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.