While this record may not be one that I listen to end to end, over and over, there is little doubt that it is the perfect soundtrack to a serendipitous, still-to-come, drive into the unknown.

Though the production value of Love and Other Planets intermittently occupies the same close corners that Homesongs did, Ilham's newer work presents a concept that is far too vast to for him to have covered on his rather intimately constructed solo debut.

What's really preventing Minus the Bear from making a breakthrough with El Oso is the band's unwillingness to head in new directions.

Though the quality on theFREEhoudini is extremely variable, fans of underground rap will likely find little to complain about, and even casual observers of the movement will be able to find several undeniably impressive songs.

The band’s energy works alongside unusual arrangements and crisply recorded instruments.

As a band whose biggest source of praise so far has been its unpretentiousness, The Shaky Hands may be better off with a little more bombast. If only they had the skill to put it together for more than a flash.

Black Moth Super Rainbow’s improved fourth album, Eating Us, bears all the touches of a follow-up to a critically lauded work: larger sounds, a big name producer (Dave Fridmann) and a honed sense of purpose that forms the band’s best effort to date.

The Dutchess and the Duke lend such conviction and humanity to these songs that it’s hard not to like them, even with their occasional missteps.

What you get, then, is an album that may have a sonic breadth, but really only two sides: one of sweet pop tunes, and one of strange goof-offs.

For the most part Only in Dreams is a sound that is firmly theirs.

With Spooky Action at a Distance, Pundt proves he can walk the tightrope between listener-friendly anthems and cerebral digressions into edgier terrain with aplomb.

Far too often [Karin's] voice is put through a vocoder, multi-tracked, and treated by various other electronic procedures. The result is that one of the group's main talents is stifled and limited.

There isn't a bad song on the record, but neither is there a particularly good one.

This clash of the sincere and the facetious that makes Beware such a disconcerting album.

Perkins has proven himself to be a versatile, surprising and compelling songwriter. On Elvis Perkins In Dearland, he walks the thin line between charming entertainer and confessional songwriter beautifully.

The dreamy-but-tuneful approach that Bats lovers have come to expect still reigns, but The Guilty Office also shows a willingness to expand things a bit.

The album is more polished and accessible than the band's previous work and other childlike plinky pop like Danielson.

Parastrophics is a capable release that can soundtrack a Bacchanalian night in the city.

The disc is packed with tightly crafted modern pop, and seamlessly melds the artist’s myriad influences.

On her second album, Sees the Light, Goodman has tweaked the La Sera formula slightly to create an engaging record that plays to her strengths as a pop craftsman.

The perfect antique Cadillac album.

Heretic Pride lifts those shadows--it's the most optimistic Mountain Goats record yet. It’s uplifting and soulful, genuine and sophisticated--full of tender moments enhanced by remarkably pretty melodies and arrangements.

From the first notes of Everybody, the band is trying to recapture the fire of its early albums. But the band has been moving away from that style since its inception; it's not surprising that the transition back may not be as smooth as they had hoped.

Truthfully, after the first four songs, there's nothing about Challengers that isn't an evolutionary step forward for the band, making the sequencing even more nonsensical.

But what this offering lacks in mirth, it more than makes up for in transcendence as well as dissonance.

You could never truly expect a truly cohesive album from Santigold, and she's met expectations.

Transcendence has yet to occur, but they have taken the required step in acquiring a broader range of exposure.

This collection of rarities is a window into the mind of a restless but inspired talent. She isn't for everyone, but she is a break from safe.