It's clear this record is intended to be far more relaxing than revolutionary. If hippie-ish comfort is what you seek, take a Swim Inside the Moon.

Oxy Music's greatest strength is that it makes the plight of an addict easy to understand and sympathize with, and may even help addicts who tune in feel less alone.

The group's musical evolution is clear, but they clearly can (and should) push even further into this heavier direction.

Medicine at Midnight isn't good because of the ways it pushes the envelope, but because of how upholds the band's status as rock torchbearers. This is the Foos doing what they do best.

Dark and syrupy in tone, with just the right amount of haze, as if from sacred smoke, Sister is a fine addition to the witchy, ritualistic hard rock that's leaving an ever-darker mark on aggressive music.

FIDLAR have expanded their sonic palette on a record that seems destined to be appreciated more with time.

Love Yes is a remarkable step forward for TEEN, blending the stylistic influences of their first two records to present a seamless and singular voice.

The Last Shadow Puppets excel when they craft attention-grabbing pop with lush arrangements and unique lyrics, and they mostly do just that on Everything You've Come to Expect.

As a genre-defying work, When No Birds Sing is the perfect middle ground for two bands who relentlessly battle against the lazy pigeonholing of scenesters and critics.

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

If the band's previous tunes were like a knife fight, this feels more like blunt force trauma. They used to land quick jabs; now they're throwing haymakers. Yet No Taste is also more dynamic and measured in its violence.

While Tomorrow's Harvest makes for a wonderful listen, and a perfect gateway album for new fans, it's not the revelation many devotees were hoping for.

Those who go into this expecting more of the visceral and mind-bending productions that added to the novelty of Varmints might be disappointed, but listeners with no expectations are bound to be pleasantly surprised.

Another Language is another good record that takes some risks, some more successful than others.

Darkness and Light comes off balanced and bursting with humility knowing and being what it is--mainstream soul framed by pop parameters.

At the end of the day, the Lovells have created another strong, forward-thinking record that continues to show an overall evolution in Larkin Poe's sound and style, providing a worthy followup to their previous outings.

Fans put off by Blake's perceived sentimentalism won't have their minds changed by Overgrown, but that's hardly Blake's worry; he's too busy establishing himself as a consistently rewarding songwriter.

Lanegan's edge is his keen ear for contemporary material that suits the overall mood.

Gershwin features a number of quirky, intriguing turns from Cyndi Lauper, who on paper couldn't seem further removed from this longtime country outlaw but in execution sounds just right.... Better still are the moments in which Nelson goes it alone, pushing his famed high voice in unexpected directions.

Fans of Animal Collective, Avey Tare and the psychedelic sound they are so strongly identified with will find much to enjoy here. On the other hand, Avey Tare cannot be said to be pushing boundaries or taking many risks here, other than on final track "HORS_," which shows hints of newer experiments into electronic music that could be developed further in the future.

While VanGaalen avoids profound lyrical observations, his worldview remains one in which listeners can lose them themselves.

Both his darkest and cheerful record to date.

Though it's far from perfect--the Balkan folk-inspired "The Everlasting Muse" and lounge-y "Perfect Couples" weigh the back half down just a little--Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance is a statement record that Belle and Sebastian are still expert songwriters, with more than a few musical cards left to play.

I Go Missing in My Sleep really shines when Wilsen are at their most intricate.

Alvin's rugged and bluesy delivery contrasts nicely to Gilmore's signature ethereal tenor, and their harmonies are sweet. Given that both are accomplished songwriters, it's a mite surprising there is only one joint original tune here, the opening title track.

GN isn't a huge step towards indie stardom, but it should get them in the same conversation as like-minded peers like Pinegrove and Big Thief.

As this record's structuring and array of sounds seem somewhat self-consciously thought out, we look forward to hearing them get even looser on their next outing.

As Foxygen continue with their disparate series of throwback experiments, Hang finds them closer than ever to striking a balance between their wild, ambitious ideas and innate strengths