Their take on their influences may seem straight-forward, but Autodrama exudes confidence and the kind of allure that Headbangers lacked, making this an enjoyable and rewarding experience to immerse yourself in.

Jessica Rabbit is a fucking great feminist-punk record, one of the pop highlights of the year, and the best thing they’ve ever done.

He's far too savvy to stagnate. And as long as he keeps making records like this one--so palatable they might be guilty pleasures were they not so rooted in pristine indiepop--his music will remain relevant.

. The more challenging half of the record may still to be released, but judging by the vibrant band on display on Volume 1, we need not worry.

At the end of the day, an outtakes record only appeals to super-fans and aficionados. Cowboy Worship is an interesting look at the evolution of Amen Dunes, but it doesn't add much to their oeuvre.

It's as brilliant a record as it is unmemorable, but ultimately as an artistic vice it is absolutely essential.

For an album so drenched in sadness, there is a disco for the downhearted lurking beneath its surface.

It's a gorgeously facetious record that succinctly sums up a breadth of adolescent issues; this is the kind of record you'd play when you 'rents were out, or when you've just been dumped, or when your younger sibling got you into trouble and you're sulking.

There are some tracks here which are absolutely the best in their class, but it's just a shame that as a whole the collection is weighed down by moments that don't shine as bright as others.

How and where Halloween ranks in his long catalog as a composer is up to Carpenter fanatics to decide, but for my money, it proves itself just to be just as consistent and wildly inventive as anything else he has done, painting with broad strokes and bringing to life its surroundings.

It's certainly an album that takes a little work to crack, and that work centres around Asbury's unique vocal performances.

Diamonds and company hold on to flimsy synth arpeggios and pop contrivances like a child would an old toy.

The second half of Worship The Sun is weaker than the first, it has to be said. And that could just be because the first eight songs (minus 'Recurring') are so damn good.

The album has clearly been something of a labour of love for its creators, and feels remarkably homogenous for something produced by four highly individual minds via a mixture of live and studio performance over several years. If you like the sound of a big, camp, melodramatic slab of astrological sci-fi shot through with very earthly, twenty-first century hang-ups, Planetarium is a trip.

Noise is another impressive addition to Boris' expansive catalog of experimental rock.

10 Futures takes Aqualung from the depths of forgotten, one-hit-wonder music territory and brings him back to the surface.

The movement and progression of sound of >>> is a simultaneously lucid and absorbing achievement, and for this reason and many more, Beak> remains one of the very best at subverting genre conventionality.

Though it’s not surprising that Iggy included a couple of left hooks, it hurts a little bit that the album doesn’t have more of the sing-speak poetry and post-rock dreaminess. He does it so well, but only about 22 minutes are dedicated to this sound. ‘James Bond’, in contrast, is a distraction from a compelling new direction.

If you're paying attention, there's a minor treasure at hand. Ease on in.

MCIII is a great record because it gives us a scattered, messy, but uncompromisingly honest portrait of Cronin himself. Nothing is overthought, nothing is too considered.

By starting from scratch and going in with aim to create something that is a direct reaction to the onslaught of modern music, Hemsworth has created a piece of music that lives in an environment of its own making.

Evidently, the Worth EP was quite literally worth the wait.

It's sugar-coated sweetness with a psych-haze CS gas drizzle. It's unnerving as you're not quite sure where it's going to go next--it is unnerving, to a degree, but also an intrinsic part of their appeal.

Sometimes a couple words like "damn good" can suffice and with BRONCHO's Double Vanity, a better description likely couldn't be found.

Concrete Vision is perfectly fine.

Though Thalassa does not capture the most positive of emotions, Gika reassures her listeners that sometimes feeling something--even anger and sadness--is better than feeling nothing.

Overall it’s a fun album of two halves. The first half tows the line between the cheesy elements of radio pop that even the snarkiest Slayer fan secretly loves, and some truly inspirational, if not fleeting, compositional substance. The second half, although still very much a fun listen, somewhat strays.

Volcano's songs seem to lack the spontaneity Sun Structures was built upon.