The Past We Leave Behind is lovingly crafted but too vague to live up to its title.

Seven songs and zero duds--this is the must-hear of 09.

Relapse isn't their best work by far, but if you listen to it next to their genuinely great albums like Psalm 69 or The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste, it stands up better than the cranky metal/industrial establishment--who've been dissing it mercilessly--would have you believe.

The results are sometimes sharp, as on mischievous New York City and Here We Go Again, with their mirrored melodies reinterpreted on flute and sax. Other times, his lyrical directness relies on clichés--reminding us that love sometimes sounds quite ordinary.

Dos!, the aptly named second part of the trilogy, is relieved of the weight of expectation and, though it was recorded at the same time as the first, sounds less strained.

It's enjoyable enough, but the potency of Merritt's wit is gradually sapped by one wheezy, sluggish melody too many.

With some exceptions, the songs truly take flight when Kindness cedes the mic to others, like Robyn or Kelela, whose voices add depth and suggestiveness--with an ease that eludes Bainbridge himself--elevating the album’s bland lovelorn sentiment.

Henry Wagons’s debut solo album is a slim but interesting collection of duets that are--like his work with his band Wagons--rootsy, genre-jumping and occasionally psychedelic and hard-rocking.

Free Your Mind is ego-free party music that will fit comfortably onto a variety of dance floors.

The amount of fatigue and cynicism baked into 14th album Innocence Reaches is not just a bummer; it's verging on ominous.

If you've been a fan since their early days, you won't be disappointed, and if you're just discovering them, Valentina is a good introduction to the influential band.

The 25-year-old Earle may have the false front teeth to show for his hard livin’, but he hasn’t yet figured out how to translate it into unique, memorable songs.

There’s something bewitching about this free-form section of Testing, but there’s still that feeling Rocky's stylistic adventurousness--however appealing--is overwhelming lyrics and flows that aren't as ambitious as the production.

It’s high-quality pop, but also highly disposable.

At 18 tracks, Starboy delivers some pop gems, but its last third falters with a string of schmaltzy ballads eventually rescued by the Daft Punk-assisted closer, an enjoyable bit of retro lite-funk that wouldn’t have sounded out of place on Random Access Memories.

2 Chainz likes to offset the raunchy with the heartfelt, but when the tone shifts to earnestly autobiographical, he sounds derivative.

By dispensing with typical pop structure in favour of improvisation and repetition, the pair achieve and maintain an openness and momentum that Someday World lacked. It feels alive.

Jay proves that, yes, he really has nothing more to say except to state the fact that he's back.

The appeal is easy to hear, but ultimately X undermines emotional rawness with slick production and lyrical goop that feels calculated and bland.

While it's true that Was I The Wave? is no booming party-starter, it's hard to deny its emotion and beauty.

Scattered and uneven, but not without its charms.

It may not be the best introduction to the band, but it's a must-have for hardcore fans of Conor Oberst's vocal discordance and stripped-down musical tantrums.

Though not nearly as stunning as its predecessor, Infestissumam still has excellent moments, many courtesy of the rhythm section.

While there are occasional flashes of brilliance on this 10th studio album, the missteps far outnumber the bright points.

This offering sets him apart from other acts and may secure his spot in the canon of bedroom crooners.

Gravez is a unified listen whose influences serve Hooded Fang’s greatest strength: infectious hooks.

It's devoid of merriment and singalongs, and there's something refreshing--if not reassuring--about having a soundtrack for indulging your inner Scrooge.

It's quickly evident on We Are The Night that the Chemical Brothers are making a serious go at being contemporary.... They pull it off relatively well for the most part.