Damnesia satiates the appetite fans have for new material (as well as washing away the disappointing taste of 2010's This Addiction) while proving that an old band can still do new tricks.

A fist-pumping, hip-swerving rock record that roars with energy and makes for a most exuberant return to form.

When Best Intentions closes, the rapid growth of the young band does not go unnoticed at all.

I Don't Dance is a sprawling, thought provoking work from an artist who is just now hitting his stride.

Wide-ranging, engrossing and incredibly powerful it represents a new height for a band who has hinted at towering heights before.

This isn’t an album that’s going to light people up or satisfy those who are still suffering from The Smiths refusal to reunite. However, if you take The Messenger for what it most organically is, a British indie rock album, you won’t be disappointed.

It's incredibly insular and sure of itself, but it's also smartly innovative.

If you want a refreshing, imaginative, heartfelt record which manages to be fun and emotional at once, So Long, See You Tomorrow provides everything you could want. Bombay Bicycle Club are the best at what they do.

Rescue is certainly highlighted by its quality tracks, but there is unfortunately a fair amount of filler in what proves to be a merely decent release by this band.

With brilliant production from the likes of No I.D., Kanye West, and The Neptunes as well as an amazing supporting cast of lyricists, Sean has crafted an exceptional debut album without losing the charm of his comparably solid mixtapes.

Vulnerable contains its share of lemons, but there is a spark, an energy, that hasn't been heard from McCracken's voice in a while.

Out of Love is old-timey, fun (yet dark), and deep enough to merit sinking your teeth into it a bit.

The songwriter gets primary production credit on nine of the 12 tracks from The Blessed Unrest, and on many of them, she uses that position to build the sort of stunning and nuanced arrangements that elevate her songs beyond traditional singer/songwriter fare.

Come Back As Rain is a pleasant...not a surprise, but reaffirmation...that Good Old War is one of the most talented bands around at this point in time.

This could be the record that provides that breakthrough [to mainstream].

So even when he's writing winning pop anthems, Page One, ultimately becomes a mirror to his personal life: brilliant, impassioned and articulate, yet undeniably hinged to hiccups, pitfalls and moments of sheer idiocy.

Gravity The Seducer has its fair share of tremendous moments, but unfortunately those moments begin to lose their gloss when entangled with fragments of inconveniently placed filler.

Then Came the Morning is still a solid next step for a promising young band. The songs are catchy and memorable, the musicianship is impeccable, and the production... well, suffice to say that Aaron Dessner should soon find himself an in-demand producer in the folk/Americana world.

All told, it’s a solid record with no glaring weak points (a first for the Foo Fighters) and with some of the band’s more rewarding and adventurous songwriting.

Transformative, entrancing and wholly confident, Sigh No More is head and shoulders above the competition.

Overall, it's a palatable mix of retro-leaning metal that's suitable for headbanging or playing air-guitar but doesn't cover much new ground.

Jimmy Eat World have not just changed the game - they continue to reinvent and redevelop it entirely, each and every time.

More than anything, Moving Mountains feels complete.

Paperboy has done it. I mean, I don't really know what he's done. He's made this album, Come and Get It, that truly stands in its own category in 2010.

While the EP isn't the best material of the band's career, it shows a promising future that looked ever so bleak just a mere three years ago.

Hurley is a reminder of why we fell in love with Weezer in the first place--the power-pop anthems, grungy rock songs, the gawd-awful yet quirky lyrics--it's all here.

EVOL is one of if not the best project Future has under his name, and while it may not feel as grandiose and capital I Important as DS2 in his legacy, it pushes his sound forward while he continues to stretch himself as an MC, songwriter, and lyricist.

This album may be a step up from his previous outing, 2012's God Forgives, I Don't, but Mastermind hints that the Rick Ross story may have nowhere else to go.

The combination of Vigil's honest, yet relatable lyricism and the powerful instrumentation make for the band's most powerful statement to date.

They have taken what they knew they were at good first time round, shed some of the cliche post rock elements and pressed on in a direction which at this stage in their career was perhaps a safer bet as opposed to trying something completely new, but it was the right bet.

What Antonoff has accomplished with Bleachers that he hasn’t yet with fun. or never did with Steel Train is create an album that inspires as much as it transports. It’s so sure and precise in its vision that it almost feels like a concept album without a concept.

NOFX take a crack at pressing matters both inwards and outwards, succeeding in not only making a seamless expression of both sides but cranking out some truly memorable jams to boot.

Without a doubt, this is all a lot to swallow, especially for long time fans of the band. Pure pop escapism this isn't, but as proof-positive that a band can evolve into legitimate artists without resorting to navel-gazing, it's wholly triumphant.

He has done his best to deliver the kind of care-free, gaudy rap album that will be blaring from the speakers of house parties everywhere for months to come, and B.O.A.T.S. II #METIME readily delivers on that promise.

At the end of the day, when you look at this album, everything just fires on all cylinders--lyrically, vocally, instrumentally.

It's a fun album with lyrics that, while they are not exactly impressive, apply to me and are fun to sing out loud.

Much like Bad Religion, these veterans of the genre have aged well and with Laugh Now, Laugh Later, have proved they can still be relevant well past their more celebrated years.

For the band's loyal fanbase, Everybody's Coming Down proves an experimental but mostly successful step further down a path of fuzzy, theatrical rock and roll.

Sophomore albums always find bands trying too hard, struggling to live up to their magnum opus and Mind Over Matter has all the hallmarks of exactly that.

They may not be quite as distraught as Smith was, and they certainly opt not to strum as fast as he did, but the shared sentiment is still there. And on The Unfazed, that sentiment carries a savory beauty.

While fans of the band's previous albums might find fault in Last Night on Earth's less cluttered, electronica-tinged songwriting, it is Fink's simple songs and flexible voice that carry the most enjoyment.

As has always been the case with City and Colour, this record is at its best when it forgoes sonic evolution for the bare bones simplicity of human emotion and the warm, gentle wash of pleasant nostalgia.

For a stopgap release that no one expected, assembled from outtakes, B-sides, and covers that all but the most ardent Bruce followers would call inessential, High Hopes is still a remarkably cohesive and consistent record, and serves as a wonderful way to kick off 2014.

With albums as comfortable and likable as Twin Forks, there’s simply no reason to mourn Carrabba’s decision to give this new band his full focus for the time being.

Pyramid of the Sun not only remedies the sporadic deficiencies of Inventions for the New Season, it does proud the legacies of Jerry Fuchs and Manuel Gottsching; it also serves as both a challenge and heuristic experience for the alarmingly proliferating post-rock contingent.

Henry Tremain does a fine job replacing the ever-inventive Stuart Smith on vocals. His lyrics aren't that much fun to sing, but they're nice to read.

Simply put, this record already feels timeless.

Guest appearances on any type of album usually generates some negativity but the ones on Adventures really shine and freshen it up a bit.

119 is more concerned about power flexing than it is being simple, fast, direct, and catchy (and there are way less 30-second spurts than before); it has a hefty presence of East Coast ferocity, and Spielman's signature chokehold commands the band's socio-political magnitude more than ever.

At its core, Kintsugi takes broken pieces and finds ways to put them back together into something new.

All Time Low made the catchiest record possible and have their fingers crossed for airplay in the upcoming months. For those who accept it, Dirty Work will be a staple in their summer playlist.

Unfortunately, Rustie’s seemingly inherent need to zig when expected to zag has resulted in an awkwardly stitched together ragdoll of otherwise intriguing and successful pieces.

The beauty of an album like Don't Let The Sun is that in between the rickety monuments to group songwriting, there is a simple and subtle message of camaraderie.

Whereas 2011's Want More felt uneven, Howl is dynamic, controlled and with few, if any holes.

It's not all slow and mid-tempo numbers that litter the forty-five minute duration of The Slideshow Effect. There are also moments where the band is unafraid to lift the urgency, to create a semblance of sustained momentum, and to incorporate a few timely hooks and memorable melodies along the way.

The end result is this expertly-crafted, inoffensive, hook-laden pop. Though it gets a bit silly in places, the core of this disc is far too good to pass up.

If you're looking for a solid heavy record to give a spin, give The Hollow a chance.

The full blown cathartic experience that many savor through a live set sometimes mishits on the album, but not so much to be trash-bin worthy.

This is as good as any album post-punk/garage rock has produced in quite some time.

All in all, People and Things hits home as an almost surprisingly diverse record from Jack's Mannequin.

Musically, The Circle in the Square is a bit too wobbly to stand up even amongst the rock acts channeling hip-hop a little less obviously.

Much of My Brother's Ears/My Sister's Eyes does tend to bleed together for the most part, but it's a wonderful blend of an experience at that.

Overall, The Vaccines have released a great album in the form of The Vaccines Come Of Age.

Overall, the EP works wonders, given largely to the fact that it contains unreleased tracks from sessions of the band's greatest, most straightforward work to date.

Whereas Sinners... felt transitional, Cavalier Youth feels thorough; these tracks are freshly waxed and radio-ready.

Anarchy, My Dear is a record that promises that anything could happen at anytime, and Bemis and company do their very best to shake up what has been expected from them as a band.

What this EP shows most effectively is the band’s seemingly innate ability to restrain themselves into a frenzy.

It does have sort of a Swiss Army Knife Effect: Use what you want only when you need it.

Wreckorder is the sound of a songwriter firmly embodying the spirit of Britpop and testing himself. "Sing Me To Sleep," and "As It Comes," also point towards signs of maturation that were never seen in the Travis back catalog.

We Do What We Want is far from perfect – the track sequencing is awkward and doesn't feature the technicality of previous albums (this is where they really miss Shelton) – it is still unlike any other Emery release.

By teaming up with some of the best producers in the r&b/hip-hop genre right now, including frequent Drake collaborators T-Minus and Boi-1da, Kelly Rowland has managed to make one of the best sounding r&b albums of the year.

While Story of the Year won't win any originality awards any time soon, they definitely still know how to bring a party to your speakers.

Once the initial shock of hearing this Mazes' brand of distorted but highly melodic rock wore off, it gave way to pure delight.

Every song on Soul Punk bleeds confidence and assurance--that these songs are what Patrick Stump is happy creating--music that he's proud of.

Though it is probably not Coldplay's best, it is indeed a memorable listen and another chapter for a band whose place in rock music is firmly cemented.

At the very least, Better Nature represents 10 more (well, 9 if you don’t count “Ragamuffin”) well-crafted and heartfelt songs to listen to for the next 2-3 years before they put out another unbelievably consistent record.

All of this makes for an interesting listen, even if the record can tend to drag on a little bit toward the end.

It's nice to have a few good new tracks to add to the collection from one of the scene's finest.

So while the disc may not his best album, it is still one that makes you think and challenges you.

When combined with crisp guitar work, meaty bass lines, and thunderous drumming, the screams fire bullets against the enemy track after track, and unlike with Attack Attack's This Means War, Memphis May Fire are winning the battle with Challenger.

Despite being fifteen years in the punk rock scene, My Shame Is True is a showcase of a band continuing to be vibrant and vital, when lesser bands have become stale and irrelevant.

Omni is accessible yet not watered down; complex and engaging all at once. Its catchy and progressive elements will surely dig its way into your cerebellum.

Spills Out is a satisfying album that puts a unique spin on otherwise trite indie-pop touchstones and a marriage of dissonance and charm seamless enough that, at times, it's almost difficult to tell one from the other.

Songs of Innocence is a great record. Not a perfect one, mind you: for one thing, Danger Mouse, the record’s primary producer, uses a few too many of his tired stock tricks along the way, making the record sound more generic than it would with Brian Eno behind the boards.

Battle Born is the kind of rock 'n' roll record that almost nobody makes anymore: it's bombastic and excessive and oversized, but it's also a grand and universal statement, a master class of album structure and sequencing, and a culmination of everything Brandon Flowers and The Killers have done up to this point.

Awesome As Fuck captures the intensity of a live Green Day show while giving you a nostalgic throwback into what made you fall in love with this band in the first place.

Truth be told, finding a clunker on the second half is a tall order and that simple fact is what makes History of Modern so rewarding.

Hawthorne Heights gets better with every release, and Zero is their best effort yet. The band has honed their talents and refined their music nearly enough to be a different band, and one that sounds better than ever before.

A Christmas Album captures the essence of any early Bright Eyes album whilst putting a new twist on festive favourites.

This album is a great start for anyone who leans on the more accessible sides of ambient/indie music.

Picture Show may not have as much mainstream appeal as a song like "Animals", but it definitely shows a band honed in on creating enjoyable, addicting tracks that seem fresh without losing the hint of the past this album seems thankfully unable to shake.

However, despite losing a key member, the Red Hot Chili Peppers come out triumphant with I'm With You.

To put it simply, Eminem is back. There are some truly essential songs on Recovery, and even the weak tracks are an improvement from the debacle that was Relapse.

These Ohioans escaped the abyss and emerged with the definitive Hit The Lights album, one well worth the three-plus year wait.

Time just feels far too fabricated, far too forced and well far too late.

Musically, it's pretty much vintage Zombie-- relatively catchy metal with the occasional industrial vibe.

It’s disheartening that the album isn’t the game-changing record Fallon promised, and it’s too bad that it doesn’t have the thesis-statement cohesion of albums like The 59 Sound and American Slang. But the songs are still great, the production is still excellent, and the performances of the band members have rarely been in finer form.

If Move Along got the name in lights, it's Kids in the Street that ensures The All-American Rejects to be burning bright for years to come.