At 16 tracks, Dream Nails seems lengthy at first glance, but each track is punchy and goes by quickly.

As with his previous output, regardless of the myriad influences in effect, you never once have any doubts you are listening to a Zomby record.

It's a flawed yet noteworthy project that whets the appetite for Sandé's sophomore effort.

At times Clouds risks being dragged down by its bleak outlook, but ultimately it's a moving portrait of a band on the brink of its own breakthrough.

Overall it's the atmosphere that haunts the album that will stick with you, assuredly.

MeYouWeYou is an ambitious and confident record from a band with enough smarts to keep one foot in the electronic realm while letting the other roam free.

It certainly has a strong first half, opening with "Eve of Destruction" and "Bango," a pair of high-energy tracks that play to the Chems' strengths. ... Similarly, just-okay tracks like "We've Got to Try," while boasting some exciting elements, seem b-tier in light of past triumphs. That said, even b-tier work from the Chemical Brothers is worthy of interest--an opportunity to respect one's elders.

Leaving None but Small Birds is a departure for both bands that results in a mostly positive and rewarding listening experience. This complete change in sonic construction not only introduces these bands to wider audiences, but also gives a glimpse of their greater musical potential moving forward.

Hints of the album's atypicality are apparent from its opening minutes, for better or worse. "Falling Back" makes for a questionable lead-off, as Drake's falsetto has never been particularly strong, but Honestly, Nevermind rarely falters from there.

Frontwoman Jenn Wasner and multi-instrumentalist Andy Stack skillfully synthesize their last three albums into a glossier blend of synth-laced dream pop. It's the product of a band that know their strengths and work around their limitations.

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

He writes and sings beautifully; Unfurl is a lovely, understated pop disc. But, for now at least, RY X's material lacks the range of a [Jeff] Buckley set.

While their mesh of influences isn't exactly novel, Patina shows Tallies coming into their own as songwriters, capable of crafting warm, memorable music unbeholden to nostalgia.

A lack of variation in tempos and tones gives a sense of redundancy, yet the pace of the album, with all of its gosh-darn hooks, carries it through to the end.

The 20-plus years of material featured on this record hold together with a remarkable consistency. 10:20 is far from being the sonic grab-bag of disconnected whims and ideas which would not have been completely unwarranted to suspect.

On II, Moderat have created an evolving piece of art that manages to both reference and reinvent their respective musical blueprints.

It's a successful album, but it's not quite a SOPHIE project. If you follow the sounds long enough, you'll eventually find her — quietly commanding the aux cord from another, better dimension somewhere in the kitchen.

It's wilder and brighter than their previous efforts, which is definitely a good thing.

Fragrant World challenges from the first to the 15th listen, yet lacks the hooks that made Odd Blood such an impossible album to ignore. But, at the same time, Yeasayer are a talented bunch who make forward-thinking, 21st century pop music designed to make you think while you dance.

For the first time on record, the xx sound happy. Lyrics about growing and taking a chance, especially, resonate throughout "Dangerous," "Say Something Loving" and "I Dare You," further substantiating the already-palpable sense of ambition here.

For now, the band seem content to maintain the status quo and refine the elements that made them so appealing in the first place.

No Grace is a short and concise album that's quick on its points: do your best, don't give up and have some fun.

The album's only real shortcoming is that the Chris Motionless-featuring "Slaughterhouse 2," a sequel to the Garris-featuring original on Motionless in White's latest studio effort, feels slightly underwhelming in the shadow of its predecessor. It's a small misstep in an otherwise robust collection of songs.

Singles "Hello" and "When We Were Young" remain highlights on the record, but aforementioned tracks like "Send My Love (To Your New Lover)," "I Miss You" and "Water Under the Bridge," not to mention "River Lea," hear Adele taking a welcome detour from the orchestral piano-pop formula and moving towards more interesting, groove-driven patterns.

The set comes off rather rigid when compared to the almost mutant beats of Perceiver, yet a sense of playfulness manages to reveal itself throughout.

Garage, house and techno are twisted into strange new forms over the 70-odd minutes that UFO holds us enthralled for.

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

If you'd cooled on the duo for this reason, now is the time to jump back in. Justice have purified their sound on Hyperdrama, largely for the better.