If you've liked any of his previous work, you won't go wrong here.

It feels more like a band effort, allowing itself to breathe a little more in places.

One Word Extinguisher opens and closes with a batch of great songs, but gets a bit soggy in the middle, treading similar ground several times over again and tossing out tracks that feel too similar to what we've already heard from him.

If I didn't know better, I'd say that the duo was jumping on the electro (the trend that keeps on giving) bandwagon, but there are songs on the disc (like the album-titled "Black Cherry") that suggest more of a logical progression in sound, mixing the more breathy sounds of old with a touch of the more electronic-infected sounds of the new release.

There's no doubt that Betke hasn't lost his finesse in creating tracks, but after such a long hiatus, this EP is a little lacking in the excitement department.

Like Belle And Sebastian, one of the main weaknesses of the group is that they're just to darn precious at times for their own good.

Even the tracks that don't quite work don't miss the mark by much, and while there's nothing too flashy going on within, the solid overall quality of the 12 tracks and 50 minutes of music is somewhat of a rarity.

The back two-thirds of the disc simply wanders around a bit too much, but there are still some real gems.

Once again, Snaith has surprised just about everyone, and Up In Flames will likely go down as one of my favorite albums of the year.

C'Mon Let's Pretend overall is a passable album, but the riffs just aren't nearly as catchy, and the group doesn't quite seem to have a command on their sound yet.

Almost as solid as their last full-length, even as it makes a couple slight departures from their sound.

In the end, it just feels like Elephant is the culmination of the group trying to please absolutely everyone and it instead feels like sort of a mess.

I have to admit that this release usually manages to give me a little boost when I listen to it and it has the added bonus of scaring little kids.

With Neon Golden, The Notwist have done something that's not exactly an easy task; they've created an album that's mixes electronic and organic music in a way that makes each better.

Some people who liked the more experimental side of Tamborello's DNTEL project will simply find it a little too boppy for their liking, but it's one of those little discs that practically drills down into your subconscious.

If you're a fan of their more experimental instrumental work, you'll find plenty to be interested in here, as the album as a whole feels a bit scattered.

Although some have dismissed the group as glorified emo, the group has really gone far and beyond such a simple statement.

The problem is that it's just not very engaging, treading the same cinematic-heavy soundscapes over and over again without much in the way of dynamics or anything new in terms of sound.

Another semi-spotty release.

A document only for the hardcore fans.

If you didn't like Joan Of Arc, this album still might not win you over, but it definitely strays away from the sheer oddness of their last couple releases.

An excellent atmospheric rock album.

A letdown from the full-on intensity and imagination of their previous release.

The jumps aren't so dramatic that it feels completely disjointed, as the whole release (as with releases in the past by the group) has an overall introspective and rather dark and moody feel.

Street Dad is one of the coolest, most fun releases that I've heard in quite awhile.

A subtle, great album that moves along with a pastoral feel but never feels boring.

Taken individually, several of the tracks on the disc are the best that Gough has ever done. As a whole, the album just flows a bit inconsistently.

It's one of those releases that takes awhile to seep in completely, and while there are a great deal of amazing songs, it doesn't move me quite as much as their last disc.

Probably his most varied release yet.

While the beats and programming are done well, much of it simply seems like slight variations on tracks that he's already done.

What it all comes down to is that the album is not only damn fun to listen to, but it has enough aura and vibe that you may want to make it your personal soundtrack for this summer.

Musically and lyrically, it continues right along in the same footsteps of their last album, and in the case of some tracks is even much better.

An overproduced, sapped-down album that sounds really nice but fails to stick.

If you're a fan of the darker energy that the group brought to their earlier releases (like Dubnobasswithmyheadman), you may find this release a little soft in the middle.

Because this is a more personal affair, your tolerance for this release will largely depend on your acceptance of Martsch's voice.

Adamson isn't above mixing wacca-chika guitars with soaring strings and following it up with haunting instrumentals, and unlike some odd hybrids on former releases, this disc pulls most of it off quite well.

The brief disc contains enough gusto and punch to get your spastic swerve on heartily.

It's a much breezier affair, as if Air and Daft Punk have been cross-bred with The Notwist and Mouse On Mars.

As a debut full-length, the group is definitely doing some excellent stuff, but like any band that gets swept up by the hype machine, you may be disappointed if you expect too much.

Interestingly enough, the group manages to pull most of it off, but not without some stops into new-age and downright silly territory.

While it's sometimes a rambling mess, The Story Is In The Soil... sounds like one of those releases that was both cathartic and damn fun to put together.

Would most likely appeal to everyone from fans of Will Oldham and Palace Music to everyone who bought the recent Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack and wanted to branch out a bit into some slightly (but still thematically similar) territory.

While the group has done a great job of incorporating even more digital tricks and unique sounds into the mix, they've somehow managed to create a slightly more sterile environment.

While the results may not break down conventions, it does provide a heaping helping of interesting music.

The Private Press is not only more ambitious, but simply more all over the place as well (which makes for brilliant moments as well as some inconsistent ones).

The Snare works well at moments and at other times feels like a rather tepid trip-hop release from a band still developing their sound.

Many of the tracks on the latter half of the release simply don't change that much, and for that reason it's a little hard to just pop in the player and sit down to listen to unless you're into repetitive, harsh electronic dance music.

Fans of the group's early work might find the album a bit trying at first, but it's still the same old group for the most part.

I'm not sure if it's the work by O'Rourke or the progression of the group (or a little of both), but this disc is so multi-layered that it's easy to hear new things many many times after the first listen.

It's a diverse album in terms of textures, and those extra layers help give the band a developed sound beyond most debut releases.

While it may turn off some people who were fans of his earlier, acoustic work, it also shows that he has the chops to do a full-fledged rock album.

The album is a bit hit-or-miss, fortunately more of the former than the latter.

Nearly everything is fair game with the group, and that's what makes this release one of their better ones.

The disc as a whole has sort of an austere quality that lets some of the fun out of the sails.

Sure, they make use of their obviously higher budget and Source Tags And Codes sounds more rich and layered because of it, but like Modest Mouse with The Moon And Antarctica, they've used these new elements to accent their music, not destroy it.

They definitely have some hummable hooks, and at moments the album feels like it's going to shake off the reigns of running the middle-ground, but just about the time you think things are going to bust loose like a rocking Monk and Cantella track, they swerve back into more agreeable sounds.

People wishing the group would change up their style a little more might find themselves a bit disappointed, but everyone else should be happy to know that they've again put forth a very solid effort, and one of the best electronic releases yet this year.

Fans of Macha might find the release lacking a bit in the percussion area, but The Ride makes up for it some with atmosphere.

Point is playful and fun, and although it sometimes sounds like different tracks are constructed exactly the same as others, just with different instruments, it also makes for a much more cohesive release than his debut.

Everything feels a slight bit too polished, but that's not a huge fault.

Insignificance is the release that finds him hitting his stride completely, seemingly mixing little bits of all the different styles that he's poked around with and boiling it all down into a cohesive little release.

It's definitely a great step for the group.

It obviously has its high points and moments that drift a little more, but The Avalanches are definitely onto something with the release.

[Tamborello is] one of the better American electronic artists in the game right now.

Over the course of 11 tracks, it rarely rocks out at all, but instead moves through different styles with a more assured hand.

Over the course of 12 tracks and almost 50 minutes of music, there are hardly any dynamics to hold the listener's attention.

While there are a couple of tracks that are completely amazing, the album as a whole could have used a little better sequencing to make it more tight.

If you've listened to any amount of industrial music at all, chances are that you've already heard about every variation of mid-tempo, snarling track, and unfortunately several of those make an appearence on this disc as well.

You could take this release and pair it up with Boards Of Canada's In A Beautiful Place Out In The Country for a back-to-back hit of sunny, frolic-in-a-sunny-field goodness.

While Happiness never gets up and rocks, it's solid from beginning to end.

It's one of those releases that reminds you that with all the experimenting and genre-blurring, there is still something simple and nice about an album that takes fairly base elements of rock and roll and creates a disc that's highly catchy.

If there's one question to be raised with the album, it's that it's all simply so lush and nice that on some levels it fails to excite.

The group shows that their goofy sides can peacefully coexist with their harmonious, pop-song writing ones.

For most other groups, it would be a winner, but for Built To Spill it's a slight comedown from their stellar streak.

It's at its best when it puts Albarn in situations that you wouldn't normally hear him in, but also stumbles occassionally with a couple tracks that feel rather tossed-off and others that feel like they could have come off a Blur b-side.

Again shows that Eitzel is a total gem of a singer/songwriter.

It's kind of a mess in places.

It's a solid return to form.

It's a psychadelic haze of an album with layers upon layers of sound, many tracks so dense that lead singer Isobel Sollenberger just becomes another element.

In terms of sheer weight alone, the album can almost be a bit crushing. With 12 songs that run nearly 70 minutes of time, Cave takes his time getting there, but you really don't mind.

If you like well-constructed pop/rock music with female vocals, it's definitely worth a look.

This is one concept album that doesn't forsake listenability for pure experimentation.

Probably now their most accessible album, as they change things up a lot more than they have with past releases, implementing different sounds in nearly every track.

Low continues to create beautiful music.

In some ways, the 4 song EP is actually some of the most stripped-down work by the group, but it's also quite essential.

Whether they're toying with different sounds that have been explored by other groups or pulling out the stops on tracks like "Air Methods," they've still managed to create an interesting batch of tracks.

Although a couple tracks towards the end don't work quite as well, it doesn't detract from the album as a whole very much.

Quite possibly their best album.

An excellent release, albeit a bit short.

Not only has the group taken their sound and refined it even more, but even the ambient soundscapes and parts between the actual songs are more well constructed.

Radio-friendly pop music that sometimes sounds like Garbage, and other times even more playful.

It's a little cheesier than the average trance album, but will probably appeal to some of those who enjoy Paul Van Dyk or even ATB

Although it's a huge departure for those expecting more of the same from Holmes, it's easily the most sonically interesting release by him thus far.

There is just enough of a changeup in the sounds of the songs (from a variety of releases) that makes the disc worth having if you enjoy the group.

However slight it is, there's a measured optimism in some of the lyrics on the release that make the weight of things just a little easier to bear.

This is by far their most polished and clean sounding album to date, as well as one that doesn't have the sort of immediately catchy tracks like on previous releases.

While not every single thing they try works, it's still a very enjoyable listen.

Minus a couple tracks on the release (including the very Luscious Jackson-esque "Roll The Dice"), this release is more like the female version of Air or Stereolab-lite.