The album finds the 36-year old singer trying to take advantage of his newfound spotlight by striving to become the full-fledged pop star he's never quite been.

Coyne doesn't actually sing on the majority of these covers, but regardless, the album is decidedly refracted through a Flaming Lips light.

Lyrics like "You don’t have to be big and tall/To stand up and hold your own" (from "Miracles") play like inspirational memes. Still, their hearts are in such the right place that it's hard to totally root against them.

For 2012's The Connection, the steroid-heavy production was somewhat tempered so emotional catharsis could propel the album, and the same holds true for new collection F.E.A.R. (Face Everything and Rise).

["Louder Than Words" is] a riveting and beautiful piece of music, yes, but not quite a definitive statement. The same might be said of The Endless River as a whole.

McPhee sounds much more comfortable amid Alagia's rootsy singer/songwriter settings than she did surrounded by the shiny R&B beats of her self-titled debut,

It's a promising teen's first album, and it will satisfy the ­longings of the keepers of fan Tumblrs. So far, though, Mendes' music is not nearly as inventive as his strategies to publicize it.

With Supermodel, his goal is not to make you like him, but rather to give you a sense of what it's like to be him. He pulls it off, and he throws in plenty of hooks along the way.

He sounds as unflappable as the subject of his first hit.

Word to Greyson: Hold on to 13 as long as you can.

Consider it easing into the topic at hand, which turns out to be the songstress' most intimate and soul-baring set to date.

The band's sixth studio album, Alter the Ending, is a perfectly blended concoction of acoustic melodies, graceful harmonies and powerful anthems wrapped around the story of a man trying desperately to save a failing relationship.

While not every track is a slam-dunk, Gray definitely recaptures her earlier promise.

Produced for the most part by U2 collaborator Flood, the new album rarely operates at anything less than a frenzied fever pitch, with thundering percussion grooves, Leto's top-of-the-lungs yowl and wave after wave of Edge-style guitar theatrics.

Korn III (a reference to this lineup as the third incarnation of the band) moves forward more than it retrenches, referencing some stylistic trademarks while introducing some fresh dynamic sensibilities.

Breakthrough never quite lives up to its title. But the songs that do diverge from the formula even slightly-like the Greg Wells-produced "Fearless"-offer delightful relief, and perhaps a taste of what could be if the singer were to dig deeper.

Drawing from a skillful fusion of R&B/hip-hop/pop, Usher addresses the trappings of fame on the uptempo "Monstar," shifts into sexy overdrive on "Lil Freak" (featuring Nicki Minaj) and "Pro Lover," pumps up the beat on the infectious club anthem "OMG" (featuring Will.i.am) and turns introspective on the ballad "Foolin' Around."

Nobody's Daughter recalls the highlights of the band's critically acclaimed 1994 album, "Live Through This," and shows that, as a band, Hole is not one bit damaged.

18 Months has a certain set of goals in its sights, and Harris (alongside an all-star roster of vocalists and co-producers) resoundingly achieves these goals.

The album's most arresting moments are stuck in the shadows, mere teasers for an artist the listener knows exists, but is intentionally sidelined.

Heart may be a measured apology, but Green still has a defiant streak.

Kurupt's distinct slurred-barking cadence lends itself well to the anthems on "Streetlights," an impressive albeit uneven release.

Humanoid is no less appealingly shiny than its 2007 stateside debut, "Scream." But with the exception of the song 'Automatic,' an instantly catchy chunk of bubble-grunge perfection, it does have fewer killer melodies, which allows more of your brain to focus on Kaulitz's lyrics.

On Khalifa, he's characteristically mellow and melodic, mixing rhymes that are part equal parts braggadocio and motivational slogans in an almost singular pursuit of highs and riches. By design, none of the songs stand out, save for the Travis Scott featuring "Bake Sale," which wins mostly by sounding like an aired-out version of Scott's own hit "Antidote."

Three albums in, Boyle sounds like she's finally arriving.

Delightfully restrained production gives plenty of breathing room for a full, resonant rhythm section, where similar dance rock might give more bandwidth to a hotter, shriller high end.

Although a love for hydro is Cypress Hill's claim to fame, it's the more substantial tracks on "Rise Up" that smoke the competition.

Slash shoots a little too wide for its own good, but the album showcases him as the guitar hero we've always known and as the songwriter we probably haven't appreciated enough.