The album's strongest asset is its sense of emotion that bleeds through, especially on guitar solos, in impressive contrast to the always-brutal breakdowns.

Summertime '06's coming of age tale is complemented perfectly by production that finds the nuance in Staples' stories and matches it, couching Staples' rhymes in a way that the streets can understand best.

A solid listen front to back, Freedom is the album fans have been waiting for.

It's another album of Neil being Neil, and that's a good thing.

Pale Horses compiles all of the strengths of mewithoutYou into a gorgeous, dense package that remains engaging throughout.

With Everybody is Going to Heaven, Citizen have forged a visceral, stunningly nuanced work that is nothing short of immaculate.

By simply moving with the times, Desaparecidos have managed to skirt that issue entirely, making Payola a surprisingly vital return we never knew we needed.

Coming Home is a star-making vehicle that is solidly crafted, robustly traditionalist and palpably soulful. This is not just a nostalgia act; this is music from the heart, and the soul.

Smart, funny, empathetic and wise, Musgraves is one of the best in the business right now--even when it seems she might be treading water.

It's a cool record that coasts on chill grooves rather than bombastic drops.

The directness of Bully's songs--both emotionally and melodically--is their strongest asset, but it's tough to argue that Bognanno has any discernable weakness when it comes to her music.

On their latest full-length, the duo maintain their ambition, putting together four sonically challenging tracks that range between nine and 15 minutes in length.

Those beats prove to be a dynamic soundtrack for Esoteric and Deck's shameless, endlessly entertaining punch lines, which are bizarrely charming enough to leave you rooting for the bad guy.

While The Muscle Shoals Recordings reaffirms the SteelDrivers' deserved prominence in the bluegrass world, it does little to transcend the genre's current boundaries.

Heavy metal at its finest, Luminiferous is a brilliant, dynamic release, showcasing High on Fire's penchant for diverse, thoughtful songwriting and impeccable musicianship.

Olympic Mess isn't a complete shift in direction for him. It's merely one step toward the outer rim of a very large and very dark shadow.

Overall, Lantern's a beguiling collection of songs from an artist whose road to success is made better by the number of detours he takes along the way.

One wonders what could have happened if Moroder explored a little more, rather than playing it safe.

Beneath the Skin is too humdrum to garner any new acolytes.

Vieux Loup is an intriguing, layered record.

Bad Love has just too many things going on.

Love is the Great Rebellion shows more of Ben Lee's spiritual growth than musical growth, so fans who were attached to the more adventurous departures of his recent work may be disappointed here, but those still clapping along to "Catch My Disease" and "Begin" will surely find comfort in the album.

The tracks on Apocalypse, girl flow into one another like smooth, glassy water, and the collaborations, with improv cellist Okkyung Lee, harpist Rhodri Davis and Swans' Thor Harris, add texture.

[The EP] reveal a steadier, more confident Van Etten, which--surprisingly enough--is just as thrilling as the unpredictable, anxious turns that garnered her so much praise on her last LP.

It's a record built less on borrowed nostalgia and genre fetishism and more on earnest, risk-taking creativity and mixing genres in weird sonic chemistry experiments.

Universal Themes is still overwhelmingly heart-on-sleeve, human; if it's not universal in the specifics, then it is in the way it rawly depicts experience.

Many Levels of Laughter might not have the drugged out vibe that most psych enthusiasts search for, but J Fernandez's versatility makes him one of the most exciting new artists around.

If you're not familiar with Kinski, you may find yourself expecting vocals to kick in, but when they do on the next track, "Flight Risk," the skeezy, barfly style feels tossed off and has a cheapening effect on the song. Conversely, "Operation Negligee" features the most satisfying vocals on the album.

The Shakes is nonetheless brimming with alien sounds and left-field rhythms (culled from objects purchased on eBay), proving that even the most subdued Herbert release is still pretty damn fascinating.

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

Peace Is The Mission is equal parts tepid and garrulous, making it hard to get an overall read on this project. Probably best to not overthink it.

The problem isn't with Carnation's expansive instrumental palette, but with the way that the record struggles to use its sounds to captivate, often letting each part float away into the ether.

Before the World Was Big hears Girlpool unapologetically channelling some big feelings in a way that sounds brash without being bratty, and emotional but not without an empowering message.

A much more risky, expansive and intriguing listen [than Long.Live.A$AP].

Ash still generate radio-friendly tunes on Kablammo!, but they lack the depth that they demonstrated at their peak, and sound a little like they're merely repeating their post-millennial releases at this point.

A fine balance of naiveté and stirring wisdom.

The drawback is that the lyrics are often too hushed and garbled, which makes it seem like he doesn't really care about what he's saying, and so maybe you shouldn't, either.

Those looking for standout singles and sing-along choruses best search elsewhere, but for fans of downtempo folk, there is a lot to appreciate here.

UMO definitely have hit their stride with this record, solidifying their place as one of this era's premiere groove-rock bands.

Power In The Blood is a masterpiece in a storied career.

The Story So Far haven't reached for anything radically new on their self-titled album, but they've created a powerful listen that stays memorable and engaging throughout.

Over the course of a full album, the duo's strict adherence to their limited sonic template starts to get just a little tiring, but the Milk Carton Kids' mastery of their chosen form is never in doubt.

The title of their latest isn't hyperbole; if this record's any indication, Silverstein are most definitely still alive.

With ten ridiculously infectious songs clocking in at just 22 minutes, Joanna Gruesome are in no danger of wearing out their welcome.

Ratchet is an exciting first look at an artist in development.

The songs are lushly dense and about as challenging and exhilarating as pop can be.

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.

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.

The second half of the album has less attitude, exposing the softer side of the band that has come across in the lyrics since its beginning.

Why Make Sense? is a consistently engaging album by a band that has successfully reinvigorated their sound.

It's always drifting, skilfully, from challenging noise to fragmented affection in the most beguiling way possible.

The record smartly connects sound with weight and movement without ever having to coerce the listener with heavy guitars or mountains of feedback.

A winning debut jam-packed with raucous outlaw energy.

Sol Invictus isn't perfect, and it's not their best work, but Faith No More creaking with a little rust and blinking cobwebs is still a glorious thing.

Loyalty is undeniably a folk album, underpinned by Lindeman's finger-picked guitar, spacious piano and banjo, her husky, timeless voice having taken on a new maturity, every word now clearly articulated.

On its own, this album is a solid addition to an impressive back catalogue, but the fact that it's part of a triple-run of releases only adds weight to it.

An arresting song cycle that reveals a three-dimensional version of the modern folk singer.

The album starts off relatively strong, with hard-hitting choruses in "Narrow Mouth" and upbeat, catchy verse lines in "Magnolia," but lose momentum quickly thereafter.

These rapid shifts and experimental flourishes can make for a jarring listen, but they also keep Love Songs For Robots unpredictable and exciting.

With this album, Superheaven have outdone themselves, writing a tight set of perfectly balanced songs that create a refreshing, unified whole.

Oddisee challenges uninitiated music lovers to engage with his ideas and his formidable body of work.

Power manages to keep Dumb Flesh sounding uniform and digestible, a great feat for an artist hell-bent on dissecting his craft.

Braxton truly has created his own sonic alphabet here, and has employed it to draft a manuscript that is as sincere as it is creative.

Ba Power is a contemporary ngoni masterclass.

It's a bleak listen, but there's something comforting about hearing three musicians playing punishing music as a complete unit, knowing there are few that could do it like them.

Non-Believers is an easy record to enjoy, but there isn't much more going on.

Jackie is unlikely to vault Ciara into the stratosphere, but it's a solidly produced effort that features an artist comfortable with who she is both privately and as an artist.

The fiercely independent musical spirit that animated her two most recent, deeply personal full-lengths is still strong.

Choose Your Weapon is a solid groove.

As it stands, the album is a half-baked effort that resembles a collection of demos rather than a high-stakes sophomore album.

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.

The focused California Nights nevertheless cements Best Coast as one of the few bands capable of straddling the line between intimacy and mass appeal.

Between its laid-back vocals, surf guitar and stomping percussion, Born Under Saturn makes a strong claim to being your ideal beach or road trip companion this summer.

The Waterfall changes that trend. If you like your rock records weird, funny, epic, sad and hazily spiritual, this is one you won't want to miss.

The three long years since Get Disowned gifted Hop Along the chance to take their sonic sheet lightning and bottle it, giving Painted Shut a razor-sharp focus and economy that doesn't give an inch.

Although Sprinter is a singular vision, it won't help rid her of the PJ Harvey comparisons, proving Torres to be musician unafraid of comparison, but even less afraid of compromise.

Hypnophobia is a beautiful, and sometimes tragic, look into the mind of a talented and tortured artist.

It's a feat of musical arrangement and of lyricism, sure, but in essence, it's the songwriting on MCIII that really makes it such an achievement.

Fans of Frusciante's solo career will love this latest addition to his catalogue; it's one of his strongest releases to date.

The Longest River sounds like it wasn't written to impress anyone, but impress it does. It's an intriguing debut.

The results are a pleasant surprise.

Though some of MG comes off unfinished and thematically skeletal, Gore does a fine job at utilizing a multitude of sounds on experimental-leaning tracks like "Creeper" and "Trysting."

Overall, Hairball lacks some of the subtlety found in their previous work, but it's still an engaging listen from start to finish.

Recorded live with no overdubs or loops, Never were the way she was is a perfect blend of Neufeld's violin virtuosity and Stetson's outside-the-box approach to saxophone and clarinet, their styles complementing yet pushing each other to new heights.

The result is Deep in the Iris, a musical mash-up of acoustic and electronic influences that's both achingly vulnerable and tentatively joyful.

[Percussionist Joshua Van Tassel] and master bassist Bret Higgins give all these songs organic, unfussy rhythms that dig in like the deepest of tree roots and guide this Forest of Arms.

Give this one time, and it reveals itself.

His predilection for marrying sublime pop melodies to bombastic arrangements laced with classical avant-garde flourishes has reached a new level of focus, and, resultantly, potency, on Jackrabbit.

There was a sense that this record would be Speedy Ortiz's great leap forward. Instead, we get some tentative baby steps in the right direction, as the band settle for just really good instead of truly great.

Instant Gratification is the culmination of the band's growth over the years, and delivers a variety of well-crafted songs.

The Early Years is a ferocious and borderline terrifying slab of feral noise-rock, but it's only a small indication of what it sounds like Girl Band might be capable of.

A fluid release, a chilled-out, soulful take on the Charlatans' psychedelic sound complemented by muted horns and jazzy keys.

Often tawdry and occasionally remarkable, Damogen Furies is a scattershot release, but one that's definitely worth exploring.

Thirty years later, it's another landmark, his best record in years. Maybe decades.

There's undeniably something missing here.

Untethered Moon is arguably the most enjoyable Built To Spill album since 1999's pivotal Keep It Like A Secret.

It's a deliberately weird record, but authentically weird; it's chaotic yet cohesive, full of sound, colour and unshakable vision.

As Wire albums go, Wire is very accessible and it contains nods to almost every album that has come before it.