Their second album is full of clean, infectious dance numbers that bring to mind both New Order and Peter, Bjorn and John.

Though this outing focuses more on the smooth, laid-back side of their sound, Circuital is still the work of a band that refuses to stand still.

Their latest successfully revisits elements of their thrash-metal prime, eschewing bloated self-indulgence for straight-up head-banging aggression, with decent riffs to match, thanks in no small part to producer Rick Rubin.

Even though the songwriting's tight, the uniformly delicate touch of adult contemporary arrangements will leave you struggling to stay awake till the album's end.

As he wrestles with his isolation--a major theme here--Maine shows shades of Grizzly Bear, but he still fails to narrow in on his own distinct sound.

SZA’s lyrics are impressionistic, and her melodies arrive in fits and spurts.

Essentially, Is Your Love Big Enough? is a restrained, technically proficient showpiece for a gifted artist.

Whatever is driving her interest in self-identity is obscured by overwrought conceptualism and confused by a push to sound more slickly commercial.

Born Ruffians’ sophomore album is a cohesive, occasionally repetitious helping of choppy indie pop, almost brutalist in its minimalist instrumentation and dry-as-a-bone production.

Their fourth, Last Of Our Kind, includes some formulaic hard rock, Cheap Trick and Starship apery and flat-out misses. But it has its moments, to be sure.

Things pick up toward the end with the slightly more upbeat run of Lost In Yesterday, Is It True and It Might Be Time. For the most part, though, Parker is a better producer than he is a songwriter.

White’s yelps and screams, reverb, synth and jittery guitar riffs could be more pleasant or cohesive, but that’s not White’s style, especially not on this record. Piling it all on seems to be the point he’s trying to make--this sense of being overwhelmed, constantly, at the hands of technology.

Emancipated Hearts’ chilled-out songs are strong, though, built on solid, simple melodies and weary, disillusioned lyrics.

They return to remind us that there's still one side of dance rock they haven't tried: rock. On Four, Bloc Party turn up their amps and tune down their guitars.

By trying to please all demographics here, Clark gives little sense of who he is.

His latest album is full of sexy slow jams, hip-hop samples and an overall tone better suited to a club than a lazy house party.

While it’s not a bad debut, it’s nothing special either.

Yet something needs to be said for Allen’s ability to make cursing seem cute, and tunes about giving head sound charming.

Strangely, a distinct analogue warmth still shines through. Think Enya filtered through chillwave.

The story is hard to follow, but after a few listens the band’s rallying cries take shape.

Under 30 minutes long, Badlands is a short burst of concentrated energy that gradually slides into less compelling instrumental murk.

The transitions throughout that first track aren't as seamless as you'd expect from Hebden, but they're also what keeps the music from slipping into the background.

The five tracks amble and pulsate and plod along in a way that feels consistent with the band and the genre.

The result often sounds claustrophobic, though it's also much fuller than Soft Moon's earlier work.

Overall, as safe as Highway might be, there's no way long-time fans won't buy it.

There are some really gorgeous moments here, as on sleepy waltz 'Don’t Watch Me Dancing' and beautiful lazy closer 'Evaporar,' but overall the album comes off as an incomplete and thrown-together hobby project.

Rae's languid enunciation gets lost on faster tracks, and on Caramel and Night her vocal style shifts to a heavy-handed singer/songwriter coffee house/lullaby mode. Most captivating are the moments when she returns to exploring the thrill of vulnerability on Hey, I Won't Break Your Heart; emotional standoffs on Been To The Moon; and anxiety-inducing ruminations on Do You Ever Think of Me?

The album would feel more complete if they’d included at least one nod to the warped pop music that made them famous.