If you're not in a particular mood, listening to this can be a chore. If you are in the mood, though, this is another solid entry in a series full of them.

While the band's attempts to recapture their old glory have typically felt like attempts to give fans what they've wanted from them--and the idea that of a bunch of old white men tying their authenticity to their black cultural forbears feels something like an ugly metaphor for this mess of a year--this is the Stones making music for themselves.

Boots' more rough and intimate look behind the duo's evolution and process is in its way no less compulsively listenable than the cohesive Revival itself, which would introduce Welch and Rawlings to the world sounding basically fully formed.

Those wishing for a return to the Trilogy days will have to bit a tad longer; across 18 tracks, the Weeknd proves he's ready for primetime here, but there's still a sense of feeling out the new parameters.

Blasts of powerful guitar and rhythm that sounds like two, sometimes three percussionists carry along their tradition of satisfying grunge here, but the songs feel more cathartic than celebratory, the crashing cymbals and flurry of toms reflecting the honest, raucous lyrics.

What a mess. ... The album sounds more like a rehearsal than a completed record, with Keltner's pacing off, Young flubbing lyrics and Bushnell at times just guessing.

It's obvious he has a consummate ear for quality and potential. Listeners who share these sensibilities should be all over this release.

Much has been said about jazz in the new millennium, and alongside names like Kamasi Washington, Flying Lotus and Robert Glasper, Yussef Kamaal should now be considered in that conversation.

For the most part, Home on Native Land is filled with Gibb's signature breaths of melodic fresh air, healthy for a Canadian folk scene that could use some idiosyncrasy and a dark sense of humour, even if Gibb is only a passing visitor.

On Hubris, Oren Ambarchi displays the confidence to allow a jumble of musicians and sounds to come off like a beautifully orchestrated, high-concept piece.

Elephant Stone haven't lost anything here; rather, they've refined their songwriting and production, and the results are quite exciting.

Though Hail to the King failed to live up to the royal expectations of its titular disguise, The Stage's grandiosity smells of overcompensation; Avenged Sevenfold's crown lies somewhere in between.

Ensemble sections expand and contract into brilliant solos by his musicians, and while this will be a difficult listen for some, it contains some amazing moments.

The added bonus is the way this release is inclusive of the familiar textures of more poplar electronics. It's wide open and intelligent, and comes highly recommended.

Richard aims for an experimental vibe that has already been coopted by the mainstream pop and EDM, but Redemption nonetheless by revelling in triumphant themes of love, life and sexual identity--and does so in a way that's delightfully thoughtful and honest

With On Dark Silent Off, Radian have created a piece of art that's stubbornly beautiful.

DIANA blend genres and provide a real sense of intimacy on Familiar Touch, a deeply personal and musically rich collection of songs.

Lodestar is true to Collins' roots.

Woman is confident and captivating, and like their debut before it, demands attention.

Singles "Hello" and "When We Were Young" remain highlights on the record, but aforementioned tracks like "Send My Love (To Your New Lover)," "I Miss You" and "Water Under the Bridge," not to mention "River Lea," hear Adele taking a welcome detour from the orchestral piano-pop formula and moving towards more interesting, groove-driven patterns.

This is an intriguing album that doesn't allow the listener the placid, breezy experience that some instrumental albums permit.

Abasi's unique thump technique gives needed life to passages other technical players would simply pick their way through, as Reyes and drummer Matt Garstka lock in to drive these sputtering rhythms home with power and proficiency.

There are a few clunkers here. ... But these are minor complaints, and there's a masterpiece of a divorce album hidden in here.

Do Easy, the album, makes the magical mundane, and vice-versa.

They would have been wiser to trim more of the fat from the 12-track, two disc affair. In comparison to Death Magnetic's thrash-first approach, Hardwired features more mid-tempo material reminiscent of the band's divisive Load/Reload years, which bogs down the record's second disc in particular.

Glass represents Hunn's most mature musical sensibilities to date; however, the instrumentation throughout the album is so sporadic and indecisive that it's unclear what its ideal listening setting might be.

The Unborn Capitalist from Limbo is simultaneously unsettling and comforting in nature, as Hanson achieves what he ostensibly set out to do here: set a mood stuck somewhere between Heaven and Earth.

On their self-titled debut, E focus on each member's strength, leaving listeners with an album that's at times more combative than it is collaborative.