On Hubris, Oren Ambarchi displays the confidence to allow a jumble of musicians and sounds to come off like a beautifully orchestrated, high-concept piece.

Elephant Stone haven't lost anything here; rather, they've refined their songwriting and production, and the results are quite exciting.

Though Hail to the King failed to live up to the royal expectations of its titular disguise, The Stage's grandiosity smells of overcompensation; Avenged Sevenfold's crown lies somewhere in between.

Ensemble sections expand and contract into brilliant solos by his musicians, and while this will be a difficult listen for some, it contains some amazing moments.

The added bonus is the way this release is inclusive of the familiar textures of more poplar electronics. It's wide open and intelligent, and comes highly recommended.

Richard aims for an experimental vibe that has already been coopted by the mainstream pop and EDM, but Redemption nonetheless by revelling in triumphant themes of love, life and sexual identity--and does so in a way that's delightfully thoughtful and honest

With On Dark Silent Off, Radian have created a piece of art that's stubbornly beautiful.

DIANA blend genres and provide a real sense of intimacy on Familiar Touch, a deeply personal and musically rich collection of songs.

Lodestar is true to Collins' roots.

Woman is confident and captivating, and like their debut before it, demands attention.

Singles "Hello" and "When We Were Young" remain highlights on the record, but aforementioned tracks like "Send My Love (To Your New Lover)," "I Miss You" and "Water Under the Bridge," not to mention "River Lea," hear Adele taking a welcome detour from the orchestral piano-pop formula and moving towards more interesting, groove-driven patterns.

This is an intriguing album that doesn't allow the listener the placid, breezy experience that some instrumental albums permit.

Abasi's unique thump technique gives needed life to passages other technical players would simply pick their way through, as Reyes and drummer Matt Garstka lock in to drive these sputtering rhythms home with power and proficiency.

There are a few clunkers here. ... But these are minor complaints, and there's a masterpiece of a divorce album hidden in here.

Do Easy, the album, makes the magical mundane, and vice-versa.

They would have been wiser to trim more of the fat from the 12-track, two disc affair. In comparison to Death Magnetic's thrash-first approach, Hardwired features more mid-tempo material reminiscent of the band's divisive Load/Reload years, which bogs down the record's second disc in particular.

Glass represents Hunn's most mature musical sensibilities to date; however, the instrumentation throughout the album is so sporadic and indecisive that it's unclear what its ideal listening setting might be.

The Unborn Capitalist from Limbo is simultaneously unsettling and comforting in nature, as Hanson achieves what he ostensibly set out to do here: set a mood stuck somewhere between Heaven and Earth.

On their self-titled debut, E focus on each member's strength, leaving listeners with an album that's at times more combative than it is collaborative.

Cozy Tapes skips any syrupy clichés and eschews morbid references to the afterlife, celebrating Yams' life rather than mourning his death. A$AP Mob stay true to the sound Yams helped to cultivate, and in doing so, keep his spirit very much alive.

Overall, We Got It From Here... Thank You 4 Your Service proves that after all this time, A Tribe Called Quest can, in fact, still kick it. It's a goodbye on a high note.

Ultimately, variety is good for the album, but here's the thing: Martha's own songs can be completely riveting.

Part Two is a serpentine tour of disco, psych-rock, folk and funk, with a touch of house and a generous glaze of unabashed love. It's Romare at his finest so far, and whets the appetite for whatever honeyed treasures Part Three might hold.

Monument Building finds Loscil at his most focused, political and meticulous, a bleak but fulfilling listen whether you're aware of the album's brainy themes or not.

After challenging themselves on Whorl, Simian Mobile Disco push their craft as far as their comfort level will allow on Welcome to Sideways.

Slugger isn't a perfectly polished, radio-ready set of glossy chart-topping pop tunes, but an infectiously fun foray into shimmering, socially conscious synth-pop.

Black America Again isn't an album meant for casual listening, but rather a socio-politically charged album meant to be absorbed so that everyone can truly recognize the "Bigger Picture Called Freedom."

Arctic Thunder is an honest, heavy and crushing effort.

The Olympians don't break the mould here, but they deliver robust soul with tight compositions, florid instrumentation and that trademark Daptone sound that feels authentic and earned.

Here is empowering at times--it's strong in craft and intent, and will likely perform well--but the hope that Keys will deliver that iconic, instant classic album continues on.

Although there are moments that show cracks, such as the uneasy, meandering riffs on "Born in a Rut" and the ridiculous chorus of "Canna Business," the majority of the straightforward thrash songs here demonstrate that Testament's magic has yet to fade.

Stripped is exactly that: fully chilled out and no-frills in intent and sentiment. It's better than expected.

What should continue to draw longtime Lambchop fan in to FLOTUS is the fact that Wagner's songwriting, lyrics and arrangements remain as strong, insightful and clever as ever, making nary an eye blink at Wagner's odd journey into new musical dimensions.

The result is a superb rock'n'roll record, bristling with energy and defiance while digging deep lyrically.

Marked by stronger grooves, darker lyrics and catchier hooks, Touch pushes July Talk's musical vision forward without sacrificing their core elements. It's an album that should cause anyone who'd previously dismissed the band reason to reconsider their stance, while exceeding existing fans' expectations.

Heaven Is for Quitters follows no pattern except that of disconnect, so while many of the tracks work as they are, it's far from a cohesive album.

While the echoing melodica used throughout gives everything a sort of "Clint Eastwood"-y sheen, that's not necessarily a bad thing--if anything, it's evidence that Marching Church know how to create an atmosphere on par with far more experienced songwriters and performers.

Serenity is certain to scratch an itch. Still, there's a sense of "good enough" with all of their recent releases, and it's a problem this record just can't shake.

Big Box of Chocolates, like its name suggests, can favour quantity over quality and a mix of good and not so good, but if you take it as it is--an easy-going record made by '70s rock enthusiasts--it packs enough good vibes to keep you listening.

As a third album, it's an interesting station on the way to potential greatness, and it will definitively put the group on more than a few radars. Above all, on this album TOY makes us feel really excited about Brit-pop again, which itself is no small feat.

Topped off with exhaustive liner notes with essays and photos, Masculin Féminin is specifically designed for completists, providing superfans a satisfying wealth of unreleased material.

Retribution is immersive, cathartic, potentially even transformative.

The album's peaks offer compelling paths forward for Gaga--the country balladry of "Million Reasons," the slinky pop of Florence Welch duet "Hey Girl"--but a dearth of memorable melodies makes Joanne's restlessness often feel aimless.

His lyrics are varied, vivid and heavily inspired--by novels, documentaries, history books and more--as he tests the boundaries of his literary creativity, exploring a vast range of narratives, perspectives and topics.

They've given listeners a sense of what they could be if they really stepped outside of it here, and quite frankly, a little more could go a long way.

You Want It Darker is a strong record, with an even stronger message.

The result is remarkable consistency across 19 tracks. Indeed, Yes Lawd! is an album best appreciated with complete play-through.

Her most ambitious work to date, both conceptually and instrumentally.

It's a true joy to hear talented women juxtapose their obviously more gifted vocals with the rough-hewn Prine in dramatic, textured contrasts. On For Better, Or Worse, they help this old mailman deliver once again.

This is nostalgia in essence and in practice, and it's pretty much everything that fans could have wanted.

Overnight's departures from form are subtle.

Even though it's rammed full like a powder keg of discontentment, the opinions expressed on Running Out of Love don't stop it from being the elusive indie pop band's most unified record to date.

Front Row Seat to Earth might not be the most immediate record released this year, but it never turns its back on you. Accessible without ever being simple, it's one worth getting into, even if the way is labyrinthine.

While it can be hard not to yearn for more massive and cathartic songs like "Reflection," Light We Made is still a quality effort, even if it's an adjustment.

Moby isn't letting the ills of the world get him down though; instead, they serve as the driving force behind These Systems Are Failing, an album both powerful and political that plays through without coming off the least bit preachy.

While they don't break a ton of new ground with this record or introduce any drastic new elements, Only Ghosts is still a great new addition to their canon.

It can feel a little tiring at points, as the music arguably borders on being too dense and involved considering the album's aloof spirit, but Oozing Wound do a good job of sequencing and varying tempos.

Overwhelmingly, Winter's Gate is a tight and focused melodic death metal album, and yet another quality release in Insomnium's discography.

WALLS sounds safe and comfortable. The songs coast along with a mellow fluidity that serves to establish a decidedly mature, if complacent, sound.

Color certainly announces Katie Gately as a force to be reckoned with, a true auteur with a singular--and highly listenable--vision.

On COW / Chill Out, World!, the Orb's easily digestible and absorbent songs make it simple for the listener to take the album's titular advice.

It's hard to find a flaw on this album, quite frankly. It's personal, political, funny and the production is spectacular.

First Ditch Effort doesn't match NOFX's '90s peak, but it rights the ship somewhat, and goes a long way to re-establishing the group as worthy and relevant elder statesmen.

Whether Sport is really for digital punks or leather-clad clubbers remains to be seen, but regardless of audience, this is one of the most interesting records to come out this year.

Ruminations isn't exactly a stunner--it's too low-key for that--but as a humble mood-piece, it's an engrossing listen. Its best moments are also its darkest ones.

The band's evolution on The Violent Sleep… keeps them one step ahead of all those who have been trying to catch up, making Meshuggah as powerful and proficient on the cusp of three decades of existence as they always have been.

The Lemon Twigs almost always use the kitchen sink approach on Do Hollywood, and it's pretty effective, too--there's nary a dull moment.

If this truly is the end for Dillinger Escape Plan, they've ended things by throwing down the gauntlet with such force that the reverberations will be felt for generations.

Remember Us to Life is one of Spektor's strongest records, and one that really requires repeat listens to appreciate every detail and effort.

Jacklin manages to rouse quite a number of emotions across these 11 tunes, including steady slow-burners, unconventional lyrics paired with bright guitars, hushed, soft singing and grungier moments here and there.

Marginally more "mature" in composition and content than the band's previous records, Transit Blues is another solid release from a band that audibly continue to give their all.

The stadium-minded ensemble strikes a great balance between fearless exploration and casual virtuosity with unabashedly catchy classic rock-isms pulled and bent from across the genre's history.

This string of downtempo songs, while soothing and catchy, will leave fans of Shovels & Rope's more upbeat fare feeling restless. A more balanced reshuffling of the track list would have solved this issue, and might have made this already excellent album a classic. But as is, Little Seeds is a fantastic LP that showcases Shovels & Rope's uncanny ability to both rock out and rest easy.

Sum 41 in 2016 is a lot like their early 2000s pop punk peers Blink-182; they're fun, capable of writing at least a few songs worthy of an inevitably forthcoming "best-of" compilation and at their best when embracing their past.

A collaboration with names such as saxophonist Wayne Shorter, percussionist Brian Blade and bassist John Patitucci sees a the self-professed "jazz dropout" helm a strong project of original material, save for a sweet rendition of Duke Ellington's "Fleurette Africaine" and a bulletproof interpretation of Neil Young's "Don't Be Denied.

Though Armstrong does a decent job of speaking for the freaks and the rebels, Green Day's music is always at its best when he's speaking for himself, and Revolution Radio is no different.

Cody is undoubtedly Joyce Manor's strongest effort to date, the apparent result of meticulous revision that has tightened up their sound on all fronts.

The Chilean producer has released collaborative records, scored films and released a series of incredible 12-inches, Nymphs I through IV. And yet, for all of the sonic breadth of that material, none of it quite prepares listeners for Sirens.

On Big Boat, their rambling new album, veteran producer Bob Ezrin (Pink Floyd, Alice Cooper, Lou Reed) does his best to emphasize the band's considerable knack for genre-bending exercises.

It's by no means new territory for the Swedish outfit, but a move that keeps their further foray into prog rock enjoyable.

They have both found, on their eleventh album (and best since the early 2000s), a renewed purpose and direction in this time of existential crisis for America.

Three's high points come when some of the pop veneer is pulled back to let more raw, real feeling through. Overall, it's a solid record that should draw a wider audience to Phantogram's music.

There is eloquence to this anguish, and it is an awful and lovely thing.

Stewart's reliance on familiar 'intro/build-up/drop' production structures can at times run repetitive, but his own subtle guitar playing, hyperactive synth pads, mallets and bells make the songs anything but predictable.

This sophomore effort builds off her debut, but loses the plot in a mass of electronic blackness and vague grievances.

This mining of the best of days gone by, without falling blindly into nostalgia, makes the Frightnrs' approach a perfect fit for Daptone's retro roster.

There are moments of suffering, self-pity and, eventually, redemption throughout the nine tracks, and although there are some missteps, Luke Winslow-King's I'm Glad Trouble Don't Last Always is admirable in its undertaking, and definitely worth the listen.

Alcest strive for balance once more here, and for the most part, they achieve it.

A Seat demands a careful listen, and rewards it richly. This is Solange's strongest album to date.

It's an album that never repeats itself, offering up a work that plays out more like a multi-chaptered book than some simple '80s homage that's jumped the shark.

Overall, Atrocity Exhibition is chewy and eclectic, a rich experience that reveals a new surprise with each listen. Years from now, there will still be goodies to unpack.

Taken as a whole, though, EUSA is luminous, a grand gesture made up of the kind of small, gorgeous moments that will remind listeners of home--wherever that may be.

If Every Time I Die's consistency hasn't impressed you these past few LPs, Buckley's bout of unbridled emotion on Low Teens certainly should.

Head Carrier sounds far more restrained and lifeless than it should be.

Blood Bitch won't reward casual listeners, but it offers plenty to those who want to get a little lost.

Hamilton + Rostam synthesizes two distinct musicians for a sound that's ultimately greater than the sum of its parts.

It's an emphatic step forward, a gorgeous album that, rather than running from it, reflects our fractured world back at us.

Unfortunately, Keith is treated to some friendly fire here, as most of his cohorts outshine him.