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.

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.

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.

While it may not be flawless, it's another strong entry in a consistently compelling catalogue. His mom called it a masterpiece, and I guess that's all that matters.

Aporia is foremost an exercise in collaboration — a meeting between two perpetually entangled personalities, an ode to their decades-long father-son relationship and a fitting conclusion to their musically enriched partnership.

Em's new songs give a facelift to old themes — but thanks to his still-astounding wordplay and creative beat choices (Rick Rubin's work on "So Far..." and "Love Game" is a hoot), you can still get lost in the wrinkles.

Willner is clearly letting his time in Germany shape his sound, which isn't a bad thing and it's nice to see another, mellower side to his work.

Crossover Ministry is a well-made crossover thrash album that's sure to be a hit with fans of the genre, and could be the selling point for people just getting into it.

Lanegan's edge is his keen ear for contemporary material that suits the overall mood.

2015's Peripheral Vision was indeed more dynamic and, for that reason, might remain their strongest effort for the time being. But let yourself sink into Good Nature, and you'll find yourself in a place of idyllic beauty.

Not everything lands with the same emphasis as the album's opening moments, but there are enough quality moments across ten tracks--how "Lois Lane" frames the horrors of the "over 30 singles night" at its chorus, the disco drive of "Glimpse of Love," the mid-song sax run of "Feel the Love Go"--to suggest this transformation in sound has yet to reach its peak.

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.

Sweating the Plague shows Robert Pollard achieving the near-impossible; stringing together a steady decade of such strong material this late into his band's career.

Georgas gives listeners the bittersweet beauty of recalling turning seasons and turning points on All That Emotion.

If you've got a unquenchable thirst for reverb-y guitar pop, The Flower Lane is a pleasant album worth a listen, but those looking for something more should probably look elsewhere.

It's more of a steady refinement than a great leap forward. The wait may have been long, but the results are mature and compassionate enough to justify it.

Most of the album feels too much like a work-in-progress.

It offers the impeccable, twangy power-pop aesthetics--but also the oversimplification--of [Lucinda] Williams, and the sparkling, immersive production and raw honest lyrics--but also the never quite on key-ness--of the latter [Billy Childish].

positions has hints of classical and R&B — staples of Grande's previous work. Songs like the title track and "love language" weave in orchestral strings, violins and catchy backbeats to elevate the listening experience, effortlessly meshes these contrasting genres to keep her pop sound distinctive.

It may take Butler a few more albums (he has promised in interviews to continue writing and recording as a solo artist for years to come) to carve out his own identity from the monolithic entity he's a part of, but there are plenty of plausible ideas on Policy for Butler to continue exploring.

There will no doubt be some making the age-old "less is more" argument that comes with any double LP, but that shouldn't overshadow the fact that DIIV have returned with a powerful, immersive sophomore album.

What this album does extremely well, though, is convey the emotional reality of the protagonist using these moody electronics and tempo changes.

These sparse pieces beautifully combine elements of modern ambient production with flute, piano and chilly synths that feel anachronistically medieval in aspects of their harmonic construction. The effect is fascinating, and provides an evocative backdrop for Deradoorian's self-reflective poetic philosophical musings.

While she tries to impress upon us that the girl we knew is now a woman who reads tarot cards and engages in pure sexual pleasure, bold and brash have never entered the lexicon when it comes to Hilary Duff and her music — and maybe they never will. We love her because she stays earnest.

Setting a heavy mood with opening track "My Life's Been Taken," Morlix sticks with it through the majority of the ensuing nine songs, painting bleak portraits of desperate men chasing love and money while on the run from past mistakes.

While it might be daunting to have close to 20 duets of mixed genres all on one album, it works for Crow and her crew. These collaborations show flair and offer a little bit of something for everyone, making Threads that much more appealing.

Though Armstrong does a decent job of speaking for the freaks and the rebels, Green Day's music is always at its best when he's speaking for himself, and Revolution Radio is no different.

I Go Missing in My Sleep really shines when Wilsen are at their most intricate.

Although it may be impossible not to compare it to its most immediate predecessor, Weed Garden becomes, as a result, a quaint coda for those fans wanting a little bit more of Iron & Wine's signature sound.

On Vermont II, Plessow and Worgull have crafted an experimental piece founded upon its creators' departure from their respective comfort zones.

At ten tracks, Blood is a more focused and refined effort than 2012's Mercury Prize-nominated Is Your Love Big Enough?, building on what we've come to expect from Lianne La Havas and surprising us with new directions.

V. never rises above space rock, making the album feel like any other '60s hippie/psychedelic record. It's adequate, but when you can easily predict how it's going to play out, you're never left wanting more.

Spitting Fire does an admirable job capturing some of the sodden, smoky tones and wild, wretched energy the band wield in a live setting.

Though unlikely to win legions of new fans, this is another impeccably crafted psychedelic rock record sure to please fans of the genre.

While the second half of the album almost makes up for its flaws, it doesn't quite manage to make Compassion a memorable whole.

Abasi's unique thump technique gives needed life to passages other technical players would simply pick their way through, as Reyes and drummer Matt Garstka lock in to drive these sputtering rhythms home with power and proficiency.

Merriweather Post Pavilion remains as culturally important as it felt back in 2009. Ballet Slippers mines that very significance for its pure euphoria, and with carefully selected performances and interpretations, this celebration of that groundbreaking work does justice to its source material.

NEVER ENOUGH is a cohesive display of genre experimentation that cements Caesar's place as one of the smartest and most talented artists in today's constantly mutating R&B pantheon.

Black Moth Super Rainbow's fifth release may not be their most resourceful work to date, but it's undoubtedly their most sublime.

Here, every riff is full of life, the chemistry popping out in the open spaces, Ozzy's melancholy once again finally, and fittingly, overtop the soundtrack of metallic joy and madness, the whole thing combining to create a perfect metal sound the way only the masters can.

The truth is Trust are masters of delivery and flawless executioners, proving to be much better mechanics than designers.

Each of the 11 here tracks deliver much the same mood however, and if one were to quibble, it might be to suggest that Moomin's beats strive so hard to be tasteful and inoffensive that they sometimes verge on blandness. That being said, if you love your house sepia-toned with plenty of TR808, Moomin's latest is for you.

Handwritten may not break any new ground for the band, but it's easily their strongest release yet.

While the tracks on Hill's End never stray too far from the sound evident in the first few notes of the beginning track, they never feel repetitive.

A Hound at the Hem has the chance to gain the fervent cult following deserving of its hypnotizing layers of analog bass, fuzz bomb riffs, pensive organs, soaring strings, nostalgic harpsichords and a creepy lyrics.

Although there are no real revelations on Intermission, Shigeto demonstrates yet again what he does best.

A near-perfect record. ... Blood flows with humanity, an exploration of diverse cultures, sounds and sensibilities. Rhye reveals that it is in tune with itself and inhabits a world that feels distant and inclusive at once.

The crystalline vocals and dazzling harmonies that TEEN have become known for are replete throughout, and ultimately there are more great than good songs, with the best coming in the latter half of the record.

Something Beautiful does, of course, sound beautiful — Shawn Everett's production is widescreen and larger than life, but still remembers to dial things back when needed, although maybe not always quite enough (Cyrus is an impressive balladeer! "The Climb" was a moment!) — but it also rings hollow.

Get Up Sequences is a nevertheless solid example of the Go! Team doing what they do best.

Between Ant's eclectic, subtle production and Slug's equally nuanced lyricism, Fishing Blues stands out as one of the best hip-hop LPs of the year thus far.

For the most part, these ten tracks are a welcome throwback to the summery fun of The Blue Album and The Green Album.

Both Lights fails to hold together because of its numerous failed lines of attack, which undermine the goodness.

Thomas is still a little too fond of playing around with distortion on the vocals though, almost like a call-back to his really lo-fi days, and it sounds more out of place than ever.

It's clear that White's bravery in baring his soul has resulted in a quiet masterpiece.

The album is a gem. Preemo lovingly wraps brand new Guru verses (new even to him) with his trademark production, earmarked with his iconic scratch choruses, without missing a beat.

By chronicling the redemptive rise and bittersweet resolution of DMX's plot-twist ridden third act, Exodus not only fulfills the tall order of giving a long-overlooked great a fitting send off. It's also the sound of hip-hop's Job finding meaning in his suffering — and, thankfully, peace thereafter.

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

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.

If you want to just chill at home in the afternoon, give this beauty a spin. Those wanting a reinvented wheel, look elsewhere.

The surreal strings on "We Work Nights," the doubled percussion on "An English House" and the sultry, repetitive warble on closer "Reprise" give the release a much needed kick, but Half of Where You Live still lacks the strength it needs.

Music can be therapeutic, and Hildebrand's music is a perfect example of this.

Jacuzzi Boys is a fine garage rock record that finds the band exploring several welcome new directions.

Those who got on board with Strange Desire should have no problem connecting with the deep feels and big pop choruses that propel Gone Now.

Foam Island is a patchwork album that never ends up feeling quite settled.

Pre-interlude, Bankrupt! is trekking along the right path; it's a futuristic journey into a foreign place for Phoenix, akin to a soundtrack for an updated Lost in Translation. But things quickly go off the rails once it spirals out of the dizzying interlude of flashing synths, losing its sense of melody and purpose.

While some results sound a little too much like a Speak and Spell, the compositions largely survive their robotic mutations, some even gaining new generations of melancholy and grayness via their detachment from the world of simple human emotion.

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

Smith Westerns have never sounded so comfortable in their own skin.

Gogol Bordello have created music that feels revolutionary and well-timed on Seekers and Finders, an album on which the veteran, self-described Gypsy-punk group channel the power and immediacy of their fantastic live show into a tight 38 minutes.

Jamie Lidell is a stunningly entertaining album and an exemplary ode to the good ol' days.

Though unlikely to win legions of new fans, this is another impeccably crafted psychedelic rock record sure to please fans of the genre.

Wonder Where We Land is a tremendous step forward both for SBTRKT and for the possibilities of cross-genre exploration.

Mixed Emotions is just the painstakingly crafted, mood-driven long-player we've been waiting for from this immensely talented duo.

Although many songs on Chuck sound familiar, it's amazing that no two tracks sound alike. Berry covers a lot of musical ground on Chuck, and most importantly, reveals just how much fun he was still having at the end of his storied life.

As convincing as Liam Gallagher is when he audaciously boasts that he's "got the Midas touch" early on in the album, As You Were doesn't ever quite turn to gold.

Tejada has done a fine job of giving each track its distinctive personality without sacrificing the flow of the album as a cohesive piece.

Born Sinner is an honest account of Cole's growth and development, revealing his humble beginnings, challenging successes and bright future.

Folks hoping for a repeat of Rabit's 2015 pseudo-grime offering Communion will certainly be disappointed here; open-minded listeners with a penchant for the darker side of experimental dance music will find their thirst for evil slaked.

This is Logic at his best: making music that makes him happy. His comfort zone is infectious. If YSIV doesn't sell you on Logic, nothing will.

While the band's earlier material sounded lo-fi out of necessity, Underneath the Rainbow disappoints due to its inauthentic attempt at sounding like an album recorded long before its time.

With Hobo Rocket, Pond once again step out from an ever-growing shadow to prove that they are far more than anyone's "other band."

While the French artist has introduced a new persona and perspective on Redcar les adorables étoiles (prologue), his ability to produce truly unique moments of pop power remains.

Another Language is another good record that takes some risks, some more successful than others.

On THR!!!ER, !!! have finally found a happy medium between playful and goofy, epic and bloated, tongue-in-cheek and just plain chic.

From the Vaults is a collection of b-sides presented and packaged as a full-blown studio release, and it's worth the effort.

Lost In The Trees might not be as distinctive as they once were, but they still make highly emotional music; it's just better disguised than it was in the past.

From start to finish, Nobody Lives Here Anymore is a seamless expression of nostalgia, love and hope for brighter days to come.

Diarrhea Planet's self-indulgence and cheesy grandiosity might be less appealing if it wasn't so tongue-in-cheek--that's a huge advantage of being a band that doesn't take itself all that seriously. It also makes Turn to Gold a boisterous and joyful affair. But reaching these new levels of gaudiness, they risk being written off as a gimmick

It's authentic enough for natives to appreciate, but universal enough to maintain broader appeal.

On Is 4 Lovers, the pair have settled in and settled down, both in their lives and to their own sound.

Walker is an exceptional blues artist at a time when there are few left, but on Hellfire, despite its volume, he comes off as frustratingly average.

Sure, they sound more focused and professional on Do Not Engage, but they have done that on every album they've released.

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.

If Snoop could just cut his track lists in half and focus on well-crafted party songs, the Doggfather might just find himself back on top.

Massey Fucking Hall captures Japandroids in this unique (for them at least) setting at the peak of their powers.

Rogers rises to the occasion, making herself and her mixture of emotions the anchor of songs whose music moves at an unending pace.

Production and keys aside, Turkey isn't much of a departure for Krol, but it may finally get him the recognition he deserves on the higher-profile Merge Records.