There are definitely kinks: certain moments on this EP are disjointed and muddled, as the band throw loose riffs out into the ether and hope they'll stick, but the hooks and verve that made the band successful in the first place are still potent.

The Dream Is Over has no pretext or pretence; the band did what they did best in 2013, and then did it a bit better here.

Lenker's writing in general is vivid, and bursts with the kind of verve its subject matter demands.

Mosey is highly approachable and magnetic without being mawkish, but it also speaks clearly to Romano's various frustrations with his generation. These 12 tunes are as poetic as they are powerful, and house a hefty amount of meaning.

GLADYB doesn't really deviate from the path that was laid down by previous albums Lucky Shiner and Half of Where You Live, but--perhaps even more impressively--it stays decidedly on it, rounding out a beautiful trilogy of semi-danceable, definitely nod-able records. It may even be his best.

While their first record was a blur of contorted thrash tracks rarely surpassing the one-minute mark, there's a newly streamlined focus to A New Wave of Violence that's substantially more brutalizing.

Perfectly written, recorded and performed, Along The Shadow is less an emo revival than a full-on reconstitution.

Earrings Off! is an album that demands multiple listens and gets better with each one.

Kamikaze hits like an electric storm, shaking into its listeners the disconnection that's resulted from our over-connected world.

If you can get past the haughty lyrics on "Fickle Sun (ii)," for instance, then its minimalist piano notes will surely impress. And yet, even that song's musicianship sounds downright conventional compared to preceding tracks "Fickle Sun (i)" and opening track "The Ship," a 21-minute composition that begins with solemn synth moans like a distant vessel's horn.

Shauf brings the same mentality to pop music as the songwriting greats of the '60s and '70s did, with gorgeous instrumentation, subtle arrangements and an all-round organic feel. Paired with his very human and humanizing lyrics, The Party is relatable and honest, simply marvellous.

If you're a longtime fan of the source material, you're bound to find some stuff here to amuse and intrigue you, but you'll still likely see this as a collection of throwaways, of generally inferior covers of your favourite songs. But if you don't know the Dead from a ham sandwich, you may well hear tunes on this collection that turn you toward exploring that chaotic, marvellous, maddening, singular American band.

Despite clocking in at a whopping 70 minutes, Car Seat Headrest pack enough hooks in to avoid lagging, thanks to Toledo's practice with his lengthy yet phenomenal earlier albums Twin Fantasy and How to Leave Town.

On Strangers, Nadler seems to have her perfected her craft, adding even more confidence to keep her winning streak alive and well.

Overall, The Triad is a satisfying reminder that Pantha Du Prince is still the best at what he does.

Hurt & the Merciless is another strong outing for one of the most unique rock bands around, full of the groove, soul and big shiny instrumentation that defines the Heavy.

There's a ton of wild, riotous energy to Nattesferd, but it's a little more cleanly delineated rather than roped together and blurred around the edges. It's a shake-up rather than a clear evolution, but it's a productive one.

Coloring Book is a spirited musical sermon, and Chance's fellow MCs will covet its perfect union of gospel and rap.

Sometimes the melodrama is enough to cringe at; sometimes the sultriness is enough to make you blush. ... Overall though, Misadventures is an impeccably polished take on that sort of emotive sing-scream stuff that fans will love.

For those who ran out of goodwill for the band's music and antics post-Money Store, Death Grips 2.0 is worth looking into.

Nothing's going to change the fact that Hatebreed are the biggest hardcore band in the world, but this album doesn't do enough to win back those who got them there. Instead, it focuses too much on appealing to those who keep them there.

If one were to quibble, Taste is maybe a couple of tracks too long, and could possibly use a bit more of the sincerity and heartfelt emotion on display on Islands' underrated 2012 gem A Sleep & A Forgetting. Regardless, this is another solid record from a prolific talent.

rawing from many of the best aspects of previous Islands records, SIRHAS is an excellent distillation of all that Islands does best, and a return to form after 2013's somewhat forgettable Ski Mask.

Rather than sticking with what worked before, Modern Baseball's two songwriters have pushed the band forward here, keeping their music in line with their rapidly maturing outlook.

The handful of breaks from his patented gutter raps aren't enough to compensate for the monotony in his dozen interchangeable guns-and-butter records.

The musicianship of the guest artists is impressive, and Jameszoo's interpretations of their work are startlingly creative. The whole package is likely to be one of the year's best, and certainly one of its most original.

A well-rounded and buoyant album, Down in Heaven is Twin Peaks' most mature work to date and a satisfying listen, even if it lacks some of the urgency that made their past work so thrilling.

Tired of Tomorrow is both warm and cold, complex and straight to the point.