Iceage make unpleasant music, but their bland sentimentality is the most disagreeable thing on Beyondless.

The Car is a beautiful calling card for this opulent new version of Arctic Monkeys, even if it lacks the immediacy the band built its reputation on.

Hypercaffium could have been just another instalment in Descendents' long and fruitful career, and that would have been just fine; its biggest surprise is that it offers fans something new if nevertheless familiar, thereby cementing the band's continued relevance after all these years.

No one ever accused the Melvins of being boring--despite calling the record Hold It In, it's overflowing with ideas and creativity.

This record drags in its second half, as several of their records have now done, but there are some all-timers to add to their best-of playlist (along with their standalone single "Warn Me," a phenomenal song not included here) and the rest is enjoyable enough. Tigers Jaw make albums that are good, sometimes very good, but not quite great.

Although it suffers from its divided track list, The Republic reveals Prekop finding comfort in his newly discovered instrument.

The album's weak spot is Darrow's voice, which, although pleasant, isn't as distinctive as those of his peers. Nonetheless, anyone interested in the L.A. country rock scene will find much to admire in Artist Proof, and an additional five previously unreleased demos are an added bonus.

Despite suffering from flatness, the album is an enjoyable enough romp and in its almost naïve purity, it is endearing.

Like any good folk record, The Nocturne Diaries explores timely social and political issues, with songs about troubled youth and abuse survivors, but these pieces lack the raw immediacy that makes politically-tinged folk music work.

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.

While the rest of the album blows past you at breakneck pace, there are enough moments where the band let their deeper side show. It keeps Toy interesting.

The tracks on Spiritual Instinct feel somewhat monotonous, comparatively, since Alcest rarely pull back the reins to accentuate the diversity of their (typically) expansive sound.

The Wild Feathers makes a solid first impression, but if they can dial down the earnestness a bit in the future, they'll have a better shot at becoming the great American rock 'n' roll band they clearly have the potential to be.

There are a lot of simply beautiful songs here, but not unlike previous Camp Cope efforts, Running with the Hurricane is held back by sameness. ... Still, it's rewarding to see Camp Cope find the kind of personal and artistic growth that so many long for.

While not as artful as one would like, it's a strong effort and a step in the right direction.

Though Gambino takes himself a bit too seriously at times, 3.15.20's pleasant moments make up for his missteps.

While the disc does eventually find its footing, the clash between clearly artistic and commercial endeavours makes for an uneven and somewhat jarring listen.

Some tracks, like "Doesn't Matter," are splendid on their own, without getting into a showy pop realm: what that song lacks in hooks, it makes up for with micro walls of sound and a choral climax, courtesy of some sublime layering. But others are better at a distance. ... Despite that, Letessier's evidently heightened confidence goes a long, long way on Chris, and its emotions and attitude pop with astonishing strength, even if the sound could afford to do so a little more.

Rare, Forever feels less like an album and more like a series of single, punctuated thoughts; or one man's long meditation. It's a little jumpy, and pulses with frenetic energy. He oscillates between dancefloor bangers ("Dumbo") and languid transitions ("Allchea Vella Amor").

With verses courtesy of everyone from Schoolboy Q and Action Bronson to Roc Marciano and Danny Brown, Alc continues to wear his hazy influences on his sleeve.

Despite a few moments spent in the doldrums, Park's heartfelt lyricism and serene instrumentals navigate the complexities of love and healing, reminding listeners of the ongoing process of finding wholeness.

If All I Was Was Black is another late-career winner from Staples, an album that perfectly captures her gentle, loving and elegant way of making a political statement without sacrificing the passion she's built her career upon.

Born in the UK, based Stateside and of Sudanese descent, Sinkane has been able to draw his worldly experiences into something that's at once relatable, abstract and pertinent.

While Teitelbaum's vocals occasionally teeter on nonchalance or disaffection, she knows how to balance these quieter moments with bursts of passion, making them strike even harder.

If there's one general criticism to be made here it could be that the album lingers a bit too much in a dark and dramatic mood (especially in the first four songs), but that's less an outright flaw and more a desire for more of the playfulness that appears in the second half of the record.

The depth of these cuts will depend on your familiarity with electro-funk and its history, but there should be enough here to satisfy even the most literate of fans, and for newcomers to Dâm's sound, it's a fine primer.

As disjointed and tense as this sophomore effort may come across, angeltape is a proclamation of artistic and emotional resilience.

The band have played it relatively safe, changing little from the upbeat pop-punk formula established on 2014's Wishful Thinking, but have still managed to cram some undeniably catchy moments into this new set.