This album balances that joy and sadness perfectly and powerfully.

Being almost (there’s that qualifier again) conventional, Take It Like a Man may not hit the same highs for fans as White’s more seminal work, but it’s a solid set of songs given engaging performances.

With Instinct, Niki and the Dove have made an album that will surely resonate with the American crowds already grooving to the likes of Hot Chip, Passion Pit and Twin Shadow while providing Sub Pop with a whole new planet of sound to colonize.

The problem is that Pearl Jam at this point is just repeating itself--or others.

The result is an album of uncommon strength, not necessarily due to the individuals involved, but rather because of the sheer force and fury of the unified thrust. Filthy Friends never waver from this mission, making this one Invitation well worth heeding.

The preponderance of the material here creates its own world, on its own terms, and beckons you to go inside. And you will.

Good Mood Fool takes several listens before it’s possible to fully appreciate its full potential.

Allegedly a bubblegum record, in reality this is Collins’ take on psychedelic pop, with twinkling keyboards, polite guitars and a heretofore unimagined Collins croon that could charm the panties off a lesbian punk rocker.

Peggy Sue's Acrobats is one of the most scattered, schizophrenic, soul questioning--and beautiful and best records of the year.

Seasons on Earth is like a wry, forgiving smile set to music, its pleasures veined with melancholy, its ruefulness buoyed by hope.

Despite his delicate--make that dainty--designs, Henson also knows how to set a fanciful mood, albeit one that’s singularly subdued.

This album feels more like a curio of a bygone era rather than an overlooked gem.

Besides embracing improved recording and production, the album stands out in their catalog for containing a strong roster of outstanding songs, not a 98-pound weakling in the bunch.

With Holly, Waterhouse really comes into his own, branding himself as a retro crossover crooner whose immediate intent appears intended to instigate a ‘60s soul revival.

Laid back beats, a high pitched effect methodically layered within the effects, vocals, bring in the bridge then loop the beat. Arguably this is the pattern to all electronic music yet there is not much variety within this paradigm; luckily there are enough winning moments on Flume to make you forgive this.

No Age has made an album devoid of joy, yet I couldn’t help but smile when listening to it.

She shows herself self-conscious in a good way on songs like "Little But Loud" where she happily shows off her stuff off while name checking Led Zep's most famous tune.

K7 is doing its best to keep the tradition alive, and Foals' contribution is a curatorial coupe des grace.

Ultimately, The Body Wins serves up an unusual brew, one that spans the expanse between a perky bounce ("Mannequin Woman") and haunting circumstance ("Hooray for Love"). Both eerie and intriguing.

Taken as a whole, Kykeon seems more cohesive, less add-x-to-y, than the self-titled debut.

A more subdued release, Happy To You is nonetheless quite mesmerizing in its methodical and complex layers of music.

Filled with some genuinely memorable moments The Helio Sequence show that if a band is open to experimentation and letting the light of the new day shine in, fascinating things can truly happen.

Though Thompson remains in the same contemplative state lyrically, In the Pit of the Stomach is a great follow up to Walls and unveils an orchestral maturity form the four gents.

Lion is certainly king of its own dark and sublime, concrete industrial jungle. It roars strong and, at times, purrs in all the right places.

Van Halen have found their dazzle without a hassle.

Nothing may not be particularly imaginative, but it’s so competent at its craft it’s hard to imagine any fan of the style complaining.

The pair keeps the door unlocked for the curious, but doesn’t put out tea and cakes in welcome, either.

Women & Work finds the Memphis band at complete ease with their mix of '70s outlaw country and plenty of punk rock attitude and swagger, making it easily the most consistently solid release in their already enviable cannon of music.