The first half of the record clashes significantly with the latter half, which is... eclectic.

Ultimately, Zeus keeps nodding to the past even as they look toward the future on a record that's both introspective and jubilant.

Much of the record plays like a series of short acoustic interludes: pretty, at times insightful, but evanescent more often than not.

While El Pintor is no Turn on the Bright Lights or Antics, the record finds Interpol climbing out of their mediocre rut, slowly but surely.

At Best Cuckold is a strong cohesive whole, a sum of all its theoretically disparate parts, and one that wears its idiosyncrasies proudly on its sleeve.

Fresh, crisp drums, creamy keys, luxuriant strings and timely flute and horn flourishes, each held together by a series of mood-defining bass lines, work to soundtrack this production, an inspiring foil that the record's MCs make certain not to waste on this grand testament to Souls' skill and staying power.

The amount of technical and emotional ground that YOB are able to carry across these four tracks is phenomenal, and makes Clearing the Path to Ascend the album that marks the band's return to the height of their power.

It's a life we're lucky to see through this gorgeous album, however briefly.

The usual Jeezy tropes of hustling and encouraging others to also hustle haven't gone anywhere — the rote "Been Getting Money (featuring Akon)" could be plopped on any Jeezy album and no one would notice--but there's a heap of real-life wisdom here, too.

Barragán is not an album determined to grab you in one listen; it's a "grower," as they say, but once it grows, it's apparent there's no shortage of baroque delights to discover on this veteran band's ninth album.

Mean Love, Sinkane's third full-length and second release on DFA Records, manages to create a sense of romanticism without ever being overtly emotional, with straightforward lyrics that somehow remain affecting.

While 10 Summers delivers everything we'd expect from DJ Mustard, it definitely doesn't challenge his artistic growth.

Swimmin' Time is every bit as good as its predecessor. Indeed, it offers several songs that leave much of what they've previously recorded in the dust.

Though their unwavering embrace of pop on this record might seem antagonistic in and of itself, they still manage to sound convincingly earnest and (for the first time) fun.

Neuroplasticity is a full-on rock record, though, as much as it's just a transition for Spx into something that takes a variety of musical turns.

Junto is yet another solid album of party anthems to--as promised in "Unicorn"--"get your body jumpin'" this Summer.

Sharp laments the weakening of expression though technology, which is fitting, as this applies to the album. Where there were once fireworks, the Rentals still deliver a bit of a lazer show.

There are great tracks on Green Language, but a lack of consistency stops it from being a great album.

The tracks run long (nothing below four-and-a-half minutes), and the highlights come for those with patience (the album peaks, like Heritage did, in the latter half); Pale Communion is a grower.

Angels & Devils dwarfs its acclaimed predecessor, as it does almost everything else released in the electronic music genre this year.

Annabel Dream Reader feels like the soundtrack to a Tarantino film.

On Brill Bruisers, the band's glory days have returned.

On Impressions, Music Go Music have created a recreation of a bygone era with none of its character.

Bahamas Is Afie contains some of Jurvanen's best work to date, standing up there next to 2012's Barchords high benchmark "Lost In The Light."

Craig Finn, Jason Isbell, Tim Easton and Caitlin Rose all show up to play, reminding us both that Branan can stand beside the best in the business, and that the best in the business want to stand beside him.

In the end, the album loses steam throughout, something that is only accentuated by all the potential bonus tracks.

Two years of touring has allowed DZ Deathrays to realize their capabilities as songwriters and with Black Rat, it's clear they've got their sights set on bigger and stranger things.

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.