The rawness of the band puts them in a different category than other soul revivalists like Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, but the visceral quality of Boys & Girls gives Alabama Shakes an edge.

While listening to Phèdre, one can do nothing but feel helpless in the face of nearly perfect pop experimentalism.

Iradelphic is great stream-of-consciousness art.

De Vermis Mysteriis is a bloody, hard-fought triumph.

Don't call it a full-fledged De La Soul record--call it an enjoyable diversion until the full crew come back proper.

Torture is classic Corpse. No complaints.

Spooky Action At A Distance is a sprawling pop album beaming with the kind of confidence none of us, likely even Pundt, expected. Some surprises are worth waiting six years for.

Seeds strikes the perfect balance, as Madlib's thickly layered funk and soul samples and cabinet rocking beats pair with Muldrow's gloriously off-kilter vocals and free-form song structures to make this her most satisfying release to date.

Both Lights fails to hold together because of its numerous failed lines of attack, which undermine the goodness.

Despite suffering from flatness, the album is an enjoyable enough romp and in its almost naïve purity, it is endearing.

While her debut featured plenty of catchy tunes, Sees the Light captures Goodman in a far more confident mode, showcasing her wit and personality.

This isn't poppier than anything they've done over the past decade or so, but few individual songs stick out like good pop songs should.

The balance between abstract, synthetic noise and soothing, organic timbres is remarkable; it literally feels good to hear, like a conscious meditation.

This album demonstrates that Yukon Blonde can transition and adapt to a change in sound efficiently and damn well.

Sadly, Relapse sounds like an uninspired band ripping off, and attempting to sound like, classic Ministry.

Here, Unsane deliver the goods with efficiency and reliability.

The album brings the dead back to life with the best kind of dark thrash, which is dripping with West coast hardcore aggression.

It has the type of energy that invades, penetrates and carries the listener forward; it's the perfect balance of seduction and strength.

Zeus avoid indulgent jamming, filler material or ill-advised experiments. Just 14 blissful tunes, rich with influences.

Ghosts is the thinking electronic music fan's subtler and more paranoid alternative to Amon Tobin's brick-smashing A/V opus, ISAM.

As a finale, The Wilderness serves as a perfect summation of the project, confirming the Junkies' core musical principles, as well as a sign that they are sure to carry them into the future.

Although their sound has been copied Ad infinitum, with Koloss, Meshuggah prove that they still do it best.

While the rest of Nothing's Gonna Change sometimes falls prey to sheer navel-gazing, overall it displays some clear signs of maturity in someone who remains more determined than ever to carry on his father's legacy.

Like its predecessor, the new disc delivers a nice mixture of lighter fare with heavier songs acting as an anchor, though Happy To You has a distinctly animated glow.

If The OF Tape Vol. 2 proves one thing it's that Odd Future aren't just a product of the Internet hype machine.

The results sound predictably off-the-cuff, and several tracks like "Jaw Dropper" and "I've Got Money On My Mind" sound like little more than microphone level checks. But when Williams decides to say something meaningful, as on "Dirt," "A Good Day To Feel Bad" and the title track, his sage-like delivery is as devastating as ever.

It's apparent that these newcomers certainly have their ears wide open, reimagining everything they rebroadcast.

Their albums just get better and increasingly fun to listen, and Blood for the Master confirms that.