Something Like a War feels ambitious and searching, navigating the complex experiences of Bainbridge and their collaborators.

It's an odd album, but a good one, which will make you smile at its slightly off-kilter weirdness while soothing your weary bones.

It is a transformative synthpop journey exploring how our worst moments shape us as individuals for when we are at our best.

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.

It's that intoxicating blend of late night, tripped-out electronics and melodic psych that is featured prominently on Shine Your Light, and it's a notable improvement.

The best way to enjoy Damage and Joy is to leave their past out of it. Psychocandy was 32 years ago, and the Reids are now pushing 60. The fact that they've come back at all is a remarkable thing. But doing so with an album that lives up to expectations is all we could have asked from the Reids.

Zeus avoid indulgent jamming, filler material or ill-advised experiments. Just 14 blissful tunes, rich with influences.

The constant vitriol is made scarier by his choice to rap in a stuporous, incantatory monotone. The music here--forbidding snares, honking staccato keyboards--is same-y but effective.

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.

This record would be great background music for a party or movie scene, but it does little to hold the listener's attention on its own.

This melodic emphasis, combined with a clearer compositional vision, is a welcome return to the style that made their earlier work so captivating.

Despite this influx of collaborative talent, things sound largely the same on this album, but with a project as reliable as the Go! Team, that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Joe, Joell, Crooked I and Royce trade quality rhymes over a varied catalogue of original productions that allow the four-piece ample room to spit their different brands of venom.

Apparat's foray into ethereal compositions is a powerful, vivid work of art. Krieg und Frieden deserves a standing ovation.

This brilliant light on the country's folk music scene has never sounded better.

In Technicolor keeps this young duo striving to sound youthful and adventurous.

There's no doubt that, technically speaking, Swollen Members are better now than they've ever been, but a decade-and-a-half in, they need to find new material.

Fantasy is Lightning Dust's most consistent and cohesive effort to date, and is dreamy enough to live up to its otherworldly title.

This project is as close to inside Yow's twisted mind as fans have gotten, And it's a compelling, nightmarish realm for certain.

Leery fans will find the uninspired drumming to be the least of their problems, as it fits perfectly with a far more glaring issue: uninspired songwriting.

Sleigh Bells should be applauded for their attempts to move beyond their simplistic formula, but the growing pains are evident and awkward to listen to.

Last Patrol is an incredible display of mature stoner metal from dudes that view aging as more than just graying beards.

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.

Approaching this project as a commissioned artist would, Jon Hopkins' Late Night Tales feels more like a narrative than it does a simple mixtape.

Hurt & the Merciless is another strong outing for one of the most unique rock bands around, full of the groove, soul and big shiny instrumentation that defines the Heavy.

Aquilo captivate most when they vary the tempo and instrumentation within their songs, and they do it often enough to make Silhouettes a strong debut overall.

Drank is an interesting take for fans to indulge in, but not an album you're likely to take any inspiration from, given its lack of real exploration.

Apollonia works through numerous styles that easily complement each other, while being distinct enough to stand apart. With 18 tracks to wend through, the effortlessly experimental affair speaks for itself.