Future This is stuck in some kind of awful, awful limbo between Robert Smith-less Cure and hyperbolic electro dance music.

A new album from a new artist, with an old sound newly restored, think of this as a letter of recommendation to you, dear America.

Reznor and Ross have managed to balance creating fitting soundscapes without overshadowing the poignant dialogue.

One of the more vocal complaints about The Weeknd's second mixtape was its lack of immediacy, which Echoes of Silence certainly outgrows.

As a whole, the album's sound suggests that of a band on auto-pilot, one that's not so much invested in recording new material as it is in simply going through the motions of recording new material.

Some might lament the lack of tension in this album, but when the music's this beautiful, who needs it?

It's the broader story through which Undun gains its strength; through the musings and rants of Black Thought and Dice Raw (who, this time around, has near as large a presence as the group's leader).

By reaching every-damn-where he could, ASAP Rocky both sidesteps this pitfall and becomes one of the year's most exciting voices.

We Stay Together is Andy Stott's second LP of 2011 and it's easily the heavier, more defined, and arguably better of the two.

There is no common thread, no thematic continuity and no real obvious reason behind any decision-making. It's an EP that is bound to raise the age-old philosophical question, "What is an EP for?"

It's reassuring and delightful to have a debut this excellent to cement her place.

As easy as it is to get hung up on how similar El Camino sounds compared to Brothers and even parts of Attack & Release, there are instances which set this effort apart from their past work.

Pinch & Shackleton stands as both artist's most accessible and perhaps best work.

Another excellent sort-of-post-dubstep EP from a relative unknown making use of thickly nocturnal synths with distant and obscured vocal samples.

Immediately striking on Sepalcure is the grace and fluidity with which these songs are constructed. The album's fifty-one minutes fly the hell by at a breakneck downhill pace and while these songs are infinitely busy they never find themselves reaching or crowded.

The fact that this doesn't sound like a solo project at all is a testament to the success of its expansive vision.

Make no mistake; the album isn't a failure, it's just sacrificed a little too much to be a success.

With Celestial Lineage Wolves in the Throne Room have managed to craft a seamless and moving record as well as exceed the potential they'd previously left unfulfilled.

Both Ways Open Jaws will strike you as both new sounding and classic, as both fresh and rooted in tradition. Most importantly, it will strike you as a treasure, and probably, as the best album you have heard in a long time.

This kid may not have the voice of a generation, but there's certainly a demographic he could mean the world to. Once he figures out that it's what he has to say that should guide his singles, rather than what he imagines we want to hear, there may well be a great artist in Yelawolf.

It's the kind of record best fitted for when you're unsure as to what to listen to or when you've got an autumn or winter evening to yourself.

Blouse are a promising, if yet to be fully realized, project.

That two of the five songs are covers isn't a bad thing, but it does give the impression that this record's a bit of a throwaway: there are some interesting directions pointed out by the denser arrangements, but we'll have to wait to see how they'll realise them more fully.

There's no filler, no fat to be trimmed, simply four solid pop songs and a brief instrumental introduction tied together in a neat fashion.

Sure, there is not a bad tune in the bunch, but the problem is that there isn't a particularly good one here, either.

The album takes a while to get going and figure out what it wants to do, but diving into Thee Oh Sees' world reveals one of their better efforts yet.

These tracks are sparse but airtight, haunting but unrelentingly gorgeous, both logical successors to the stunning second half of Aerial and completely unlike anything she's done.

If you give the album the chance it deserves you will be rewarded by one of the strongest LPs you are likely to hear this year.