While unquestionably delivering more of the goods fans are sure to get excited about, on their new record, Los Campesinos! also prove they aren't one-trick ponies, boasting some welcome musical and conceptual range.

This is the kind of record where everyone will have different favorite song, where what someone calls dull or overlong or indulgent will resonate perfectly with someone else, depending on that listener’s past musical tastes and experiences.

Rooster Rag is a fun and inspired effort with far too many careless throwaways. The only lasting grace is that despite mountains of adversity, the Little Feat train keeps on rolling.

For being an easy album to just listen to, Pool is not easy to break down.

The best thing that can be said for the majority of this record is that it sounds great.... The problem is, Green's songwriting here simply isn't up to par with the artists he's trying to imitate.

Into It. Over It. have become a group that show us that the innermost workings of one mind can represent so many. All different. All the same.

The most amazing part about Foolish Blood is that it sounds effortless, almost as if the band could write a sequel to this in their sleep.

Overall, the Recover EP is a perfect stepping stone in Chvrches’ brick road.

Skyer is one piece of art, obviously. But it’s not going to do the same thing to you as it has done to me. And that’s a special thing.

Whether Murder by Death ever gets the credit they so richly deserve still remains to be seen. But more albums as dominant, complete and enriching as Big Dark Love probably won’t hurt their cause. In an era dominated by singles and ample amounts of filler, it is a delight to hear an album as engrossing as this.

Big guitars, big hooks, and JT Woodruff's best vocal performance yet.

Most importantly, the album extends the reaches of their previous effort and makes an even bigger dent.

Overall, if you’re going to listen to one seasonal release this year, Los Campesinos! have created an EP which provides that festive hit whilst maintaining exactly what it is that makes them special with their usual work. Another stellar release from one of the most under-rated indie rock bands in the world.

Though it may be Mac’s tamest experiment yet, it also lends credence to the idea that he truly is this year’s grand romantic.

DSOL speaks the dirty rocker punk kvlt language that could put Pantera and Gallows fans side by side.

Freak Out! is an undeniable tour de force in hook-filled songwriting with a sharp spike of punk wit.

The twin sisters have pushed themselves creatively and musically, creating something truly special.

It's a record of favorites, but not one where you feel compelled to skip songs to get to them.

As long as they keep making records as good as Drifter, they can stop wandering around, and stay as long as they like.

Lowborn is a fairly strong record on a song-for-song basis, and the added emotional heft of it being a swansong helps to elevate it above the weaker entries in the band’s catalog--even despite its numerous issues.

Teeth Dreams fits squarely in the band’s wheelhouse, generating the same sundrenched feel as their past records while simultaneously cultivating a sound and direction that is new for the band.

Burials is an album you’ll want to replay, especially as the days get darker and the weather gets colder.

Now the experimentation with electric guitars, even more electronic sampling and a focus on vocalist Becky Jacobs has brought Tunng to a paradise of exceeded expectations.

In between, we get plenty of striking melodies, at least a dozen quotable lyrics (“Tomorrow’s the name we changed from yesterday to blame when the train just don’t stop here anymore” is an instant Duritz classic), and an arrangement that shows off the Crows at their loosest and most vibrant.

Overall Wig Out at Jagbags isn't exactly a disappointing release, especially since it's far better than the breed of record many other artists multiple decades into their respective careers make. It is a frustrating one though.

In rippling the delving guitars and gripping drums with a tenacity that is tough to deny, The Acacia Strain find themselves again with just the right recipe--giving us a much more concentrated opportunity for catharsis in the key of anger.

Hands Of Glory is yet another right step in a discography which is yet to falter or fail. This is as essential as a bits and bobs album comes.

Young Guns are vastly talented and laden with armfuls of potential. One listen to Bones proves that.

It's a version of All Time Low that not only has zero interest in moving past its pop-punk roots, but is embracing them with more vigor and pride than ever, laying the groundwork for punk bands that imagine a world where "maturing" doesn't mean leaving behind what you grew up loving.

The quintet have honed in on their strengths and produced their most concise and assured release to date.

The fiery temperament of former releases often gives way to that aforementioned arena-sized pop sensibility, making No Gods sound bigger (and more attractive) than anything this band has written before.

If you’re already a fan of the band, Hold On Pain Ends delivers in every way.

The Brutalist Bricks sounds nothing like that at all. Ted Leo is still very much in his prime, and Bricks is as relevant (and as great) a record as you'll hear in 2010.

Both daring and down right difficult to turn away, consider this among the band's finest work of their career thus far.

That we're still able to observe the funloving side of the band while also getting to see that there's more to them than that is what makes Two Thousand and Ten Injuries such a charmer. That their compositions sound more precisely constructed and flat-out better this time out doesn't hurt either.

Grace and Lies is a terrific disc and the signal of a strong new talent, but far too often the entire effort feels like a solo album and a vessel to showcase Krans' alto voice.

Loom is just the band's first full-length, even though it sounds like a band's third or fourth album--a testament to the band's ambition and skill, which will ultimately place Frameworks in the same room with genre-pillars Touché Amoré, Pianos Become The Teeth, and La Dispute.

There are far less cringe-worthy lyrics, and a sound that seems far more natural for the band as a whole.

Eighties punk enthusiasts with a taste for hip modern bands like Japandroids, Tapes 'n Tapes and (the late) Jay Reatard, or hell, anyone who can appreciate spirited rock music delivered with verve, should find The Soft Pack to be a delightful and exciting listen.

Such storytelling songwriting on Close The Distance is unmatched by anything Lancaster has ever penned--and I mean ever.

For a band as talked about as they are, Voices needed to be a lot better. For now, it’s just okay.

It's punk rock for the same fans who loved Hot Water Music years ago.

Blak and Blu is the very definition of a bellwether, and the resounding answer to all of the many who have predicted such greatness.

Wether or not Little Red is better than On A Mission is up for debate; the former is a much more consistent and even listen, but the latter features much higher highs and lower lows.

A shake up in the lyric department would be nice to see next time around, but on this outing Lana Del Rey is able to sell it with striking vocal performances and breathtaking compositions.

Tapestry of Webs makes the band's debut EP seem like forgotten practice demos. Across the board, the album displays acts of jazz, salsa and anti-post-pop (if that's a word), and it all leaves the listener coming back for more.

It's musically complex and ambitious, but flashes of powerpop shine through, making this Aloha's hookiest effort to date. Its pop aspect is more nocturnal than sunny, though, with its colors showing subtly vivid in the twilight.

For near-perfectly executed indie-pop, we the lucky listeners don't have to wait for a "next time." Cults have struck gold the first time out.

Overall, Wondrous Bughouse is a beautiful, experimental album that never forgets that above all, music is an art form and is meant to be experience as is film, art, or literature.

Strange Trails is brilliantly paced, and each song itself is brilliantly paced.

Lights Out is a more-than-satisfactory entry in the singer's solid discography, and easily one of the best pop albums of the year so far.

From the onset, it's apparent Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang is meant to be a nostalgic look back on the Wu's glory days.

All in all, it's a solid debut effort and one that never spares on electronic dramatics and an extensive array of far-ranging ideas.

Lyrically and musically (guitarists Luke Kilpatrick and Jeff Ling showcase impressive tapping and riffing throughout), this is Parkway Drive at its best--combining the best elements from its previous albums and expanding on them to create an album that encompasses all your senses.

In the end, Volume Two is a showcase of Deschanel’s and Ward’s best traits--Ward’s production and composition and Deschanel’s intelligence and magnetism.

The first few tracks of the release are pleasant, everything is undermined by the last half.

While their third record The Wack Album may be the group’s weakest effort to date, it still shows off their abilities as hook writers and as the preeminent hip-hop satirists in today’s industry.

In a year that's produced an overwhelming amount of great music, Simple Math is another outstanding painting worth the public's attention.

Having complete freedom and reign with this record, Eisley was able to take its musical element to richer and grander heights.

In the Pit of the Stomach is truly a feel-better record--in whatever way that resonates with you.

Produced by Shaun Lopez (Far, Deftones), the sound and shape of each Renacer is clean and spacious.

Ultimately, Mayer Hawthorne has created his most complete and compelling piece of art yet, taking risks, experimenting, and looking to expand his already defined palate.

As far as comebacks go, you can't ask for much more than the sturdy set of vibrant pop songs The Feelies have bestowed upon us.

Overall, The Bears For Lunch is an great record, however those extra unnecessary tracks weigh it down at points and prevent it from being excellent.

While sticking to his A-game has served him well so far, it's worth noting that the songs themselves just aren't quite as resonant this time out, resulting in an album that's merely very good instead of incredible.

Forging a path not quite dismissing their last batch of cuts, Architects' drive to re-assert their heavier influences makes for a back-and-forth slug match that draws on a little too long at points – yet is still memorable enough to keep you coming back for the highlights.

Coming in at 11 tracks, Gemini, Her Majesty doesn't contain a single song that you'll want to skip.

For a group of guys who are now 22 years on from their debut album and 15 years past their prime as one of the biggest and most important groups in rock ‘n’ roll, Lightning Bolt is a strikingly stellar set of songs that belies the band’s democratic nature.

There’s still a great album somewhere in this Philly quintet and we hear flashes of it throughout.

Though not nearly as strong as 2008’s Ganging Up On the Sun, Evermotion is stronger than 2010’s Easy Wonderful and will continue to keep the band relevant in 2015 and beyond.

The New Sidewalk isn’t their great album, but it’s undoubtedly a stepping stone on the way there.

The Wallflowers have always been a band that excelled at bringing new life to things we'd heard before, and that remains true on Glad All Over.

While country music press (and even some Top 40 radio stations) champion Miranda Lambert for her spunk, zest and exuberance, the fact of the matter is plenty of female singer-songwriters have just as much spunk, zest or exuberance. Rosie Flores is no exception. Working Girl's Guitar is proof of that.

While the album doesn’t have the dynamic genre-hopping sensibility that made both Continuum and Born and Raised instant classics, it’s still a solid set of songs that follows one of today’s best songwriters as he establishes a new comfort zone.

It might take a moment to sink in, but the return of Verse to both touring and recording has reaped its most challenging disc to date--leaving us with something to cherish and consider in the process.

Return to the Moon is far from disappointing. More accurately, it is a scattershot collection of unique sonic experiments and National-esque B-sides that are unlikely to sway opinions of Berninger's primary outlet either way.

It may not be groundbreaking or shocking, but it’s quite a good record nonetheless.

As a whole, Born and Raised is contrite, earnest and warm.

Don't worry about your legacy Beyonce;4 has solidified your already stable position as pop's queen, and I don't think anyone will forget your name for quite some time.

It is a wonderful debut effort, and all of the buzz and the attention they have garnered up to this point is likely only the beginning for AlunaGeorge.

Though it can be long and drags at times (namely "Black is the Color of My True Love's Hair") Pour Une Ame Souveraine is a compelling album and another notch on the belt of an artist who continues to pursue her own agenda.

Overall, Wolf's Law largely oversteps the sophomore slump.

Plain and simple, Trans-Continental Hustle is a decent album that seems to rest on the band's multi-national roots and Hutz's Balkan growling to accomplish its goal. And while it's certainly an engaging and inspired exercise, the disc grows awfully weary after about a half-dozen songs.

Though he's reluctant to vary his sound, the end results are far too magnetic, far too majestic and far too masterful to even allow a twinge of disappointment.

With a few more tracks, Hell: The Sequel would have been a fantastic record. But as an EP, a few of its faults are hard to hide.

Ledges is the kind of record that sounds great from the very first listen, but over time, as Gundersen’s words begin to cut deeper and take root, it transcends the mere prettiness that is so often the bread and butter of singer/songwriter records.

Tripper sounds like Hill and Seim naturally hashed some tunes out--just with some better years of experience behind them to reflect back on.

Much like the band's discography in general, Little Joy is new pair of shoes you have to comfortably break into. Best played as background for a while, you'll find yourself losing track of your tasks and picking out some beloved tracks and parts in time.

Employing help from not only Vernon, but also Norah Jones and Francis and the Lights among others, Voyageur is a true gem.

They accomplished their mission. They made a record that doesn't have one radio hit, let alone a single and yet is stronger than their previous efforts.

While Goblin is a slow, 75-minute mental breakdown of Tyler, Blackenedwhite is a brisk, crisp, and energetic hip-hop record, clocking in at barely 30 minutes.

It's not extraordinarily original, but they do a masterful job at piecing together classic pop elements in an incredibly thoughtful and enjoyable way, crafting an album that's sure to please indie snobs, pop purists and, well, anyone else who might be listening.

Heady Fwends, rather inexplicably, plays much like a proper follow-up to their 2009 mindfuck Embryonic, and their ability not only to bring a project like this together at all, but to make it work so cohesively and effectively, is as strong a testament as any to their genius.

Strange Negotiations may take some time to grow on even the most die-hard of Bazan's fans, but the roots of its few standouts run deep with repeated listens.

Overall, Dormarion is one of the most eclectic, fun records of the year.

While the production may not be as exciting as the first serving, it helps to connect Goblin's deeper meanings with their formation on Bastard.

Showroom of Compassion, is an amiable disc, even somewhat pleasant, but entirely too much of the effort feels tepid, ho-hum and downright uninspired.

He still lacks the kind of technical rapping skill that made A$AP Rocky reach star status. Regardless, A$AP Ferg has constructed an album that surpasses the quality of Rocky's Long.Live.A$AP from earlier this year.