It's singular, creative work with pure intent; that makes Girlpool an important band, and it makes Powerplant an authentic, beautiful, effective record.

The 45 songs, presented chronologically, exhibit a somewhat expected musical maturing--from the raw piano attack of 1984's "From Her to Eternity" through to 2013's contemplative mantra "Push the Sky Away." ... It's the DVD, which jumps around in time, and includes both professionally shot official concert footage and fuzzy bootleg gems, that's the prize here.

These songs don't contain the spine-tingling embrace of death that fuelled Leonard Cohen and David Bowie's final albums, but Nelson faces his realities head on here, with grit and a grin.

Beats are enjoyable, ranging from murky piano and trap drums on "Fish n Grits"--despite Travis Scott's painfully sung hook in stark contrast to his killer bars --to absolute winner "Fashion Week," with infectious, sexy vocals laced into the drum line.

I Go Missing in My Sleep really shines when Wilsen are at their most intricate.

The fact that it's essentially more of the same might make it uninteresting to some, but to fans of the band or any of its widely known predecessors like Jimmy Eat World or Taking Back Sunday, that sameness will bring a welcome sense of comfort.

Although Versus is certainly not a place for casual Craig fans to start, nor is it designed for the dance floor crowd, it's an achievement that appropriately showcases one of Detroit's finest exports.

Dulli and company manage to elatedly deliver everything long-standing fans crave in an Afghan Whigs album--and they do so in spades.

While Barnes is definitely well-versed in musical melancholy, there's also a thoughtful, sensitive part to balance all this pathos.

While there are tracks on No Shape that bow in that direction. But these nips and tucks to the Perfume Genius sound serve a common goal: showcasing Hadreas, who shines bright like a diamond throughout.

In•ter A•li•a feels like a band trying to recapture the sound of their youth.

Each of the five songs are fantastically paced, building up to massive payoff every time; it's something that's never been out of Terror's range of ability, but a collection of songs consistently of this calibre has been a long time coming.

Though it might seem strange that Oldham recorded the first major tribute to Haggard, the careful and well-thought-out working through of the master's themes makes deliberate sense.

The Last Rider is a gorgeous record, hazy and honeyed, which sounds and feels like a remastered '70s folk-pop classic.

Even after seven albums, the fun and excitement is still there, albeit in a new and changing way.

It certainly was a long wait, but finally Slowdive have given us the album that we have been dreaming about for the last 22 years.

The Portland pair embrace vitality and exploration, but their polarized approach to psychedelia overcompensates at times.

With a fresh approach and a renewed outlook on life, DeMarco reaches a whole other level of cool, lush calm as well as an unprecedented degree of maturity and introspection.

A few minor missteps don't derail the album. What's most impressive is that, 20 years deep, New Found Glory are still putting out compelling music and growing tastefully with each release.

The fact that Stetson can draw such varied sonic references together in one cohesive display of virtuosity makes him a national treasure. ... Genius.

A few duds like the repetitive "Glow Up" and the sappy duet with Prince Charlez "Smile" aside, Strength Of A Woman is Blige's finest offering in over a decade.

Wiesenfeld's hazy side project is nice, but it would fare better if he punched it up slightly-- for active listening

Visuals is drenched in grandiosity, but many of its songs are devoid of proper exploration; instead of pushing the limits, they often feel idle.

async is the work of an authentically great artist that may well be entering a rich new phase of his 42-year career.

What Now is accessible in every sense of the word, but after several spins, it'll pull you much deeper than one might initially think.

Pleasure presents a unique, uncompromising vision of intimacy and enjoyment.

Although it lacks the kind of Apple-friendly jingles that have made them such a smash, it makes up for it with palatably overarching political themes and sequencing that gives it the wildly entertaining feel of a circus show.

The band will probably never make a singularly categorizable record, but their unique balance of accessibility and creativity is a definite strength--and it shines here.