Most songs fall into well-worn territory about young love and teenage politics, while there's sameness to too many of the songs. But when it works, and it often does, their charms are undeniable.

Whales & Leeches doesn't see Red Fang veering far from their signature, grooving sound, but they deploy all the tricks in their musical arsenal extremely effectively, refining them into a terrible, sharpened point.

Fans will be deeply impressed with the improvement of their songwriting and the record's cohesion, while totally satisfied with the energy and muscle they employed to execute their vision.

It's wilder and brighter than their previous efforts, which is definitely a good thing.

UZU is an album that uproots us and transports us into the unknown, but it's an adventure that we would happily go on again and again.

Wenu Wenu does a decent job presenting the veteran singer, but your desire to return to this disc hinges upon your enthusiasm for that instrument's unique sound.

Black Radio 2 will leave fans hungry for Black Radio 3.

Tall Tall Shadow (the long-awaited follow-up to 2010's Heart of My Own) sees Bulat lifting her voice once again--high above the fussy introduction of electronic elements--to a place where joy and despair mingle in heady measures.

Eight months on, Unknown Mortal Orchestra return with Blue Record, a chilled acoustic EP that grooves down and quietly electrifies.

Their blend of bluegrass, blues and ragtime isn't unique within the current old-timey undercurrent of Americana, but frontman Pete Bernhard's songwriting contains enough contemporary flair to provide a solid backbone for the album's ten tracks

The connection between Hatfield and Caws makes Get There a great pop album that will appeal to more than just fans of both participants.

Reflektor goes after this eternal, existential tension in masterful strokes and is a significant musical contribution by Arcade Fire, who continue to find ways to tap into universal expressions while making music that's refreshingly topical, infectious and completely their own.

He may be hard for most country music fans to take, but there isn't a more vital artist working within the genre right now.

Russian Circles' fifth studio album has a bolder, more polarizing sound than previous efforts.

Halo's music has never felt beholden to nostalgia or thematic consistency, leaving Chance of Rain as a shining example of an artist striving to operate within a creative vacuum.

Krug doesn't let the instrumental limitation restrict him and, while the listening experience jarringly contrasts his past body of work, it exposes a rawer, more intimate side of Krug, to much success.

Guilt Trips is as unclassifiable as it is dazzling, a fine debut from an artist who continues to progress.

You will be hard-pressed to find a fresher-sounding dance LP this year.

Stars Are Our Home is too much of a hodgepodge.

Moon Tides doesn't quite have the same lingering effect as Beach House's Teen Dream, but there's enough here to slide into a wonderful daydream for a half-hour or so.

It's safe to call Outside CFCF's magnum opus; it's an immaculate zenith that represents every brave, leftfield musical choice this young musician has made up until this point.

Fade Away is by no means a backslide--these are some of Cosentino's best songs to date--but rather than pointing the way forward, this EP feels more like the end of an era.

With Shulamith, Poliça have managed to create one of the most confident and assertive albums of the year.

There isn't one sound out of place and absolutely no fat; it's just that you can't help wondering whether a weekend away from Berlin drinking mushroom tea with James Holden might help to take it to the next level.

McCombs tries on many different hats, but has the skill to produce mostly positive results.

Although many tribute albums have a tendency to come across as disposable, Red Hot + Fela stands with the best Red Hot has to offer.

While the Body are experts at playing with aural textures and layers, the decadent variety of sounds on Christs, Redeemers is next level, even for them.

Head Up High satisfyingly winds itself from one song to another, yet lacks a bit of overall "oomph"; it also sounds as if it could have been made ten years ago.