While the Antlers may struggle to escape the shadow of Hospice's success, they have undoubtedly succeeded in making another spectacular, cohesive record.

There's casual grace in the band's winding and ultimately engrossing vibe and most of the earworms on the record stick like glue.

On Why Do the Heathen Rage?, Daniel has managed to bring the intellectual and the primal together for one big dance party.

It's a new band, a new sound, but the same old, marvellous songwriting. It's a killer combination.

This is a solid album more than capable of holding fans over until a second release.

The result is an unpolished gem of spiritual ambiance.

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.

The textures here are even a little richer than before, the skill both more and less obvious (they have achieved that sought-after "effortless" quality), the dramatic ebbs and swells even more dramatic, the rock elements even more seamlessly integrated with electronic and orchestral arrangements and songs combining even more smoothly into a fluid whole.

Realized with the help of Bird's fabulous backing band, the Hands of Glory, the arrangements on Things Are Really Great Here, Sort Of… are ornate and thoughtful, highlighting both the brilliant Americana song writing of the originals and the sweetly soulful execution of Bird and his band.

Nausea is the perfect lazy summer album with a hidden depth that slowly unfolds to reveal a work of sincere beauty.

Handling the production duties on What's Between is the Haxan Cloak, whose own cavernous soundscapes are perhaps the most metal thing in electronic music these days. The pairing is apt and the results are fantastic.

Love Me is a gorgeous album, through and through.

Sometimes sunny days need bittersweet soundtracks to make them better. Gold may turn grey, but not in the hands of this duo.

She's a straight shooter, and Trouble & Love hits right to the heart.

Copper Gone is definitely a high point in Sage Francis's already significant career.

On Luck, Vek has released some of the strongest material of his career; here's hoping there's still someone out there to pay attention.

Lazaretto will no doubt be heavily scrutinized by critics and celebrated by hardcore fans, but love it or hate it, nobody can call this stuff "watered-down."

It's possible to detect elements of jazz, '70s soul, hip-hop and electronica in McFerrin's heliocentric mix, but through his intentional blurring of the boundaries, he underlines his mastery of and ultimate disregard for genre categories.

Though less adventurous than on earlier work, Parquet Courts still manage to deliver a unique record that builds on the foundations of the past.

Animal Ambition showcases a very creatively confused 50 Cent, trapped in some sort of musical purgatory we can only hope he find his way out of.

[A] perceived lack of personality can't change the fact that Dalliance is one of the catchiest and most energetic guitar records of the year.

Heart-rending, arterial and woundingly authentic, As The Stars is a hell of a record to drop on Valentine's day.

A Series of Shocks shoots for a different kind of looping hypnotism but lands slightly short.

An impassioned record that feels like their most raw, personal work to date.

The songs--though sparely produced as usual--sound picked over, like they've been played too many times and have lost their fire.

Good To Be Home lives up to its title and is easily his best and most consistent release since Below The Heavens.

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.

Black Hours could easily have been Walkmen-lite, but Leithauser's ambition to seize the opportunity, and eschew the obvious, results in an album his voice--and a number of his fans-- has no doubt longed for.

Are We There cuts deep into the skin of its creator and finds Van Etten more exposed than ever.

Röyksopp and Robyn have not only traversed new territory, they've made it their own.

For much of Meteorites, strings attempt to fill in the hole that was the band's characteristically dynamic, propulsive low-end, to mixed results.

There can be beauty in decay, growth from devastation, and A U R O R A helps open your eyes to that perspective.

Scruff's in his forties but the assured, mature Friendly Bacteria is the antithesis of a mid-life crisis.

Volume X is a balanced record, potentially a future classic for those who are into that sort of thing.

While the album showcases the band's equilibrium and by now unquestioned versatility, it does mean that amidst the intended dissonance and vocal cameos, Black Thought's verses are not as prominent.

On paper this is a solid album, and Plaid have pushed all the right buttons, but they've pushed those same buttons many times before.

Fans will find much to love in Blue Smoke, and while nothing here approaches "Jolene" or "Coat of Many Colors" or "Here You Come Again," songs like the title track or "Banks of the Ohio" wouldn't feel out of place on a playlist next to these classics.

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.

It has brief sparks of a fresh creativity and has plenty of potential, but doesn't take steps bold enough to totally reinvent itself, making for a record littered with moments that let it sink into the forgettable parts of the band's catalogue.

For their sixth album since their 2010 reformation, the tempo has been slowed down. This accounts for a more refined sound, well-rounded lyrical structure and master musicianship.

At times curiously familiar, Sylvan Esso exists in a sphere not a million miles away from other pop/electronic hybrids such as Blue Hawaii, Purity Ring and Austra, but what impresses most here is the quality of the vocal melodies as well as the attention paid to carving out solid low end frequencies, a trait sadly ignored or fumbled by most other indie-electronic hybrids.

As much as it is possible to describe the hissing whispers and supernova roars John Haughm's vocal performance, or the galactic wonder of Don Anderson's guitars, the sticky and celestial spirals of Jason Walton's bass lines, or the powerful alchemical engine of Aesop Dekker's drumming, together they form something greater: a massive, sublime universe unto itself.

With smartly layered melodies and excellent vocalists, the band really isn't that far off from a parallel universe Lamb of God (if they were raised on Aborted), at least in theory. This is a huge compliment.

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

From powerful riffs to heartbreaking melodies, Down IV – Part II is yet another example of Down's flawless work.

Goodman remains a sharp and confident songwriter, and buried underneath the noise there's still plenty of charm here, but dialing back all the bluster would have gone a long way.

It all sounds great, but the songs don't sink in, don't push past the surface.

Unrepentant Geraldines is personal and political and refreshingly void of marketing gimmicks or befuddling collaborations. Rather, Tori just comes bearing songs straight from the heart/head/hands/Hell.

Nabuma Rubberband stretches their dance scope even wider, incorporating trance and underground club beats into their already varied repository of techniques.

On Days of Abandon, the Pains continue to demonstrate why they've been able to find this sweet spot that so many bands strive for.

The record harnesses its emotional resources to grant the listener the sweet spectacle of watching self-awareness disintegrate as the artist wriggles free from postmodern detachment, and rediscovers that most undervalued asset: his vulnerability.

White Women is consistently fun and well-crafted, a shining example of disco's renewed relevance from a pair of musicians for whom the genre never went out of style.

This is essential listening for fans of Owen Pallett and Ólafur Arnalds.

On Visibility is a Trap, Dalhous deliver another handful of terrific dark ambient music that will hopefully give way to braver, newer waves.

This is tough-talking, hard-living stuff, but it's been infused with a welcome dose of 21st century sexual politics.

It's a tried, tested and true formula that has allowed these two humble cats from the land where Kirby Puckett smacked homers to do this for so long.

tUnE-yArDs' bright and playful exterior might deter some, but Garbus and Brenner bask in quirk without it ever clouding the tracks' overall purposes.

III's hazy, after-hours vibe is infectious, and these songs reveal fresh nuance with repeat listens.

Merchant has offered us a challenging, often starkly beautiful, collection.

The most striking aspect of Asiatisch is the confidence of Al Qadiri's sound, demonstrating that the quality of her music has finally caught up with her artistic ambitions.

With its jarring synthetic brass--which is neither as charming or amusingly ironic as its creators seem to think it is--Someday World starts off on the wrong foot from the very first bars.

Each song feels carefully placed, but many end abruptly, leaving something unfinished.

Luminous is a tremendously dense record, but one that manages to find ample breathing space for each of its studio takes.

The album is an impressive continuation of Tom G. Warrior's often-mighty lineage, addressing each and every one of his strengths while offering something new for those unaware of the history embedded in every note.

The ten songs here threaten at times to up and wander off, but Bare manages to hold everything together with some strong songwriting and unusual, borderline retro arrangements.

Throughout the record, Marley demonstrates that reggae can grow and adapt without losing sight of its roots.

Ought have conjured one of the most refreshing and inspiring rock records of the year.

Picking up where their 2002 self-titled album left off, Oblation is a triumph of doom metal and stoner rock.

Recorded mostly live off the floor, and full of loose, garage rock accents and playfully shambling flourishes, everything about Most Messed Up feels exquisitely messy.

With Bécs, Fennesz achieves the near-impossible, crafting a musical sequel that retains the energy, vision and flow of its predecessor.

Like the murky corners of the city that birthed it, Get Back is filled with interesting diversions, even if those ideas don't necessarily add up to a unified vision.

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.

Sd Laika seemingly bucks myriad electronic music trends to create a body of work that harkens back to the genre's classic beginnings.

For those who like their space-age folk rock with a strong sense of humility, it doesn't get much chiller than this.

Seamlessly weaving complexity into internal rhymes in verses and the overall thematic premise, PTSD excels at both micro and macro levels.

Z is a quality beginning for a beguiling new artist with a fresh futurist sound.

By all accounts, Honest reveals that Future's music was never a "right place, right time" story, but one that's unique and has staying power.

Anyone who can get past the timid first impression will find plenty of fascinating layers and beautiful music to love on Loom.

As a whole, Food is a delight and represents adventurous R&B with bite.

There's no denying the album is catchy.

Filled mostly with retro-cheese instrumentals with a smattering of blue-eyed vocal performances, Weird Drift explores the stranger aspects of love and devotion.

Hard Boiled Soft Boiled hits all the right notes while whetting the appetite for whatever Odonis Odonis have in store next. For now, you'd be hard pressed to imagine a better follow up to the band's debut.

The Mobb aren't exactly reinventing the wheel here, but on album highlight "Timeless," the effect is beguilingly hypnotic.

If you don't love Kweli, Gravitas won't change your mind, but lifelong fans will definitely find a lot to appreciate on this slight but enjoyable album.

Minimum Rock N Roll is a dynamic and vibrant good-time screed; it's not anti-consumption but it is out to have people consume discerningly.

Long-time listeners will revel in the subtle sonic shifts but the rest of us are still waiting for the band to make that major artistic breakthrough we know they're capable of.

This is just vintage Crowell, which is to say that Tarpaper Sky is an essential record by one of the best.

The record is just playing true to form for the veterans, proving that the beast is back with teeth bared and a few more tricks up its hairy sleeves.

To Live Alone in that Long Summer is an elegant, contemplative album that thankfully bears little trace of its long gestation.

This is new, fresh, young rap with an edge.

E s t a r a is a step above genre-bending; this is genre-carving.

While not as rewarding on multiple listens as anything the Collective has ever produced, Enter the Slasher House is the ideal detour between now and the band's next record.

Through the static and fuzz comes a clarity of sorts, that truth is oftentimes going to be something both comforting and discomforting; it's why The Future's Void serves as the perfect modern day soundtrack.

With a lazy pace and slightly detached vocals from Standish, these eight tracks seem to sway like strips of bleached cloth hanging in a light breeze.

The Toronto, ON four-piece deliver their structurally intricate tunes with unhinged ferocity, the raw arrangements never deviating from the outfit's basic live setup of bass, pummelling drums and twin distorted guitars.

It works because of its twitchy pop sensibilities, which gaze longingly back at the '80s, and while that isn't a bad thing, it's still a hard record to get attached to.

Righteous indignation has long fuelled OFF!, but Wasted Years is the band at their darkest and most venomous.

He might have the Midas touch when it comes to genre, but when it comes to his last word, Terje is wise enough to say it in his first language.