The album benefits from its fluid, improvisatory feel, not quantized to death like so much electronic music these days.

The album is not without its bright spots, as much of the Brooklyn duo's soundscapes waver somewhere between engaging and downright daring.

Fans of previous Boys Noize release Oi Oi Oi will be pleased to find the elements that made that record so vital are still present.

A unique, immersive and trippy release full of unusual, angular samples and disorienting beats that recalls the early days of techno with its sci-fi themes and bold, (retro-)futuristic approach.

Reconstructed is a comprehensive and well-curated collection that showcases the diversity and talent of this exceptional California turntablist and producer.

The cohesion the album does offer is its seamless passage to club land, its capacity to get the listener up and moving, and its ability to surprise.

Twins might not completely match up to the perfect storm of Slaughterhouse, but it is another solid addition to Segall's discography.

Nirvana are actually a better comparison, not so much for the sonic similarities (though they are certainly there if you want to make them), but for METZ's ability to channel primal screams and squelching guitars into hook-laden earworms.

Converge have managed to once again best their only competition: themselves.

While many black metal albums attempt to approximate the sound that might issue from the depths of hell, Verdonkermaan actually comes close. Terrible and fascinating.

Tejada has done a fine job of giving each track its distinctive personality without sacrificing the flow of the album as a cohesive piece.

Although decidedly a step up from their last effort, the sloppy and forgetful Sidewalks, Lightning still finds the duo stuck in the same routine.

Provider moans with the stuff of life--fatherhood, working full-time, joy, death--and it's one of the most mesmerizing things any songwriter can lay claim to in recent memory.

There are enough great moments, such as "Why Are You With Me" and "All My Love," to make this his strongest solo record in quite a while, but it is still far from his best work.

Album number five, Sugaring Season, is her purest work yet, stripped right down to the bare essentials and, as a result, it fits perfectly on an English folk timeline.

This is one of the most rewarding and beautiful albums of the year.

It's a solid, long overdue return of one of America's great rock'n'roll bands.

An easy 12-track listen with smart, if not epic, storytelling and a variety of sounds.

Whether or not Give Me My Flowers lives up to expectations as a proper sequel may be of some debate, but this album in its finished state definitely impresses.

As I Lay Dying bring no surprises to the table, they just continue to hone their craft and do it better than the countless clones that have popped up in their wake.

Even though there's a dramatic shift thematically, Collett maintains his signature sound of acoustic slow jams and the occasional up-tempo number.

The arrival of Little Heater, only Irwin's second solo album, is therefore a notable event, and nothing about it disappoints.

Vocals, samples and soundscapes are all treated as equals, resulting in a slurry of sound that remarkably works both as a mixtape comedown and as a salient whole.

Tempest is a mixed bag of ideas at best, many of which would be better served by someone like Tom Waits.

What makes Sun so exquisite is that Marshall finally sounds in control of her chaos.

Sensual, artful and accessible, it is easily one of the best pop albums of the year.

Cruel Summer has too few of these transcendent moments and is decidedly less than the sum of its parts.

The 47 minutes diced into 17 tracks that consitute Breakthrough demonstrate what Gaslamp Killer is capable of.