It's all a tad by the book, but the book is well loved and worth re-reading, so why not?

We are treated to a smorgasbord of pop's finest elements, blended together in a dizzying melting pot of ideas that could've easily failed, but surprisingly and pleasantly succeeds.

An album about religion that's not at all religious, Benoît Pioulard refuses to come off as descriptive or thematic, making Hymnal an example of a mood piece that's designed to be affecting, but never static.

Some may chide Farrar for playing it safe on Honky Tonk, but in nearly every respect this album sounds as if Farrar has finally arrived at an artistic place he's always longed to find.

Images maintains an aura of continually mounting tension that keeps you anxiously captivated throughout its ten nervously haunting tracks.

Untogether does manage to lose its grip on your attention, at times, falling back on a bit of redundancy, but when it takes hold, it grabs you by the ears and fills them with a wistfulness that haunts you for days.

They may no longer be cutting edge (who is these days?), but Autechre's intricately psychedelic pieces are still chock-full of detail, intrigue, wit, intensity and poise.

The production values mean that, even though Powers' reverent anthems aren't a huge departure from what he's done in the past, the results have added gravitas.

There is plenty to enjoy here, though many of his long-time fans will be hoping for a return to the bigger picture next time out.

A distinct effort has been made to play up the sexiness of the project and, thankfully, the music lives up to that imagery.

The ace in the hole should be Maandig, so foreign is a female voice in the macho world of NIN's industrial muscle. But her vocals are too often drowned out, often intentionally, by the music.

It's clear that the members of Golden Grrrls write enjoyable, harmless numbers with great ease. However, since these numbers are given little chance to grow, Golden Grrrls lacks staying power.

Fans of the group may be surprised by the subdued nature of singer Liam Corcoran's usually prominent acoustic strumming and bubble-gum pop harmonies, but Foolish Blood's low-end textures and diverse layers guarantee that the Maritime icons will remain relevant for years to come.

Miracle Temple is still a wonderfully warm and welcoming record, but it never soars.

It's a sweet musical reprieve from radio presenters with beaming suicide smiles gracing subway posters with snappy catchphrases.

Bilal describes creating A Love Surreal as a surrealistic exploration of love and, indeed, he delivers on this end.

Yorke, it goes without saying, is a fine songwriter, so there's nothing particularly wrong with the solid AMOK. The problem is that there's nothing incredible about it, either.

With this album, the Parenthetical Girls position themselves as pop craftsman with depth.

A record this sturdy in composition and delivery has the resilience to stand up to countless plays, and that timeless ache for a good, hard cry.

Even when the pulse ends up becoming more of a question mark than an assertive statement, the music still speaks as directly to the body as to the mind

While Gardner's music isn't exactly anything new or groundbreaking, it serves as an appropriately nostalgic reminder of a time when it would have been.

The entire premise of the album is entirely playful, defined by its because-I-can nature, and while this might not result in a unified feel, it's nonetheless an enjoyable and eclectic experience.

The album's weak spot is Darrow's voice, which, although pleasant, isn't as distinctive as those of his peers. Nonetheless, anyone interested in the L.A. country rock scene will find much to admire in Artist Proof, and an additional five previously unreleased demos are an added bonus.

At its best, Somewhere Else produces a few tracks worthy of putting on and dancing to in the middle of the night. At its worst, it's repetitive material that should've stayed on the cutting room floor.

In effect, McIlwain has succeeded in making not only a great record, but also a thoroughly lovely one.

It's the raw and relentless aggression of Reach Beyond the Sun as a whole that makes it worth the listen.

Excellent production by Erik Rutan (Hate Eternal) at his Mana Recording Studio in St. Petersburg, FL takes Conceived in Sewage to a higher level of eviscerating brutality.

Silver Cloud delves deeper into the internal, headphone experience than even R.I.P. and it's easily Actress's best release since Splazsh.