Nightcrawler stretches Yorn’s limits as an artist and crosses the line in a few places.

If there is one tiny flaw on this disc, it's the way some of the songs, after teasing us with intensifying waves of sound, tend to drift to an ending prior to attaining their destination.

Overall Snowflake Midnight isn’t quite the disaster that the disillusioned might have expected.

Craftiness, when it’s this imaginative, can go a long way and for Jookabox, these bizarre ideas seem to work even when they shouldn’t.

Whilst certainly disjointed and disorientating in its execution, this first full Moon Diagrams showcase is an oddly gripping sonic ride that suggests that there is plenty of artistic life beyond the drum stool for Moses Archuleta.

Major General finds us with an accomplished and very steady collection of songs.

Educated Guess is an absolutely stunning creation, although it did take a few listens for me to begin to fully appreciate what I was hearing.

Each track is filled with indelible melodies and hooks sure to have you keeping time with your leg or tapping your toes. But with music like this, singing along is the ultimate litmus test, and unfortunately the non-descriptness of the vocals leaves this album lacking a bit of personality and memorability.

It's almost fate that they've chosen to reveal themselves to me with what is their best work to date, and also one of the most remarkable albums of this year.

This is an album for the patient, who are willing, as the title of the album suggests, to sit through a slide show made by someone you don't really know that well.

A hell of an album that reveals further treasures buried in the mix with each listen.

Overall, as bass-players solo missions go, Right On! fares well in both connecting to and standing apart from the mothership. Admittedly, the record’s best moments could perhaps have been cherry-picked to fold into the next Warpaint album or compressed into a just EP-length statement.

Via Audio are audacious in their attempt to create a wide array of organic sounds, and their efforts pay off; it’s not often that a band can instill so many approaches into an album and get away with it but Animalore delivers the goods.

There is a solid amount of quirkiness to realize and I Was A King surely have a knack for turning out strong songs but maybe next time a 'less equals more' approach would be more fitting.

Hot Fuss is a multi-faceted, consistently interesting and enjoyable synth-rock album with strengths across the songwriting, singing, and playing fields.

Whereas the past experiences showcased Holland much more embellished and free-wheeling with his flow, Hello Cruel World places a focus on the lyrical content with a flow that ends up being much easier to follow and in turn, far more accessible.

Daedelus is a master at what he does, and what he does is different than virtually everything else around him, but he’s playing a little too close to the vest here, trading much of his style for a little more beat.

It'd be too easy to dismiss Blitzen Trapper for choosing to release an album that more or less stays inside the lines, opting for convention over innovation. Yet, with American life in the 21st century being so frenzied, it's oddly comforting to listen to a record that doesn't challenge you to keep up with it.

A crisp, clean, and undeniably beautiful work.

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

The indulgences and overreaching take away from the really good songs.

The Bravery treads the same well worn path as bands like The Smiths and The Cure but manages to avoid tripping on its roots by adding a unique personality.

While there's certainly something to be said for BestCoast's paeans to the utopian side of life near the Pacific, the subtle shifts in Cosentino's songwriting are best experienced when the rays of sunshine are muted.

The best Swell album since 1997’s Too Many Days Without Thinking.

I’m not sure what stands out the most about The Cover Up, whether it’s the tremendous production values or the clear confidence the band has with its music.

The sad thing about Waves are Universal is that there are many songs that just don't cut it.

While the tunes on Adventures may be a bit more nebulous and a bit less intricate than those found on From Here on In and With the Tides, they are by no means any less engaging, and in some cases are even more resplendent.

The Bedlam in Goliath is an exhausting listen and it seems like the guys have tried to pack in as many prog-rock clichés as possible.