8 Diagrams is intricate, inoffensive, interesting.

Getting used to the lethargic pace of Beach House takes some doing, but it's well worth the effort.

Futures is the sound of a band playing it safe.

Its precision in sound and spirit can’t be denied; Under A Billion Suns is a triumphant, wild mess.

The songs are emotive, and yet have catchy hooks; they are at times unrestrained and at others, calculated.

Numbers tout themselves as a dance-punk outfit, but they won’t get you on the dance floor anytime soon.

Ben Gibbard has shown growth which each successive release, and made the jump to hooky pop-songsmith with the Postal Service's (apparently) one-off collaboration, but Narrow Stairs feels stagnant, devoid of even the superficial pleasures present on Plans.

The album embodies the highlights of the band's past work, and is imbued with the progressiveness that has made each successive Ladytron release a step above its predecessor.

With its elegant simplicity, Spelled in Bones may not be concerned with being an epic, but it unwittingly becomes one; it is an album capable of stirring something greater within its audience.

Cinematic and purposefully clumsy, coy and cutesy and sprawling in intermittence, this is music to prance to.

Other People’s Lives is a record to get lost in, especially for those who can close their eyes and trust a sly old cuss to bring them back.

Whereas previous efforts spawned a shrouded sadness that sought engagement by keeping a distance, this work squares its shoulders at once, fervent in its desire to have its audience lend an ear for at least a moment.

The album has a mood that runs throughout, unfolding from nothing into something extraordinary.

Perhaps their best outing yet.

Although they do show some potential, the Capitol Years do not rightfully deserve the hype they are getting.

Still, don't expect the bruising cut (or any herein) to set any tone whatsoever as Thing arguably represents Trans Am's most eclectic offering yet.

Realism is a significant departure from the bands previous outing, Distortion, which was quite a departure from its predecessor, "i." And although the group continues to change sounds, Merritt's enthralling voice and songwriting dexterity continue to shine.

Release The Stars swoons and sweeps until the final curtain and Rufus Wainwright has delivered music perfectly suited for the elaborate set of the world around us.

MGMT seem determined to break the mold they made for themselves, and while they deserve credit for trying, the outcome just isn't as much fun as the MGMT whose tunes could punch up movie trailers.

Hometowns has an earthly fragility, folksy without being folky. Score another one for Canada.

Fab Four Suture is a solid, satisfying listen front to back.

There are enough interesting things going on throughout the album to keep it fresh for several listens.

It’s apparent that this album was made with particular care, as most of John Vanderslice’s works are, but there are many cases where a more mature display of music appreciation is taken; previously, when met with such dogged emotional complexity, Vandersilce would rely on experimentation. Here, he stares straight on.

Viva La Vida does find Martin and his bandmates willing to extend their musical boundaries, making for an occasionally brilliant album that's exponentially more vibrant and engaging than 2005's generally stale "X&Y."

As for the claim that Romanian Names represents the pinnacle of Vanderslice's recorded output to date, the argument certainly holds water. The dozen songs are all inviting, catchy even, in their own way, and aurally consistent with the history of "sloppy hi-fi" production at Vanderslice's Tiny Telephone studio.

This is one for the ages, an album that you will covet, listen to, and live by.

Farina and MacKaye have created a delicate and beautiful masterpiece that transcends their punk and post-punk routes.

Each of the eleven tracks within Grand Animals can be broken down and taken apart as a stand-alone piece--individually they hint at manner of pop rock sounds--but none carries enough weight to eclipse the album.