The sense that this project comes from a place of honesty and respect is clear. Unfortunately, as ever, [Jamie Stewart's] voice remains the double-edged sword that cuts the enjoyment of his work in either a "love it" or "hate it" direction.

It's apparent that Zeffira possesses a terrific balance of style and substance on The Deserters.

Recorded in just ten days, Morning World stands as Teen Daze's most effortless work to date, coming off thoughtful and patient without ever succumbing to the burden of "style."

While Raury makes no secret of his influences, that doesn't mean he lacks his own distinctive style.

As an experiment in open source sharing, j US t misses the mark; instead, Faust have left the listener with an oddly listenable LP.

This Connecticut group's latest recording, the four-song, unplugged effort It Kindly Stopped for Me, makes for a less instantly gratifying record that may take a certain kind of hurt to really understand.

At 16 tracks and a whopping 110-minute runtime, there are some songs that blend into the other, but it's a testament to Goldie's creativity and flexibility as an artist that there's never a single moment on The Journey Man that sounds compromised.

Gallery falls short of living up to what Idle Labor promised, feeling more like a case of the leftovers.

While the band clearly have a penchant for aggressive guitar, shouted choruses and thunderous drums, there are also plenty of subtler moments on S+@dium Rock.

Love & Devotion is a quality departure from solid musicians that should stand as a stark lesson to the armies of artists out there producing dreamy, '80s-inspired synth-pop of lesser quality.

Patient listening toward the end of Pagans is absolutely rewarded.

Ursprung delivers a uniquely modern and experimental album that gently reveals more with each listen.

Free Dimensional is infectiously positive, building off of similar foundations as his previous tracks while boasting a fuller, more dynamic sound.

Had the album dropped in May, it could have complemented the season beautifully. Now, it'll have to settle for cushioning the winter months with its unabashed, bubbly vibes.

Whitmore pulls off a wonderful feat with Radium Death, creating a record that reads like classic Whitmore, but sounds like something gloriously new.

Vieux Loup is an intriguing, layered record.

Generally, The Temple of I & I is another satisfying Thievery Corporation affair.

Beats are enjoyable, ranging from murky piano and trap drums on "Fish n Grits"--despite Travis Scott's painfully sung hook in stark contrast to his killer bars --to absolute winner "Fashion Week," with infectious, sexy vocals laced into the drum line.

While not a particularly daring record, old school Fratellis fans will unquestionably be satisfied with their most consistent release in well over a decade.

Like many slackers with a heart of gold, Fulvimar is full of interesting ideas on this record, but can't seem to put in the work to flesh them all out.

[Percussionist Joshua Van Tassel] and master bassist Bret Higgins give all these songs organic, unfussy rhythms that dig in like the deepest of tree roots and guide this Forest of Arms.

Overall, while it does appear as though Angelides has been bitten by the sophomore album slump, there are some significant moments here that show an artist growing into something bigger and better than ever before.

This record is less about individual musical performances and more about big, uncluttered sound.

Fans of We Are Scientists will appreciate the new direction in crafting a new upbeat dynamic sound, and for new listeners, Megaplex is the perfect introduction to one of the band's most notable releases to date.

At only eight tracks, it's the shortest Smashing Pumpkins full-length and it feels less grandiose than most of their work simply due to that brevity, which makes it harder to measure against their other LPs--although it easily blows the last album out of the water and is more immediately catchy than Zeitgeist.

Many of the tracks, all recorded since 2007, echo the questionable cacophonic splurges of 2008's Skeletal Lamping through to this year's lacklustre Paralytic Stalks. But there are some respites.

Cursive have delivered a highly stylized album with a vivid conceptual storyline that keeps old fans listening while giving new listeners a chance to experience the progression the band have experienced over the last decade.

The accumulation of these sugary notes over the course of 45 minutes can feel somewhat sticky. This a good album, and everyone loves a bit of syrup--but you have to know when to draw the line.