Emoh is one of the first surprisingly great albums of 2005.

While Okemah is clearly driven by Farrar's vision, it suitably develops Son Volt's sound, bringing it clearly into the mid-2000s while giving a nod toward the influences of bygone days that have always been a factor in Son Volt's alt-country tendencies.

North Star Deserter is serious music, and commands a certain amount of attention.

Alter is intense, brooding, and taut, perfectly utilizing piano, chaotic dissident guitar, and complex percussion.

Skin of Evil, out on Soft Abuse Jan. 20, is a breathtaking, mesmerizing record, a lyrical song cycle about love and loss, affection and anger and alienation.

All in all, this album has everything any hard rock fan would enjoy.

With The Brutalist Bricks, they’ve silenced doubters with another skillful dose of catchy rock and it’s quite the remedy for any sour disbelievers.

Get Awkward is mostly more of the same but with more hooks, more wit, and a hell of a lot more emotion.

A fine addition to the canons of both Callahan and American music.

If you aren't at least a little cozy to the sound commonly produced by Whitney and company, you certainly won't be any more into Jaguar Love. Well, that may not be totally accurate, as I can see this being some of most accessible stuff spawned by any Blood Brothers alumni.

Ultimately, Tarot Classics is a fun and welcome addition to any existing Surfer Blood fan's catalogue, even if it is unlikely to win over any new fans.

I know the whole ‘retro-rock’ thing is en vogue in about a bazillion different ways, but Stellastarr*’s take just seems a bit more energetic and vibrant than most. Considering the genre, this disc is a frighteningly solid listen.

It isn’t leaps and bounds better than its predecessor but within that time frame, they’ve all fine-tuned their act.

Furies might not be as diverse as Birds Make Good Neighbors but it’s the strongest set of songs they’ve produced so far.

It's this sort of wide-eyed optimism [heard on "Near Death Experience Experience"] that lends Break It Yourself immediate appeal.

Welcome Joy is the perfect, earthy balance of the grittiest and the sweetest splendors that the Pacific has to offer.

Once again, the Pale Young Gentlemen has crafted a singularly noteworthy record unlike anything else.

It’s a compliment to Stevens when one notices that listening to the music alone is rewarding and yet, the shots from the documentary are what run vivid in your head.

The Clientele’s debut album offers consistently strong melodies, excellent playing, occasional surprise, and a taste for more.

Not a record for the faint-hearted then but one which certainly casts a commanding spell.

Not only is Keep it Hid a very good album but it’s an album that contrary to popular belief, should not be ignored.

Layering blankets of synths and keyboards as well as underlays of programmed drums and effects around his evocative guitar lines, makes Innerland an immersive experience, rich with flowing gauzy grooves and elemental ambient balm.

Although as a whole Farmer’s Corner might lack a little of the respective earthiness and girth of more strictly acoustic and more amplified Wooden Wand releases, it achieves the clever feat of traversing a wide range of territory whilst sustaining the feeling of reclining comfortably in one location.

While the design is a bit different, the result is still another awesome album to add to Arctic Monkeys' arsenal.

Malkmus, along with producer Beck, direct the music on Mirror Traffic with playful lyrics and flourishing styles that versatile and extended enough, shine with ease.

Grand Hotel is remarkable not just as a present day artistic piece, but also as homage to what many people consider the greatest music ever made.

Hawley has made an exceptionally perfect album with Truelove’s Gutter: it’s endearing, uplifting and absolutely beautiful, what else could you ask for?

Putting to work every kind of noise you could think of--dub echoes, laser squiggles, slurring sludge, fractured voices, bass rumbles, innocent chirps, and so on--Splazsh is a feast for the ears.