A Hairshirt of Purpose is a remarkable, disorienting and rewarding listen that captures a band in their mature, creative prime.

It's a spiritually holistic, potent dose of manna fit to feed a weathered movement.

The result is a better-than-most modern pop record filtered through an indie aesthetic that nevertheless lacks the forward-thinking drive of the best of either genres.

Weak spots include "Superfresh" and "Hot Property," staid disco-pop ditties offering outdated synth and vocoder machinations. But overall, Automaton is inspired, experimental and timeworn.

Much loved indie group British Sea Power have returned with a collection of songs that showcase the strongest elements of their music, giving listeners space for contemplation while also bringing a healthy dose of high-energy rock. Exquisitely crafted.

The result is a sprawling, warm and idiosyncratic album that doesn't sound as much like collaboration as it probably could have.

Bold and stirring, Darling of the Afterglow further establishes Lydia Ainsworth as a master of arrangement and melody, and pushes her just a few more inches toward the mainstream, where a larger, captivated following surely--and deservedly--awaits.

As listeners lose more of themselves, their fleshy armour useless in the face of absolute desolation, Contact rewards them with the knowledge of what wicked horrors they can endure. It's the bad head-trip we need to truly understand ourselves.

Unlike their past efforts, though, Silver/Lead is sluggish when it needs to be spry and dull when it ought to be meditative.

Drawing as much from their past as well as their present, Mastodon refuse to go extinct just shy of two decades of music-making. Emperor of Sand is at once emotionally powerful and musically arresting.

These re-workings reaffirm her as a tour-de-force and an example of a truly one-of-a-kind musician whose music stands at the crossroads of high art and popular music.

Between appealing beats and this discomfiting tone, Silver Eye sits in a middle zone--and while it could give listeners some better-defined emotional content behind the android-y veneer, it's by no means borin

While more uptempo than his fans may have been comfortable with in the past, the project has a noticeable sense of growth and maturity about it. Coupled with incredible production, The Wild reaffirms why Raekwon's been so revered all these years.

We All Want the Same Things won't quench the casual fan's thirst for new drunken bar rock anthems, but for those willing to listen a bit more closely (and quietly), Finn's solo work still provides some stories worth hearing.

It isn't without its flaws, but Rather You Than Me positions Rick Ross as the boss he's always claimed to be, his raps reinforced by lofty, gold-plated production and added lyrical depth that's as refreshing as a glass of Belaire Rose.

The pair share an uncanny symbiosis, which is quite clearly demonstrated on Concrete Desert.

Heartless continues to build on the band's reputation as one of the biggest acts in doom metal.

All in all, Feel Infinite is vintage Jacques Greene, but you're never left feeling like you've heard it all before.

The best way to enjoy Damage and Joy is to leave their past out of it. Psychocandy was 32 years ago, and the Reids are now pushing 60. The fact that they've come back at all is a remarkable thing. But doing so with an album that lives up to expectations is all we could have asked from the Reids.

Here, Scott Kannberg finally comes to terms with what originally made him such an important part of Pavement and the '90s underground scene--and runs with it.

So Joy Comes Back might be on your shopping list, especially if you're already a Ruthie Foster fan, but take this advice: It's only half a great album, so keep it on the B side.

This record possesses immense power to make listeners reflect on their own relationships and mortality.

Kelly Lee Owens is the work of an absolute natural; these are layered, atmospheric tracks that blend minimal techno, dream-pop, Krautrock and ambient drone into a dazzling, alchemical whole that defies easy categorization.

Overall, Murs' tenth solo album showcases why he's had a long career with a dedicated fan base, and adds another pin to the emcee's decorated lapel.

Excluding its minor gaffes, More Life cements a place for genres long-overlooked by mainstream media; dancehall, grime, Afrobeat, house, trap and, of course, rap, and takes Toronto on a world tour to celebrate life--More life.

The artistically revelatory voyage into Droog's at-times nostalgic, at-times comically bizarre world proves well worth the 40-minute trip.

It's an expertly recorded, dynamically performed and totally fun celebration of some of his best work, especially for those who cherish his earlier material.

She's produced an inspired disc that never lets up.