Human Animal certainly isn't something I'd want to pull out on a regular basis, but there's some beautiful evil I can appreciate on this one.

Overall, the album doesn't show quite the range that some of his previous works have done, but if you enjoy Waits, you're definitely not going to go wrong here.

A remarkably efficient album that zips by with plenty of highlights and begs for a press of the repeat button.

In the end, Parc Avenue finds a band creating some amazing music, but still putting out some feelers along the way.

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.

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

The group takes the term "clinical" to new heights, yet this newest effort still sounds more loose than their last effort.

If you can't get enough of Bejar, you'll obviously want to check this out, but most others will feel like they've been down this road before.

In the end, it's not as excellent as their early work, but still pretty entertaining.

One of the most fun live albums I've heard in a long while, this is worth checking out even if Daft Punk's most recent offerings haven't done it for you.

An exciting release that deepens with further listens, Mothertongue is a great step forward from Muhly.

Something like the Polyphonic Spree might sound if they decided to freak out a bit more, Danielson is a whole load of friends getting together under the banner of having a good time and creating some enjoyable music.

It's fun stuff, and I imagine their live show would be even better.

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.

Fans of My Morning Jacket will most likely love this release, and I'm sure those who followed Carissa's Wierd will want to hear what half of that band has been up to since calling it quits.

It's a melodic, pop album that doesn't pay attention to any typical structures or formulas, and Adam Pierce has pulled off another winner.

Quite possibly their best album.

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

An ambitious, sometimes awkward mish-mash of soul-baring, ego-blaring, and everything in-between.

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.

At times outstanding and at others a bit frustrating, Slappers is a bit too uneven to be essential.

Although it's definitely a bit bi-polar, Cryptograms still gets high marks for offering up a slew of great tracks and actually gaining strength the longer it goes on.

The album just doesn't have the innovation that previous albums from Hebden have shown.

If you're curious about the group but haven't taken a chance on them yet, this is the perfect album to start.

The slight cracks that shone on Tallahassee are more visible, and unless you're a newbie to Mountain Goats lore, there probably won't be a whole lot new for you here.

Like the title suggests, this album is grand in many ways, but the sheen also wears off somewhat quickly at the same time.

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

One of my favorite albums so far in this very young year.

The New Year is a workman-like group, and this is yet another solid album from them.

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

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.

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

Radiohead fans will obviously want to snag it up, but if you’re looking for melancholic electronic pop, there’s much better to be found.

Somewhat hit or miss pastiche pop, Parallax Error Beheads You is harder to like that it should be.

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

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

This one plays out slowly. There's no real rhythms to speak of, and it's easily one of the more harsh releases (at times) that I've heard from the Kranky label in some time.

[Myth Takes] basically finds the group taking the best parts of their past releases and improving on them in dramatic ways.

This is nicely-conceived pop music that keeps things concise and interesting.

With twelve songs running just about an hour in length, Random Spirit Lover really starts to wear out its welcome during the latter third to quarter. Fans of their past work will definitely find lots to love here, and they will likely gain a few converts, but I still wish they'd focus a bit more.

While there are some excellent moments on La Incredible Aventura, it feels more like a transitional album than a fullfilled vision.

If you've heard any of his previous work (including the fairly recent Night Ripper), you know the modus operandi for Girl Talk, but Feed The Animals is even on another level in terms of sheer density. Because of this, just about everyone who hears it will have different favorite moments that stick out to them, and that's part of the beauty.

If you're a fan of work by the Animal Collective, you'll probably want to check this out, but keep in mind that you'll need a little patience.

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

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.

There are several songs on the release that are easily among the best that the group has ever done, but by the time the 15 tracks and well over an hour run length are over, the release feels a bit on the long side and many of the shorter tracks simply feel like sketches that weren't fully fleshed-out.

Yes, the almost nonsensical, stream-of-consciousness lyrics are still there, but the sense of songwriting, melody, and even depth of instrumentation has been expanded upon.

Let Us Never Speak Of It Again is at the same time better than Street Dad in several ways, but also much more indulgent (sometimes in bad ways) than its concise predecessor.

The motions are there, but Beat Pyramid lacks real true depth.

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.

Sure, the group can rock out at moments, but the majority of the 11 tracks on this release just feel warmed-over. They feel like they've been reworked countless times to make them better (and they have), but instead of actually making the tracks better, the life and vitality was sucked out of them.

An excellent release, albeit a bit short.

There's still not really anyone out there creating music quite like this, but unfortunately The Blood Brothers have made better albums than this.

[The] longer track... just completely derails what would otherwise be a fairly solid and concise album.

An excellent instrumental rock disc with plenty of things thrown in the mix to keep things interesting.

Just the right mixture of sonics.

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.

The album is almost all hooks, and like most albums of said variety, it's a load of fun but doesn't always stick to your ribs.

In concept (and on the accompanying DVD), The Foley Room is a heck of an idea and meticulous in production and sound. Musically, though, the end result isn't the best work from Tobin.

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.

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

If you take away the 9 minutes of their already-released big single, you could probably squeeze a tight EP out of Louden Up Now, but as a full-length [it] starts with a bang and ends with sort of a whimper. Fun to filler in 53 minutes.

Serious deep headphone (or loud stereo) listening, this is certainly no toss-off.

Layered, and a bit rough-around-the-edges, Sean Lion is also a heck of a lot of fun, and marks The Ruby Suns as a young group to keep an eye on.

With ten songs running under forty minutes, the haphazard track order (with production quality going from super lo-fi to pristine) and dour feel ultimately make for a rather challenging listen.

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.

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.

It's still another unique and often-beautiful release from this young artist, but it doesn't feel quite as invigorating as his debut.

Nothing Is Precious Enough For Us lets loose just enough times to keep from sounding a bit too soft and steady.

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.

It doesn't travel any really adventurous ground, but it's a solid little entry for hot weather.

It still doesn't quite have the emotional grab of some of their older work despite the addition of more vocals and a slightly more glossy sound.

If you haven't discovered the group yet, by all means snap up this lush slab of synth pop.

Probably his most varied release yet.

It's not quite along the same lines as the ultra-drastic change from Start Breaking My Heart to Up In Flames by Manitoba/Caribou, but it's a somewhat similar jump.

Although there are a couple tracks that are a bit more padding than needed, but overall this is a career compilation that's definitely worth having.

Although there are some moments of greatness on the disc, it feels more like a cathartic vent-session than a well thought-out release.

It's sort of a bi-polar album of sorts, as it probably could have been cut down a lot in length and made into a concise gem of an album, but then you'd lose the odd atmosphere of the rest (which will either drive you nuts or space you out).

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.

It feels more like a transitional album than the next level for the group.

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

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.

When they keep things a little more subtle, Silent Shout is outstanding, but in other places it's just sorta there.

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

Loney, Noir is an excellent little album and a great precursor to spring that seems so far away right now.

Imagine a highly narcotic Shins with even more subtle instrumentation and you're getting somewhere close.

As always, Can Cladders is immaculately-produced, with an airy feel that emphasizes the breezy songs.

While it's true that the sheer precision of their playing is what makes some songs as great as they are, the organic touches of horns and textural washes of electronics help the group move into ground that hasn't been mined as much.

The Humbucking Coil doesn't really tread any new ground for Fleischmann, but it's another enjoyable and solid little release in his discography.

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

The one-two punch of "Blue Lights" and "Chemical, Chemical" will be making year-end mix CDs like crazy.

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

If you're a fan of their older work, you'll probably find yourself a bit turned-off here, but if you're a fan of well-played rock music with an ocassional burst to make it stick out from the masses doing the same, Final Straw might be something to check out.

Among his best work to date, Cosmos finds Corona expanding his boundaries even more and in the process creating something more timeless.

Sure, he's great at using a 909, but he's already progressed past the music he's made with Closer, and much of the time it feels like falling back on old habit for lack of new ideas.

All in all, the release probably would have worked better as an extended EP instead of nearly an hourlength rumination on one track and ideas that spawned from it.

Inconsistent, but charming in places and insanely catchy in others, Everything/Everything presents Simon Bookish as someone to keep an ear out for.

A technicolor blast that pairs hooky guitar and keyboard riffs with plenty of four on the floor beats and sing-along vocals.