It's a traveller's record, but not one for the wide-eyed, "wanderlusting" tourist; rather, it's one for the detached and disoriented, Bill-Murray-in-Lost-in-Translation voyager. It hits this note strikingly, but it's a shame about the sonic mishmash.

This is an inspired album and potential goldmine of samples for future generations.

The songs don't hit quite as hard or as immediately as that high watermark [Celebration Rock]. But there's also nothing to suggest that Japandroids couldn't have carried on, dropping albums when they had material, touring when it suited their schedules.

Much of Principe's second half finds him repackaging the first half with plodding disco beats that make the initially exciting melodies seem boring the second (and third, and fourth) time around.

Everyday Robots is a graceful and beguiling album from an artist that continues to explore, mature and surprise us with each release. Not bad for a debut album.

[Kwes delivers] poignant wanderings from within his inner-monologue, while voicing a soul-expanding sound that makes James Blake's noir&B cool seem like nothing more than ostentatious art school assignments.

The first record without co-founder and lead guitarist Matt Mondanile, who left last year to focus on his Ducktails project, it finds the band struggling to find their footing in his absence.

III is a record that fluctuates between the joyous and the melancholy over and over, making those many contrasts of dark and light all the more impactful.

Skullcrusher's debut points to Helen Ballentine's undeniable skills, particularly as a melodist. A bit more distancing from popular templates, however, may have served to further distinguish her work from that of her abovementioned contemporaries.

It's the musical equivalent of a thrilling roller coaster ride through a hellish landscape, injecting a much-needed dose of fun in otherwise dark days.

The emotions that are being expressed feel lived-in and deeply personal while remaining open to listener interpretations.

As with all successful concept albums, its individual songs work as well independently as they do as a whole. It's depth shrouded in mischief, and it's proof that King Gizzard have mastered creating music that's as heavy conceptually as it is sonically.

There's enough here to keep fans happy and even win a few more over in the process, but it's another mixed bag from a band that are easier to like than love.

Some songs stick to the usual anarchic ideas, "The Hanging Man" being a tasty cut worthy of inclusion on any forthcoming Best Of, but there are also introspective nightmare-lullabies like "Annaline," "Amnesia" and "Cathedrals of Heaven." ... Easygoing suits Gira.

While Swirlings creates an easy listening ambience with textures that assist in ethereal out-of-body mediations, there is little in the way of innovation, though the final track provides a contrasting tone from the relaxation pieces.

Although the band haven't really made a notable album since the close of the '70s, this ten-track, 42-minute LP stands as some of their most focused and stylish work to date.

Berberian Sound Studio is far from an essential album, but it's definitely a welcome surprise addition for fans of Broadcast, the movie itself or fans of Italian horror soundtrack artists such as Goblin.

The duo's 13th studio album, Super, will appeal to the cult following that's stuck with them over the years while reaffirming their continued relevance and influence.

Belief System should clearly have been released as two separate albums; one that's a candidate for album of the year and one that's completely forgettable.

It is the best electronic extrapolation of the beauty and subtlety of one of the world's great rhythm nations since Bill Laswell's Imaginary Cuba almost 15 years ago.

The tracks run long (nothing below four-and-a-half minutes), and the highlights come for those with patience (the album peaks, like Heritage did, in the latter half); Pale Communion is a grower.

We Come From The Same Place is a lyrical wonderland that keeps listeners exploring more with each listen. Indie-pop or not, it's infectious on many levels.

Pearson Sound is a primal collection of single-idea songs that, although fascinating, work best when your musical pretences are turned off.

There are plenty of moments worthy of headbanging throughout Hammer of the Witches, especially on "Blackest Magick in Practice." Unfortunately, they're too often interrupted by the album's half-baked sonic experiments.

Those familiar with Silver's work know he is fond of smaller-scale thematic/stylistic exercises like this, and on these grounds On Vacation succeeds nicely, but those looking for a bolder artistic statement may be disappointed by its conventionality.

Time will tell if A Million Dollars to Kill Me can match its predecessor--it hasn't quite for me--but its certainly another singular release in a career that's defined by them.

Many Moons is another deceptively simple, cohesive statement from an artist who is becoming more accomplished with each release.

The lyrics are still full of cutting observations and social critiques (take the anti-capitalism slant of "Corporate Elect," for example), but the urgency driving 2010's Absolute Dissent has shifted into something more akin to a sense of anticipation.

Kire had a vision to create his dream album and War Psalms is true punk rock, done exactly right.

It has an honesty to it; a realness.

What drew people to Tuttle's music to begin with was that delightfully dissonant combination of sweet singing and monster-shredder guitar playing, and that's just not what this album delivers.

It's an important record because it does dig so deeply into the tradition of folk music, as many records in black metal are tending to do. It digs into the sounds celebrated in days of old, and is the perfect addition to your collection.

The ambitions, expansions, and collaborations on Vertigo Days mostly pay off, sacrificing a little thematic cohesion for the reward of greater variety in sound. It does the good work of forging musical links out of broken global barriers.

On The Desired Effect, Flowers aims to be loose and have some fun, but he also sounds more focused than ever. Flowers has spoken of a desire to write an album full of singles, and these songs almost reach that goal.

On Hive Mind, Ital delivers a refreshing approach to instrumental electronics, with equal disinterest for both the club and headphone scenes, pissing off Internet purists in the process.

Though not their best record, IV is nevertheless an excellent addition to the group's staggeringly consistent discography.

Nine albums into their career, Animal Collective continue to deliver records far ahead of their time.

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.

While not as immediately trance-inducing as their debut, The Twits finds the band in a newly roiling, bellicose state of transformation.

Desolation's Flower is a good record that flirts with greatness. It's unlikely to convert any non-believers, awash in great swells of feeling and excellent songs that, admittedly, are sometimes constricted by a lack of space and breathing room. But the good that is there, roiling and thrashing in the depths, is well worth seeking.

While we wait to see what lays in store for Röyksopp's future, we can be thankful that they've offered us such fully realized package, one that reminds us of the power of the full-length and of what has made them such singular figures in electronic music.

Night and Day [is] another true testament by one of America's last genuine musical anti-heroes.

There's vitality peppered throughout here, offering enough hope to momentarily forget the despair, as melodies lift the listener briefly before crashing you back down. This mercurial nature makes Arms Around A Vision a beguiling listen, one that's strangely difficult to stop listening to.

Lux might not be breaking new ground, but given the beauty and resonance inherent in Eno's music when he sticks with what he does well--namely, gorgeous, slow moving ambience with plenty of breathing space and emotional impact--revisiting familiar turf is just fine.

It's a successful return for Ms. Jackson, a grown-ass album that refuses either to pander or wallow in nostalgia.

With Memory, it's apparent that Lazer Sword have toiled over the big picture, leaving little room for twelve-inch singles, all the while crafting an absorbing full-listen.

Moon Tides doesn't quite have the same lingering effect as Beach House's Teen Dream, but there's enough here to slide into a wonderful daydream for a half-hour or so.

With Promise Everything, Basement have returned stronger than ever, and have taken great care to capitalize on the most effective aspects of their previous sounds to make a dynamic and cohesive whole here.

Embers could (and should) start over then, urging all software to "repeat all" and every DJ to throw side one back on the bed of coals.

The result is an absolutely vicious, fearless record.

WAX is filled to the brim with equal parts sing-along sensibility and raspy vibrato--with a style and sound akin to late '90s Chantal Kreviazuk.

Nobody can seriously claim that Welcome Home tops any of Pantera. But it's a step up from Hellyeah's past material, showcasing all of the members' unending passion for heavy metal and all that comes with it.

The result is that Pyramid is an imperfect and uneven album that satisfies two different audiences, as the front half is packed with wandering jam band noodling while the second half tightens into a slightly more focused and rhythmic set. It's just a shame that Jaga Jazzist wasn't able to give the listener a more cohesive and unified version of what they were trying to achieve with Pyramid.

Digital Garbage is as blunt as it is thoughtful and the songs here truly rip at a time when some seem keen to let civility and common sense rest in peace.

I Bet on Sky isn't the immediate winner that Farm was, but it's emphasis on tunefulness versus smack-you-in-the-face noise makes for a surprising winner and a pleasant late career left turn that gets better with each listen.

Overall, this is an album that blends choral and electronic to create something that amounts to little more than unobtrusive background music. It lacks both the cultural depth of world music and the dynamic disco beats of their earlier offerings.

Although many tribute albums have a tendency to come across as disposable, Red Hot + Fela stands with the best Red Hot has to offer.

Beginners seems like an introduction to Hutson and his past: fears, anxieties and faults and memories. It's all packaged in a brilliant album that satisfies any cravings for well-written, subtle and resonant folk rock.

Cunningham's DJ-Kicks exclusive "Bird Matrix" probably won't fill a dance floor, but its moody detachment is, like the rest of the record, entrancing in its own right.

You can't fault µ-ZIQ for branching out of the staid EDM clichés that oversaturate the electronic music landscape, but unfortunately, Chewing Corners is a little too disorganised.

While Sex & Food is a disjointed effort with Nielson's usual ingenuity wavering at times, fans will undoubtedly find favourites in certain tracks. It's an anxious, up-and-down affair, with moments of reward sprinkled within its lethargic haze.

Though relying on their well-worn instrumental strengths and lacking Light Upon the Lake's compositional variance, Forever Turned Around sharpens Whitney's songwriting for another intimate collection of heartfelt tunes.

His songs no longer have the raw-nerve urgency they once did, which makes Upside Down Mountain a pleasantly peaceful listen, but lacking the power and urgency of his best work.

Love Yes is a remarkable step forward for TEEN, blending the stylistic influences of their first two records to present a seamless and singular voice.

The star power of the record's guests overshadows the album's best moments.

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy remains the apex of West's maximalist visions, and while The Life of Pablo certainly aims high, it isn't as consistently pointed in delivering both music and message as its big-budget predecessor was. And yet, it remains a modern gospel that is undeniably West's own, with a handful of vexatious moments peppered throughout the undeniably visionary ones.

A detailed effort worth unfolding that reveals more each time.

On Wide Open, Weaves prove that they can flirt with convention without losing their edge.

With Cupid Deluxe, Hynes has revealed his exquisite vision, one that swells with inspiration from his various collaborators.

Seven Davis Jr's debut attempts to stay afloat on the strength of a few strong tracks, but ends up sounding stretched a little too thin.

Bitchitronics is as gangsta as ambient music can get.

Nothin' But Blood is religious music for people who are too drunk and high to give a damn what God may think.

Although Sunshine Kitty could be shaved down a bit, this album feels like the first time Tove Lo is really situating herself on her own ground. It's sexy, raw, and honest — but above all, Sunshine Kitty is just really good dance music. Essentially, every song on this album would bring anyone to their feet.

Tahoe is the kind of ambient album we've come to expect from Warmsley--mostly due to the fact that it's not your typical ambient album.

Saint Heron is a statement, a musical manifesto with a collaborative vision for today's R&B.

Paint My Bedroom Black is a shiny and haunted — but unwaveringly hopeful— collection that sees her carve out her own kohl-liner rimmed space in the modern pop pantheon.

Tooth & Nail is mellow, but not un-edgy.

His songwriting is excellent throughout as well, with structured but never repetitive forms that are always leading to some worthwhile payoff. Cast nails both style and substance; an exciting debut.

Stepa J. Groggs and Ritchie with a T are solid, if not remarkable, rappers. And that's fine. What sets them apart is that they feel like real dudes. ... Injury Reserve's real driving force, though, is producer Parker Corey.

Purists will always pine for Sonic Youth and their glory days, but with a band and album this good, who cares about the past?

Hardly Electronic is a mature and polished album from a band confident enough to let their influences guide their sound without overshadowing it. Longtime fans will obviously snap this up, but anyone with an interest in classically-minded pop arrangements and great songs will find much to like on this unexpected gem from the Essex Green.

On Migration Stories, M. Ward doesn't change the way he delivers his material as much as he alters the way it reverberates once it hits you.

It's an in-your-face, no-frills rock record that contrasts with the slower tracks of A Productive Cough, reminding fans that no matter what happens, this band can still rock. For those looking for the vintage punk Titus Andronicus, this record will do just fine, even if it doesn't quite match the high points of their best work.

Hey, I'm Just Like You is an emotive and catchy pop record, but for Tegan and Sara, it's more than that: it's a message to fans to let them know they are not alone in their struggles.

In creating a warm, intimate sound emphasizing piano and organ over acoustic guitar for the first time, Hayden sounds content even when talking about mortality.

With each album they add more to their story, and the underlying emotional connection to the band and their songs is what grows in intensity.

More than a dozen collaborators--including Ariel Pink, Ariel Rechtshaid and Vampire Weekend's Rostam Batmanglij--helped realize these 14 tracks, but their voices never overshadow Aitchison, who is finally given the spotlight she's rightfully earned.

High As Hope is a welcome chapter in Florence + the Machine's career. Welch is writing reflectively but with a firm rooting in the present; singing with clarity about life's biggest questions as she and her fans continue to figure it out side-by-side, in both the loud and quiet moments.

This seven-track effort switches things up ever so slightly; subtle twists of pace, cadence and lyrical content reveal a more introspective endeavour.

Though not the punchy, great leap forward it could have been, Rose finally proves that she's far more than just a part of her former groups.

With a sound as good as this, it's clear Xerxes aren't simply riding the wave, but making some of their own.

Put succinctly, awE NaturalE leaves listeners wanting more.

While Gardner's music isn't exactly anything new or groundbreaking, it serves as an appropriately nostalgic reminder of a time when it would have been.

Although Simian Mobile Disco have the ability to give each track its own distinct personality, Live is a mere curiosity for even the most refined technocrats.

Pangaea Ultima is a cleaner, sprawling affair, but one lacking the ingenuity of some of Moore's more esoteric works.

A Trip to the Coast is the welcome return of a familiar form of hooky, melodic minor scale pop balladry.

She may be the daughter of punk royalty, but with Twice, Hollie Cook cements her status as a principal figure in the UK reggae scene.

Bright Side of Down is everything a folk recording should be, with thoughtful lyrics nestled into well-crafted songs and simple arrangements that put the song first.