Whilst long-time fans may still understandably prefer the more complex and organic ilk of 2007’s The Rook or 2010’s The Golden Archipelago, Jet Plane And Oxbow enjoyably expands Shearwater’s widescreen reach without losing what can make the band so special.

In Do You Like Rock Music?, there seems to be a condensed clarity of vision, that vision being rock bigness and youthful enthusiasm and curing inertia and malaise, in the vein of the aforementioned past British masters.

The more I listened to Tanglewood Numbers, the more I liked it.

While Sydney Vermont's shaky, unusual voice might rub some the wrong way, I found it to be awkwardly beautiful - much like the rest of Hello, Blue Roses' debut album.

The group manages to rise above many of their stereotypical, unoriginal contemporaries by featuring plenty of surprises and innovation (although there is still a very recognizable grounding throughout).

It’s a tight, very good album and although it’ll have its unfair share of detractors, like the rest of the band’s albums, it will shine no matter what.

There's a definite new feel to an album by Bibio in 2011; while many of the singular trademarks remain, there are choice additions that make for another triumph of a release for the British producer.

That Caribou is still hitting the bull's-eye on a moving target is no surprise, but that he's done it with an emotional heft beyond what he seemed capable of in the past makes this album feel like a personal victory as well as a step forward.

Beet, Maize & Corn is a pleasant album of calm, beautiful pop with a touch of class that’s rare.

What elevates the music of Love and Distance are the unexpected combinations that make this latest Sub Pop release a cut above the duo's former albums.

Instead of evolving out of the band's unique style, Clinic has decided to enhance it and deepen it.

It's as though they've found the link between tightly driven post punk and loose garage rock. Songs such as "Trouble," "Mystery Zone," and last year's single "Got Nuffin" bridge the gap between Nuggets and the Stiff Records label. This is certainly what indie rock has been based on for the past 30 years and so far only Spoon has done it with any success. As though to balance out the rock or to satisfy their interest in each end of the song writing spectrum, Transference also satisfies.

By eschewing the instrumental grandiosity and working into a clean cut sound of their own, Work moves you to great feelings of warmth and a feeling of great joy.

Bamboo Diner In The Rain won’t necessarily catapult The Wave Pictures much further forwards in terms of commercial appeal, but as a self-proclaimed attempt “to grow inwards” it’s a strangely satisfying go-to collection for those already convinced of the group’s lateral charms.

Ultimately, Sunset / Sunrise is a wonderful follow-up for the duo because of how well they are able to combine the best aspects from their debut with new found options.

Even at just six songs, they’re each powerfully presented and Perkins is better for it, in astonishingly marvelous fashion.

Ringle is easily one of the few that can do it so well and lucky us, Thistled Spring is an exemplary example of what folk music is capable of when done right.

A heart-meltingly wonderful return to form.

Speech Therapy sounds surprisingly intellectual and crisp.

On a purely compositional level, this is dazzling and downright brilliant. But on a purely artistic level, Insides is a startling accomplishment.

Though not sure what to make of it, it is viscerally enjoyable and mentally wondrous nonetheless.

The songs unfold with an understated elegance as soothing voices emerge from the colorful, melancholic backgrounds. Ambient drones and spacey synths blossom with shimmering arrangements while the contemplative stylings form a winning combination of radiant sonics and lilting choruses.

As two musicians who may have gotten slighted, their self-titled album is an accomplished and impressive debut.

He may like his disguises and perhaps enjoys provoking his audiences but underneath the image and the keen ear for wordplay a really quite serious songwriting talent is very determinedly making himself heard.

While nothing on The Forgotten Arm is brand new for her, it's a natural evolution from what her fans have gotten used to, the minor-key laments and regrets of Bachelor No. 2 and Lost in Space.

Though there were hints of branching out before, none were ever as intrepid as the songs presented on Starry Mind, making Gubler's music something to surely take note of.

Grand National takes risks and does it well; these multi-instrumentalists explore different genres, and have made music that is not only accessible but also never repetitive.

The album doesn't make the point that Yorke doesn't need his bandmates to make a great record so much as it helps shed light on what each member of the band contributes to the overall equation.