something rich and nourishing about it. And that’s true of all of Doug Paisley’s music, which is strong on melody and comes from a place of genuine emotion. Whatever you choose to call it, music like this is universal.

One of the band’s finest and most alluring offerings to date.

It would be a fully-formed debut for artists of any age. So it’s all the more impressive that Yellen is only 23 years old.

Cobb’s touch could use a little more grit overall, but Lund delivers an enjoyable romp that gets points on diversity. The album displays his impressive lyrical skills and enough sparks that could catch fire in tougher live versions propelled by rowdy crowds and concert electricity.