On Vapor City, Machinedrum steers clear of dramatic style makeovers, opting to focus on sharpening his craft while leaving the listener with a collection of songs that operates on pure magnetism and unbridled confidence.

On R Plus Seven, it just sounds like triumph.

Innocents contains some great vocal performances and catchy hooks, and despite the tent ropes being held down by the weight of mediocrity, it'll please many Play-era Moby fans and radio listeners as ideal background music for patio conversations about how their stocks are performing.

Sure, the sequencing could have used some tweaking, but Days Are Gone is a commendable effort that manages to answer all of the hype.

It's her relentless musical alchemy that anchors the album, which finally finds Rose being herself, rather than attempting to sound like someone else.

Now, Then & Forever is a more than worthy addition to the Earth Wind & Fire catalogue.

It's a smothering, enveloping textural experience, alternately threatening to cocoon or drown the listener.

It's questionable whether Chvrches' sound can survive and stretch any further for future material, but for the time being, The Bones of What You Believe is an impressive slate of sonic pleasures from a young band still experimenting with a room full of synths.

At its best, Mechanical Bull is standard, paint-by-numbers fare that attempts to sprint to the finish line. However, it runs out of gas and you have to wonder if Kings of Leon have as well.

Unsettling and compelling in equal measure, Colonial Patterns is an album that not only requires repeat listens for it to slowly get under your skin, but one that leaves you little choice but to let it do so, like a sore tooth you just can't stop fiddling with.

Elements of Jawbreaker, Pavement and even some riot grrrl gender politics rear their heads on their debut proper. The sound is beefier, but no less raw.

Pull My Hair Back still shines with nonsensical warmth that is just as much sensual as strange. Kathy Lee would be proud.

Simply refusing to be pigeonholed, the Danish producer has managed to stray even further from the lively electronic style that was his making.

On Is Survived By, they've outdone themselves.

for fans that have been waiting for a new chapter in the sound of the Flatliners, look no further than Dead Language; it speaks much louder than anything they've done previously.

Dream River is required reading, without a doubt.

There are country-fried flourishes like "State of Mine" and "Can't Depend," but everything hangs together on one of Sebadoh's most eclectic and rewarding releases.

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.

The minor tunings work and, as a result, Nobody Realizes gives Terry Malts the added depth some may have felt was missing.

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

Though it features no straightforward pop songs, MGMT finds VanWyngarden and Goldwasser having a great deal of fun creating exactly the kind of eclectic, weird music they want to.

While still entertaining, Kaani sounds like the same moving parts with a cleaner exhaust.

Jacuzzi Boys is a fine garage rock record that finds the band exploring several welcome new directions.

Repave is an album that crackles, sparkles and swoons in all the right places.

Bed & Bugs finds one of America's mightiest, smartest rock bands playing at peak power, challenging themselves and conveying the ragged glory of camaraderie.

By the end of Me Time, the down-to-Earth, around-the-block-and-back 2 Chainz bores.

All the songs on Rich Gang bleed into one another; they all have the same slow-to-mid tempo, overproduced, synth-heavy beats; and almost all the rappers sleepwalk through their verses.

The trio are adroit musicians with pleasant vocal abilities--loving the falsetto--and if you look past the over-indulgences, the album is solid, if not particularly memorable.