The focused California Nights nevertheless cements Best Coast as one of the few bands capable of straddling the line between intimacy and mass appeal.

It's not game changing, but Saigon's fanbase will love it, and sometimes it's better to stick with what you know.

The only real drawback is that the album lacks the intrigue surrounding something as adventurous as their previous album. Daemon still has a lot to sink your teeth into, and fans of black metal and Mayhem should not miss out on it.

Everything about the album is deliberately simple, but with some inspired production choices added to the mix.

If J. Dilla has been Detroit hip-hop's most influential recent figure, then DJ HouseShoes is the stern, no-frills custodian of that legacy, known to regulate violators and opportunists circling the music James Yancey created.

Donna is eclectic, moving, emotive and true to Cassy's roots. Her vocals, which dominate the album, recall the same soulful edge of singer-songwriter Sade. The real triumph here, though, is the sense of creative freedom that pervades the album.

While PND's production is typically on point, his songwriting and vocal skills are still evolving.

Dark Sacred Night is a non-traditional Christmas album, but one of great import nonetheless. It makes a perfect companion for those of us whose Christmas experience is absent of the typical festivities and jubilation.

Heavily inspired by collaborations with Antwerp's Baroque Orchestration X (B.O.X.) and other likeminded artists at the 2018 Berlin PEOPLE Festival, Altid Sammen is a sonic exploration of unique instrumentation that adds to the rich tapestry of Efterklang's canon.

Grandiose in its bite, depth and soul, Champion lives up to its name.

While working on the album, the band reportedly tried to blur the lines--primarily through scattershot vocals--to make it hard to discern who wrote what. In the process, they've lost the collaborative, intersectional sound that's always provided a sense of humanity heart at the centre of Animal Collective.

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

The result is a fine summer pop record that encourages listeners to approach as they will.

Their fourth and decidedly most accessible release to date.

The confident strut and orchestral accents of "Poisonous Shadows" are somewhat cheapened by ill-advised whispered backing vocals, and the songwriting bottoms out in a handful of places. Still, it's miles ahead of their rather forgettable last album, and there's still enough here for fans to celebrate Megadeth getting back on track and starting a new chapter in the band's storied career.

Unpatterns straight-up works.

Musically, Guilt Mirrors is all over the map in the best possible way.

It moves Krell closer to the mainstream without sacrificing the emotional complexity of his music, proving that Krell is a musical force not to be underestimated.

Although Tycho and company seemingly recycle a few ideas on Awake, it's a rewarding, mood-inducing listen that's best digested whole.

Swapping out the distressed warning signal that slides in midway through with shrill synths that run the rest of the song, the adaptations across Woman Worldwide offer a live experience without the cost of admission, and a well-crafted look at some of Justice's best.

This group of songs are vivid in colour, creating a warmth, unlike their contemporaries who cling to the depressing melodrama of these decades. By keeping it light, listeners will might find a second listen through all the more appealing.

At its best, the album retreads familiar ground.

[The guitars are] the most interesting thing about Broken Water and when they aren't around things plod along uneventfully.

With the skilful assistance of his longtime comrades the Dukes and able production from R.S. Field (Webb Wilder, Buddy Guy, John Mayall), he concentrates on the genre here, with impressive results.

Labyrinth is a site for self discovery: a place to get lost in and emerge with a new understanding of yourself.

In some ways, it works; the songs on Mind of Mine certainly skew towards more mature content and a sleeker, less bubblegum-y pop sound that's implemented expertly by producer Malay on silky smooth PBR&B-lite ballads like "It's You." It works less well on cuts like Kehlani collaboration "Wrong," which is gratingly heavy-handed with the Auto Tune--a problem that again rears its whiny head on "Fool for You."

With the majority of the tracks being in-and-around the two minute mark, Sage The Gemini presses the gas pedal too quickly before capturing your attention lyrically or sonically.

The production is top notch, Tip is rapping tighter than ever, and clearly knows who and what to work with, but the rare glimmers of originality and risk only further exposes the safeness of this Pharrell-tweaked new T.I. album.