On their fifth release, Simian Mobile Disco's dedication to challenging their tried-and-true formula has found them coming off looser and more resourceful than ever.

The first half of the record clashes significantly with the latter half, which is... eclectic.

Ultimately, Zeus keeps nodding to the past even as they look toward the future on a record that's both introspective and jubilant.

Much of the record plays like a series of short acoustic interludes: pretty, at times insightful, but evanescent more often than not.

While El Pintor is no Turn on the Bright Lights or Antics, the record finds Interpol climbing out of their mediocre rut, slowly but surely.

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.

Fresh, crisp drums, creamy keys, luxuriant strings and timely flute and horn flourishes, each held together by a series of mood-defining bass lines, work to soundtrack this production, an inspiring foil that the record's MCs make certain not to waste on this grand testament to Souls' skill and staying power.

The amount of technical and emotional ground that YOB are able to carry across these four tracks is phenomenal, and makes Clearing the Path to Ascend the album that marks the band's return to the height of their power.

It's a life we're lucky to see through this gorgeous album, however briefly.

The usual Jeezy tropes of hustling and encouraging others to also hustle haven't gone anywhere — the rote "Been Getting Money (featuring Akon)" could be plopped on any Jeezy album and no one would notice--but there's a heap of real-life wisdom here, too.

Barragán is not an album determined to grab you in one listen; it's a "grower," as they say, but once it grows, it's apparent there's no shortage of baroque delights to discover on this veteran band's ninth album.

Mean Love, Sinkane's third full-length and second release on DFA Records, manages to create a sense of romanticism without ever being overtly emotional, with straightforward lyrics that somehow remain affecting.

While 10 Summers delivers everything we'd expect from DJ Mustard, it definitely doesn't challenge his artistic growth.

Swimmin' Time is every bit as good as its predecessor. Indeed, it offers several songs that leave much of what they've previously recorded in the dust.

Though their unwavering embrace of pop on this record might seem antagonistic in and of itself, they still manage to sound convincingly earnest and (for the first time) fun.

Neuroplasticity is a full-on rock record, though, as much as it's just a transition for Spx into something that takes a variety of musical turns.

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

Sharp laments the weakening of expression though technology, which is fitting, as this applies to the album. Where there were once fireworks, the Rentals still deliver a bit of a lazer show.

There are great tracks on Green Language, but a lack of consistency stops it from being a great album.

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.

Angels & Devils dwarfs its acclaimed predecessor, as it does almost everything else released in the electronic music genre this year.

Annabel Dream Reader feels like the soundtrack to a Tarantino film.

On Brill Bruisers, the band's glory days have returned.

On Impressions, Music Go Music have created a recreation of a bygone era with none of its character.

Bahamas Is Afie contains some of Jurvanen's best work to date, standing up there next to 2012's Barchords high benchmark "Lost In The Light."

Craig Finn, Jason Isbell, Tim Easton and Caitlin Rose all show up to play, reminding us both that Branan can stand beside the best in the business, and that the best in the business want to stand beside him.

In the end, the album loses steam throughout, something that is only accentuated by all the potential bonus tracks.

Two years of touring has allowed DZ Deathrays to realize their capabilities as songwriters and with Black Rat, it's clear they've got their sights set on bigger and stranger things.

On her sophomore effort, The Golden Echo, Kimbra hasn't reined in her sonic exploration (where else would you find ex-Silverchair singer Daniel Johns and bassist Thundercat as primary contributors on the same album?), yet there's a more cohesive feel to the project.

An effort that is even more emotionally ambitious an undertaking, and all the more wounding for its beauty.

Blacc Hollywood, an LP titled like it might bring some overarching theme, is the audio equivalent of the Transformers quadrilogy: a series of in-your-face, mass-appeal blockbusters that lure crowds and teach them nothing.

JJ's sound may be nothing special anymore, but their songs and vibe still stand up.

Cellar Door seems to have given the Underachievers space to breathe, think and spit the transcendental lyricism that set them apart in the first place.

The resulting poignancy of his honest songwriting is an amazing accomplishment.

Hyperdub's decision to keep the material on Hyperdub 10.1 fresh and topical may take away from the commemorative feel of the comp, but the pure excitement the label's latest incites deserves nothing less than celebration.

On their return, they sound wiser and refreshed.

The band has framed Get Hurt as a shift in its Springsteen-meets-Replacements sound, but they're overselling things a tad: only a couple of songs, like the title track, truly feel all that different from their last couple of records.

The overall vibe of the collection is likely to put a smile on your face (hell, even Townes sounds a mite less melancholy, thanks to the spirited accompaniment), making it a perfect fit for your next beer 'n bourbon patio party.

The charm of the disconnected, breezy path that starts the album--seeming interludes punctuated by the odd story of a more solid, structured track--quickly wears thin when you realize said path meanders, the tracks mostly underdeveloped, only occasionally rolling into a bigger sound with tangible depth.

LP1 is a fantastic debut from an artist who is quickly becoming the curator of her own mental museum.

High Noon showcases Arkells' lofty ambitions, and while it might not be their defining record it's another intriguing step in their evolution.

Presented as a new studio album, it only manages to recapture the band's spirit, rather than its soul.

More tempered and melancholy than on most of his Fruit Bats output, Johnson's writing owes some comparisons to fellow rockers turned film scorers like Jon Brion and Nathan Larson.

With thoughtful lyrics, infectious grooves and catchy riffs, Frozen Letter is sure to bring out the air guitarist (or drummer) in anyone.

With his altered, multi-tracked vocals and ear for dynamic builds, Philpots leads Bear in Heaven on a similar sonic path [as My Morning Jacket's Z], surrounding biting verse-chorus-verse lyricism with ambient laser beams and rubbery textures.

The accomplishment is that the sound is unique and understated. The unpredictable becomes predictable quickly, though.

Everything about the album is deliberately simple, but with some inspired production choices added to the mix.

They Want My Soul is a bold and swaggering declaration that Spoon have undoubtedly still got it--in spades.

The only downside to the album's stripped down sound is that while it makes for a solid play from start to finish, there isn't much differentiation, making it easy to forget which track is which amongst the dozen offerings.

These head-scratching moments mean that, despite the collection's successes, it probably works better as a sheet music oddity than a cohesive album.

Sadly, the album can't maintain that pace, and sags near the end.... Still, the redemptive rest of the album--especially the gorgeous closing title track--make The Voyager a welcome return for Lewis.

The self-proclaimed "Genius, idiot" succeeds for the most part in moving out of his sonic comfort zone while toeing the lyrical line between enlightenment and ignorance.

If the Muffs were a drink they'd be cream soda, and while I'd typically prefer it spiked, that would be contrary to the point; the band's aim is to deliver a simple, somewhat fizzy sound marked by prominent vocal melodies and choppy yet clean chords.

Hypnotic Eye may just be a solid middle-of-the-pack release as far as Petty albums go, but only a fool would complain about having another 45 minutes of music from one of rock & roll's premier units.

Shabazz Palaces offer an ethereal conglomerate with a prophetic voice, a gutsy move that's more than paid off here.

The resulting 12 tracks find Freeman both revelling in and lost within this musical yin and yang.

Corb Lund fans will appreciate the new versions of older material, but the album also has a "greatest hits" feel to it, so it's a fine introduction for the uninitiated.

Their sixth full-length offering, Constricting Rage of the Merciless, is yet another step forward for the already venerable group.

While not flawlessly executed, Common arguably regains some of the relevance he may have lost from his last couple of albums with the focus of Nobody's Smiling.

Never Hungover Again is fully-grown and moves at a steady pace, while remaining characteristic to Joyce Manor's roots.

This record will surprise their fans.

All the Ways You Let me Down is a charming record with plenty to like, just not enough to love.

To The Recently Found Innocent explores welcome new directions; rather than messing with a good formula, Presley has opened up to new ways of approaching it.

Alvvays' debut feels like a warm and fuzzy memory, forging a deeper sense of nostalgia with each repeat visit.

The band manages not to compromise their sound, but on The Black Market, the formula is growing stale.

"Nuage d'Ivoire" is one of Par Avion's highlights, while some slower pieces, like "Reflections," seem to drag on a bit.

Throughout Free Will, Webb sounds calm and inviting, having seemingly settled into his mid-30s. It suits him incredibly well.

Dollars to donuts, there's not one song or style here that "Weird Al" doesn't enhance with his sly social commentary or absurdity. All hail the weird king.

As Morrissey's ability to deploy his wit and worldliness fades, it's nice to hear him wax romantic, but for the first time on record, he seems more obsessed with others than himself. Sadly, it doesn't suit him well.

Hard Believer has a simmering urgency, but though the album seems like it's always building to something, when it ends, you can feel how far it has come.

On their debut, Jungle show that you don't have to reinvent the wheel as long as it's travelling down brand new, unexplored avenues.

Peaceful yet highly engaging, Ishi invokes the masters of modular synthesis, a music rooted in technology that somehow comes across as utterly primeval.

Unlike the conceptual rock opera project that was Nostradamus, Redeemer of Souls is pure metal joy, full of surging anthems, martial stomps, unbridled passion and huge, crunchy production values.

This is certainly one of the best dancehall releases of the year.

Unfortunately, the band play it safe on No Coast.

Just consider it a solid project from an artist who, after creating albums since the late-90s, is finally getting her recognition in front, instead of behind the curtain.

Either as a companion or a standalone, it's a consuming piece of music that reminds us of the Weavers' ambition to always lead and never follow.

One of the best Americana records of the year.

Venetian Snares is a veritable virtuoso when it comes to drum programming, and as was to be expected, My Love is a Bulldozer is littered with downright slick percussion.

Overall, In My World is a first-rate sophomore effort.

Using a finite set of equipment to create these seven tracks, much of EX comes off strikingly similar in sound, but Hawtin being the staunch veteran that he is, uses it to his advantage, reusing and appropriating signature tones and modes to craft the most solid live set you weren't lucky enough to attend.

The band one-up Ex Lives in every regard.

Frankie Rose might not be the face of Beverly, but Careers is one of the best things she's done to date. But Drew Citron deserves most of the credit.

Blissfucker is not quite as perfectly crafted as Darker Handcraft, trading control for the broken and the strange, but though the results are less even, the finest work on the record still finds Trap Them at their very best.

On Gamel, OOIOO praise the traditional while eschewing the benign to create a truly original rhythmic screed.

As their name suggests, they have all the control over the music, and how they channel that is through wonderful anarchy.

With LaCaze's drum tracks on the record, Eyehategod is a fitting tribute, but also signifies a new beginning for this band that just don't quit.

Not everything here works--Shahid Mustaf MC's needless reworking of Parliament's "Getting To Know You" simply doesn't improve on the original--but exclusive mixes like Joey Negro vs. Horse Meat Disco's "Candidate For Love" should ignite the dance floor.

Hopefully ASDIG will never give in completely to conventional songwriting, because it's the little idiosyncrasies that make their expansive music so breathtaking--which, incidentally, really is the best word to describe Sea When Absent.

An album that's good, but hard to get excited over.

It moves Krell closer to the mainstream without sacrificing the emotional complexity of his music, proving that Krell is a musical force not to be underestimated.

The record succeeds when the band give into the temptation of pleasing their crowd with ramshackle tracks that will work well in a live setting.

Everything goes by at such a breathless pace and without much variation that for individual listening, it gets a bit draining at times.

Like much of Willie's work these days, Band of Brothers might not bring many new fans into the fold, but it's sure to please those already there.

In the Lonely Hour is a mostly fantastic debut that is more than deserving of a double dip.

On The Air Between Words, Martyn comes off tranquil, playful and completely in control of his own kaleidoscopic world.

They've got the speed, the outfits and the record collection, but Cerebral Ballzy's interpretation of hardcore punk never comes off as more than cartoony.

This is Lone's best work to date, and one that shows it's possible to keep evolving while holding onto a strong sense of identity.