It's all lovely, melancholy, lyrically moving and beautifully performed. But older fans will miss the scrappy sparks Forbert used to effortlessly radiate on crackling live performances such as his spirited 1982 King Biscuit Flower Hour set.

Top notch session musicians including guitarist David Garza and Me'Shell N'Degeocello on bass along with a few namedropping guests such as Robert Plant and Patty Griffin help flesh out these eleven often moody, reflective tunes, making this her most accomplished album to date.

You just need to listen and enjoy without reading too much into the material. That is easy to do here.

Krall never seems out of place even as she takes chances in a space that could have left her sounding overwhelmed.

Produced by Amos, this lushly orchestrated set is at times equally compelling and dynamic, plus effectively demonstrates Amos' acumen as a musician, vocalist, and tunesmith (a scarce commodity these days).

Despite a half decade of keeping relatively quiet, Orton has emerged with a fresh approach, and a batch of songs both intricately gorgeous and, more importantly, a hearty distance from familiar.

The songs never sink to the downbeat morass of its socio-economic subject matter. On the contrary his voice, somewhat like John Lennon's, is boyishly refreshing even when the music is as stark.

These intimate performances are not made for the masses or background listening, and are all the more potent for that.

This is another compelling example of Lavette's finely tuned interpretative talents taking songs to places you might not have imagined.

Murder By Death reach a new plateau in the development of their ongoing pursuit of rollicking gothic indie folk, simultaneously sounding born of an era long past yet grounded in a rock 'n' roll spirit that's nothing if not contemporary.

It feels like the band is playing it a tad safe here.

This is mood music, so little jumps out as the songs melt together. But a little goes a long way.

It's not perfect, but it's perfectly Mumford & Sons.

Unfortunately, The Sound Of The Life Of The Mind loses a little steam after that outstanding opening trifecta, either when Folds leans too heavily on his flashy lyricism or downplays his band's instrumental strengths.

Because of a noticeable lack of recognizable names contributing Lowe covers, the scope of this 14 track set is considerably more modest, but no less enjoyable.

Nobody's asking the Killers to restock their eyeliner, but if they insist on making everything so over-the-top, it would serve them well to crack a smile every now and then.

Charmer is at its finest during the most subdued, quietly detailed stretches, which veer closer to what we've heard from Mann on past efforts.

Young's idea of fun is based on an uneasy mix of cheap valedictory philosophizing and infantile daydreaming.

For how uncharacteristic it might seem for a band whose greatest gift, all along, was nuance, this louder take suits the band brilliantly.

Band of Horses have embraced a more mature, laid back kind of rock on Mirage Rock, and it's a comfortable, cozy fit.

These songs evoke images and conjure emotions that are as descriptive and riveting as any printed word.

There's no shortage of catchy, bopping crowd pleasers on The Carpenter, and the Avetts churn them out with gusto and pride.

There isn't much break from the gravitas throughout these dozen character driven, often lyrically obtuse songs, almost all of them sung from the first person perspective.

North seems destined to forever relegate Matchbox Twenty into the next generation of unremarkable dad rock.

Morissette's poetic discourse of intimately describing her feelings still abounds, but is elegantly emoted here with cool restraint.

Tempest is fantastic, but being impressed by Dylan is old hat. That he still finds ways to surprise us is an achievement beyond all comprehension.

The Odessa Tapes shows this was from the start a talented band, one with a clear vision of itself, that was going to Nashville with pride in its performing abilities and material.

The album in a nutshell: a broken heart carried with poise, good humor and endless charm.