Woozy and stark, City Of Refuge is one of those releases that never really shifts dynamics too much (there's no rhythm section on the entire album) and feels a bit longer than it actually is.

If the group can somehow capture the more experimental and even odd edge of their different mixes, I think they might have something going. When they're just doing their thing, they simply sound like far too many other bands that are just trying to milk the legacy of the Jesus And Mary Chain a bit longer.

Donkey is about what one might expect from the group for a second album. Those who liked their rough edges the first time around might find themselves a bit disappointed by the new sheen, but they'll likely gain more fans they they lose.

It's not that I have anything against the group doing something more poppy, it's just that the result sounds far too polished and plain boring compared to their regular work.

Unless you're a big fan of the group, though, you'll probably find Do It! more than a little frustrating.

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

Discombobulated and downright clunky, Made In The Dark is a bit of a step back for Hot Chip.

It's the sort of release that metal fans will probably like because it offers plenty of chunk-tastic riffs (that aren't too far off from newer, more polished work from Helmet), but dub fans will probably steer clear from because of it's focus on said heavy-fisted bombast.

If you're a hardcore fan of Underworld, you'll find some things to love here (as I did), but others will probably want to reach for something more consistent.

Goodbye has a tendency to blur together in many places during the course of ten tracks and just under an hour in running length. If you like his past work, you might want to check this one out, but others will probably want to take a pass.

For every section that locks into something juicy, it's offset with three others that are just plain bad (or close to it).

If you enjoy ultra mellow jazz meanderings with the occasional slinky vocals that sound like they could be playing in the background at a mainstream coffee chain, Ma Fleur will provide in spades.

It's definitely about as disjointed as they come, and while that loose style seems to invigorate some tracks, it makes for a release that's downright hard to listen to in places.

Easily the most plain-sounding album that LaValle has released to date.

Basically, Cansei De Ser Sexy sounds like a thirty minute dance party full of shouted vocal lines and vapid lyrics.

While the group are certainly impressive in performance, they can't break free from an almost mechanical feel that lingers and really holds the album back.

For fans who are obsessed with seeking out everything Animal Collective, Black Dice, and experimental noise related, it's a fine bet, but for others this is going to rub the wrong way, which I suppose is part of the point.

It was a valiant try, but Tiny Cities just doesn't have a lot going for it unless you're a die-hard fan of Kozelek.

I don't fault them for trying some new things, but the results are mixed at best.

Given the past work from the group, Gimme Trouble is a major curveball, seemingly reveling in just about everything tacky about electroclash.

In terms of overall sound and cohesion, it's a step up from the debut by the group, but it's almost clinical in precision and slightly numbing with riff after riff blasting away with the same sort of glossy production.

[Most] of the album just sort of swirls through some nicely-produced, but ultimately not very engaging sonic fluff.

Much of the sharp rhythm programming and quick dynamic changes that marked her previous effort is replaced with more straightforward 4/4 beats and relentless dirty basslines that unfortunately repeat themselves to the point of annoyance.

It's kind of a whopper to digest all at once, but if you've heard Momus before and liked him, you're not going to go wrong here.

The first album from the group that feels downright tedious to me in places, as well as the first one that feels like they're spinning their wheels a bit.

A varied and interesting album that is also a bit hit-or-miss.

In some ways, the release is validated almost completely by the inclusion of a bonus disc that includes all previous singles from LCD Soundsystem, most of which feel more thought-out and slamming than much of what resides on the album itself.

While it's all produced and performed immaculately, it just feels like too many of the rough edges have been smoothed off.

Dangerous Dreams is just such a mixed-bag of goods that it's hard to feel much about it other than a couple of standouts.

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.

I'm not sure if it's the lack of a clear-cut conceptual idea or something else, but the 11 songs on the release just seem to plow along through waters that the group has already rowed many times before.

The 11 tracks on Hopes And Fears have an almost complete lack of soul and even distinction between one another.

Leave Your Name is 11 tracks and only 28 minutes long, about half of which feels like noodling.

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

If you're fan of the previous work of Pole, tread gently (and skip the EPs and head directly for the album), but if you're looking to just start out with some of his work, head for his earlier releases.

While everything on the release is technically put together well and even sometimes compelling (the two album-opening tracks work about the best), most of the time things feel like they've been written specifically for the person who's singing them.

It's a bit harsh of me to say that there's nothing interesting going on in Player, Player because that's certainly not the case. Instead, the problem seems to be with contructing the songs themselves.

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.

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.

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.

A document only for the hardcore fans.

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

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.

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.

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'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.

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

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.

Midnite Vultues kind of sounds like an album Prince would have made if he were more interested in being a geek than carressing his own ego.

One of the problems with the album is that after the super-solid beginning the second half or so of the album just doesn't compare.