It's not only a testament to her sheer persistence as an artist, but also a powerful soul record that showcases her remarkable vocal talent with a concise collection of expertly performed songs.

This is much more of a traditional rock record than anything else Frank has done, and that’s a good thing because it means that it’s probably the most consistent album he’s made.

It’s a loud and brash album, but too often, that’s all it is.

Wakin On A Pretty Daze comes into focus with context, though, as does any accomplished record.

It’s their most cohesive record since Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, and its eternally exhausted realizations and powerful, if demanding, passages confirm that the band is as tight and concentrated as they’ve ever been.

At its best, Overgrown brings to mind Frank Sinatra's iconic In The Wee Small Hours, a record that acts as almost a thematic analogue in its lonely tone and ultimate embrace of love as a painful yet beautiful emotion.

While the album’s too inconsistent in style to be considered a successful change of pace for the group, it’s at least a promising sign of things to come.

Hayley Williams gives the first of several poor singing performances on the record [on lead single, "Low"]; the verses are toneless and she tries to cram too many words into them without really saying anything.

Unfortunately, Wolf fails in the very same manner as Goblin, albeit with slightly more class.

Full of thoughtful songwriting and brilliant instrumentation, Abandon All Life is a hellish and exigent work that grabs hold and refuses to let go.

The main job of pop music--and this is where it so often fails--is making the same old tropes sound fresh, and Timberlake/Timbaland certainly do that here.

It is without a plan and without much of an aim, save for vague touchstones in ‘80s pop and new wave, a path tread much more smoothly by Casablancas’ prior solo work.

The instrumentation at hand is stellarly crafted, the riffs are infectious and most of the album as a whole is certainly on par with the band’s discography. Yet Intronaut’s most blatant change--foregoing harsh vocals, and only utilizing singing--is a decision that severely dampens the group’s fourth studio outing.

On Meir, Kvelertak prove that it's actually okay to play happy metal without appearing saccharine or contrived.

Aside from its opening track, which I’ll get to, this album is essentially a blank space.

The album musters such little excitement from its arsenal of dynamic guitar solos and yells of self-affirmation.

The album as a whole makes for an unnerving, yet oddly rewarding experience which needs to be undergone by every fan of eclectic metal.

Bloodsports is the sound of a band who have rested, recouped and clawed back some of that old time vitality.

It’s all memorable, and it’s all worth listening to again and again.

It's really unfortunate that Inc. hasn't been able to elevate beyond these very basic production mistakes; they give an impression that No World was either unmastered or mastered haphazardly.

Although there exist exceptions, like the gorgeous “Used” (in which Monroe drops this corker: “Used, like a house where a family lived until they died and there’s a soul in every room”), the record as a whole slithers into a sort of unsatisfying middle ground.

There’s a light to guide Ólafur Arnalds’ music now, and it's allowing him to escape the darkness in a way he'd never quite imagined.

While not entirely original or deserving of any genre superlatives, Baptists' debut LP is still a welcome addition to the recent crust revival by Southern Lord Records.

As entertaining as this album may be, a lot of these songs, needless to say, feel rather parched of vitality.

Through the Window distinguishes itself as a welcomed change of pace for the artist and a standout addition to the extensive Prurient catalog.

There you have it; young lads just starting out make poor-to-average debut record. Not an unusual occurrence, and no doubt a thousand other albums released that day were no better or worse than 180.

New Moon is simply a more casual affair by The Men, a perfectly passable rock record by a band with the talent to pull that off and without the anxiety that you’ll want to pay attention.

There’s a sense of the theatrical blended in subtly among the very genuine declarations of self that pepper the rest of the album.