A Beach House record is best experienced like a shooting star, thrilling for its relative scarcity and singular propulsion. Once Twice Melody feels more like a sunset than a shot of light from the universe's depths — magnificent and enormous, yes, but also familiar.

The result doesn't sound bad; at worst, a few of the tracks are forgettable. But beneath the carefully roughed-up veneer, there's some depth and nuance missing.

Instead of cowering, Behemoth have triumphantly returned with characteristic ugliness and chaos, though this is skillfully juxtaposed with a newfound delicacy.

Bring Me The Horizon have crafted an album that, while not as post-rock-influenced as hinted at, is definitely post-Bring Me The Horizon, at least as we once knew them.

Midnights is a slow-burning journey through the labyrinth of Swift's history, groping around in the dim light for the way forward. Sometimes, in the hush of nightfall, catharsis comes quietly.

This isn't an album of contrasts but a vibe to get immersed in, and it's a welcome reminder of what once made Rose one of the key figures in indie rock.

While Jonson may not take any big swings on Her Blurry Pictures, he does provide enough patient acid flourishes, nimble bass lines and restrained, yet forceful percussion to draw you into his new world view.

The Calgary-born singer and songwriter showcases an even wider palette on her debut full-length, Sound Of A Woman.

Dead Start Program as another dependable collection of quality techno that will satisfy his fan base, even if it fails to bring in new ears.

Each song on The Bad Testament sounds old, yet somehow unfamiliar, a portrait of the outlaw country bad boy as an old man.

While not a classic, Sex & Cigarettes is a solid effort from R&B's true queen of heartbreak.

Most of the tracks allow room to breathe before going into a freefall decent of multi-influenced experimentation. Often times it's a rather subtle marriage of jazz and hip-hop ("That Don't Make It So"), gospel and funk ("Time and Place"), soul and folk ("Goodbye Reason, Goodbye Rhyme").

The good easily outweighs the bad on Advancement, and at its best, it's excellent. The pair have a knack for dynamism that keeps things interesting, and their production style has a compelling crunchiness to it that manages to sound modern without laying on the sheen.

When it starts, the overt prettiness and ornate, layered arrangements are very reminiscent of Owen Pallett, but very soon it veers of in some lovely tangents, although it inevitably comes back to string-laden, experimental pop.

Over the three-song run of "Alfred's Theme" (which jacks Charles Gounod's "Funeral March of a Marionette," best known as the theme music to Alfred Hitchcock Presents, to delirious effect), "Tone Deaf," and "Book of Rhymes" (which climaxes with a flurry of DJ Premier scratches), Slim Shady stuffs more rewind-worthy punchlines and flow variations than most rappers will deliver in a whole career. ... Other attempts feel more forced. ... More compelling are the two tracks produced by D.A. Got That Dope.

While the constant need for creative freedom and instrumental variety means that Drunk Tank Pink begins to meander towards the record's back end, a handful of sprawling epics showcase Shame's enviable talent for vivid storytelling.

While fans of the show will certainly get extra layers of inference out of Dethalbum III, the most amazing thing about it is, all on its own, it stands as a hilarious and skilful example of the genre.

Despite its occasional low points, Meatbodies have created a wonderfully weird and spooky world with Alice, filled with monsters, magic and lots of fuzz.

Though not his most cohesive work, Marci Beaucoup is undoubtedly a solid addition to Roc Marciano's impressive and rapidly expanding catalogue.

Producer Nigel Godrich, no stranger to helping soundtrack world-weary malaise, keeps Waters in comfortable territory with pianos, string arrangements and acoustic guitars, along with a few unmistakably Floyd-ian arrangements.

With Black's mystifying decision to release all of the material alphabetically (rather than chronologically) alongside the lack of extensive liner notes and the inclusion of a mostly disappointing bonus disc (comprised of outtakes from 2002's Black Letter Days), The Complete Recordings feels less celebratory than perfun

It's the discomfort, the restlessness, and inability to settle that makes Anxiety's Kiss hang together, and while it's a hard way to think and live, Coliseum do it exceptionally well.

Some variation in production style and sonic approach might lend the proceedings a bit more variety, but that's a relatively minor quibble to level at this confident album; these guys do what they do well, and know it.

There are songs here that could quite easily become part of anyone's perfect summer soundtrack, which was likely Kisses' plan all along.

Ultima II Massage marks a fresh direction for this always-challenging supervillain.

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.

It is a good first showing, especially given the conception of many vis-à-vis the musical talents of one hit wonders. But it does have the feel of a first album, in that Sheck seems to still be looking for his style and sound.

There must have been considerable pressure on Diamond to deliver with this album, and she largely does with Reflections — it really does sound like pop music from 15 years in the future. Hopefully a more substantial collection of new material isn't too far into it.

Once you get through "The End" (which is actually near the beginning)--with a barrage of cymbals care of Brian Blade--Flesh And Machine is a relatively subdued affair.

Feel Your Feelings Fool! is an energetic, empowering romp of a debut that would feel more rebellious if not for the overly safe production.

Ultimately, these are celebration songs, compelling the listener to look forward, put matters into their own hands and create something good while they can.

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

Swift is still unquestionably a pop artist, and folklore is unquestionably a pop album, albeit a quiet one — and as is the case with most recent pop albums, it's about four songs too long. It's hard not to wish that Swift would apply her written concision to her tracklisting, to do away with the stream-grabbing bloat and deliver something more thoughtfully tailored. Still, it's hard to complain about too much of a good thing.

At Best Cuckold is a strong cohesive whole, a sum of all its theoretically disparate parts, and one that wears its idiosyncrasies proudly on its sleeve.

The album benefits from its fluid, improvisatory feel, not quantized to death like so much electronic music these days.

Even if It's Almost Dry isn't the flawless masterpiece that many had hoped Push would deliver this time around, it's still a great album with many standout moments.

Complètement Fou is filled to the brim with catchy electro-pop tracks about shaking your hips, going crazy and road trips.

Their blend of bluegrass, blues and ragtime isn't unique within the current old-timey undercurrent of Americana, but frontman Pete Bernhard's songwriting contains enough contemporary flair to provide a solid backbone for the album's ten tracks

Portions of SPARK may be too slick for its own good, as basic lovelorn lyrics that fill songs like "BACK THEN" ("Blue skies don't feel so wrong / Those times have come and gone") and the back end's more drippy melodies ("HEART WILL BEAT") go down a bit too easily. But on SPARK, Whitney prove themselves to be in the indie rock game for the long run, even if they've outgrown the type of indie rock that birthed them.

I Used to Spend So Much Time Alone skilfully expresses complex and murky emotions with clear and concise lyrics.

Heavily favouring material from his first three albums, but picking carefully from his less well-known post-'70s work, this double album provides a broad and engaging overview of Browne at his best.

Music this nakedly derivative requires sharp pop instincts to be successful, and tracks like these prove that Chromeo are still able to create magic within their well-worn source material, even if they are retreading old ground.

Prize never overstays its welcome, doesn't stretch on and on, and feels like it should be listened to all in one go. It doesn't demand so much attention that the listener can't use it as a backdrop to doing something else, though it would be a disservice to allow the record's sneakily dense arrangements to melt into the ether.

On Egowerk, the Faint seem to have accepted their place in questioning the perpetual struggle.

While it would be easy to lose oneself behind a wall of genre tropes in a project like this, Smith's easy breezy, man-out-of-time persona stays front and centre on each of these 15 tracks.

Overall, fans of John Carpenter's work will find lots to love in Lost Themes II, and aspiring filmmakers could definitely take inspiration from it.

The harmonica, piano and clean sounding guitars characterize The Last Man Standing. The smart and witty lyrics adorn the western swing album with an acoustic blues rock and rockabilly shine.

Nozinja Lodge maintains its novel authenticity and stands as a curiosity that is definitely worth a listen.

Toeing a line both musically and lyrically between the darkness and the dance floor, Days Gone By is perhaps best enjoyed in the later hours, whether you're in your own head or out of it.

A Blemish in the Great Light is endlessly listenable. Because it is so complex, so wrought, it loses an overarching feeling to hold it together, something that might help it read as a whole, as opposed to good songs that are very well done. It'll be a great album to drive to.

He's Got the Whole This Land Is Your Land in His Hands is a minor gem in the Joan of Arc discography, as Kinsella gives listeners more simply by pulling back.

It all adds up to a deeply felt, personal album that, like his previous work, should serve as the perfect soundtrack to many a late-night contemplation hour.

Love Keeps Kicking doesn't really break any new ground; it shares themes with recent releases from artists like Superchunk and Natalie Prass. But Martha's goal is more about making you feel than think.

I Wasn't Born to Lose You is a solid return from a band eager to sound like themselves again.

Although GUMBO'! does move with some inconsistency, Siifu nevertheless delivers a dynamic approach to his craft.

Despite simple song structures and repetitive riffs, the personality of the vocals keeps the album from falling flat. Rhythmic shifts, cartoonish keyboard appearances and surprise instrumental breaks make it hard to get too comfortable.

Whether Nicki Minaj is the rightful queen of rap is up for debate, but the album, despite having several songs that were more filler than functional ("Sir," "Majesty," "Chun Swae"), highlights her ability to adapt to an ever-changing sonic landscape.

An overstuffed and engrossing album that's a bit of a mess.

Silver Landings shows Moore unburdened and the joy she finds in being honest is both heartening and inspiring.

Repeat listens uncover a musician trying to arrange these musical insights into something as affecting and creatively grounded as her best ambient works.

Their third album, End of Suffering, feels less like a compromise between two sounds and more like a cohesive band.

The band are more interesting when they expand their sound.

If you're looking for a good time and willing to embrace Rozwell Kid and all their oddities, Precious Art will make for a fun and, in some ways, nostalgic listen.

Cutler has riddled these tracks with a rainbow of synth ripples, making Levitate stand out immediately as a Lone record, despite heavily harkening back to a bygone era.

Junto is yet another solid album of party anthems to--as promised in "Unicorn"--"get your body jumpin'" this Summer.

There Were Seven may not be much of an evolution, but it still feels like revolution.

This is Of Montreal's 15th LP (to say nothing of their many EPs and compilations), and it's neither their most sonically confrontational work, nor their most viscerally emotional. It's pleasant and poppy, but if you don't get around to listening, no sweat.

Because of the tightly cohesive kick-off in the first couple songs, the remaining album feels slightly haphazard in comparison. ... PITH is an album that old and new listeners alike can sink their teeth into and ride out a season of summer days holed up in their bedrooms.

There is an earnestness to Habitual Levitations that has been absent on their past recordings, sacrificed in pursuit of the cerebral, which has always been present in their live shows and has finally made it onto record.

Joey Bada$$ absolutely deserves his position as one of hip-hop's rising young stars, he just needs to learn how to leave them wanting more.

The Goon Sax are able to balance melancholy with the excitement of shedding adolescence through the perfect conduit: pop songs.

Beams may not be as tantalising as 2010's excellent Black City, but it is a highly enjoyable album full of solid songwriting and that familiar sexy bass sound that should complete Dear's gradual crossover into the indie mainstream.

While there are some audible growing pains, Just To Feel Anything holds a great deal of promise and first-rate material.

It's Bulat's fullest-sounding record to date, and really excels in its loudest and most playful moments.

As with most DJ-Kicks comps, this one shows a different side to the group and is as much of an homage as it is a glimpse into the trio's future.

Staring At the X is definitely cut from the same cloth as its predecessor, but even more so. Everything has been ramped up, making for an even more satisfying record.

For a short album--only ten tracks in 24 minutes--it doesn't take long to recognize the beauty of Bell House.

Love What Survives is a grower for sure. Mount Kimbie may never return to the height of those first few releases, but we'll still be here for another while yet.

On paper, the 32nd edition of the Late Night Tales seems like a wilfully difficult listen, but Röyksopp possess the musical gallantry to have compiled the first indispensable comedown DJ mix.

The result of this endless metamorphosis--it's over an hour long--is an album that is eventually rewarding, but only to those who are determined to follow its scattered pathway to the satisfying, aggregate end.

The tracks are far from filler; they're a revealing look at where the band find themselves creatively at the moment.

Saturday Night is a confident debut from a creator who's best when he seems uncomfortable. So long as he keeps evading his comfort zone, Darcy's songwriting should remain potent for years to come.

Overall, Cosmic Wind is free of obvious flaws. But while it's a pleasant album, there's no song distinct enough to elevate it from passive listening.

Poemss plays like a journey, musically, but it's a journey of discovery and boundaries as the two differing producers find their common ground, a process you can hear throughout the album.

Overall, Vol.1 is a satisfying snapshot of a label that does a very specific sound very, very well.

Smith is vague about where he lands on his quest for contentment, but Where’s My Utopia? manages the old trick of making the personal universal, while hanging on to the righteous fun that drew so many in in the first place.

Eleki and psych rock appear to not be enough for the seven-piece's voracious and diverse musical appetites, and Shirushi offers many directions from which the band could reasonably choose.

It is a well-conceived and delivered piece of work, but perhaps unavoidably one that feels the absence of its staged elements.

Approaching this project as a commissioned artist would, Jon Hopkins' Late Night Tales feels more like a narrative than it does a simple mixtape.

Through the Window might finally allow Fernow's critics to move past the "noise" label, because in his mind, he's been beyond that for years.

With Junk, Gonzalez has taken M83 into a whole new galaxy that is just as ambitious and starry-eyed as everything that came before it.

One of the only drawbacks is a lack of memorable hooks from otherwise outstanding vocalist Christine Davis, but the vibe of this album is more than strong enough to warrant a proper listen.

Changes isn't the most complex album King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard have ever made, but it's been gestating in the backs of the member's minds for years, and feels oddly representative of everything they do well. Whether you're a true Gizz-head or just dipping your toes into their psychedelic swamp for the first time, it's worth a listen.

Given that the chillwave craze only lasted a year or two, this is another solid outing from an artist who has turned a flash-in-the-pan trend into a deep discography.

As their past few LPs suffered from a bout of structural sameness, Wham! Bang! Pow! Let's Rock Out! contains just enough musical and lyrical variety to place it amongst Art Brut's finest work.

Oneiric Formulary may lack overall thematic consistency, and could benefit from Bishop letting loose a little more, but it's satisfying to hear a master of his craft putting his own stamp on some timeless sounds.

There's plenty to bliss out on here and Holy Wave prove strongest when they focus on the emotional core of their songs as much as on the waves of sonic exploration.

Between Fox at this most stripped back and Fox at his most ornate are "Vedana," "Arising and Passing" and "Parasthesia," which mostly eschew the stream of consciousness rhythms and melodic flourishes of the rest of Contact for a more pensive feel, replete with drones, tuned percussion, and tantric textures. These tracks aren't ineffective so much as they are on a different plane from the rest, one less ecstatic and adventurous.