Crystal Castles aren't as cold as they appear to be, but they are calculating--(III) is an expertly produced album that, at just nearly 40 minutes, leaves fans wanting more.

Lotus largely benefits from all the bombast--Aguilera hasn't sounded so fun and energized in years.

Even with so many producers lending a hand, there isn't a dud to be found on the record's thirteen tracks.

Moore spends much of his debut album, Up All Night, outlining the pleasures to be had from hot women and cold beverages.

Red is her most interesting full-length to date, but it probably won't be when all is said and done in her career.

Muse fans will have a hard time being disappointed by "The 2nd Law," and rookies have a new perfect place to jump in.

Until its sequels are released, Green Day's latest should be regarded as a disposable but thoroughly enjoyable return to the band's long-deserted roots. The Cali punks are back, and it's nice to see them.

Fiasco turns Food & Liquor II into one long tirade -- everything sucks and no one's going to fix it.

"Babel" reveals a band happy to remain entirely Mumford - although a larger, smoother Mumford, offering fresh nuances and textures while emboldened by the promise of the initial mission.

Push and Shove is a celebration of No Doubt's love for all things 80s pop and the Southern California ska scene.

The result is an album that comes on a bit strong, but has the pop pedigree to avoid any major missteps.

The Truth About Love is a peerlessly witty, endlessly melodic tour de force.

Its new studio album, Tornado, seems designed to demonstrate that stardom hasn't separated the band from the backwoods roots it famously celebrated in the song "Boondocks."

Restrained, moody and subtle. It has its big footprint moments, of course, and there's an audible ambition that gives the album a crackling if slow-burning energy.

This album is one that begs to be lived with for a long period of time, its quiet details given ample room to germinate.

"Sun" isn't as cuddly as "The Greatest," but it finds Marshall continuing to evolve as an artist in intriguing and unexpected ways.

The problem is that the hints of personality underneath the braggadocio overflowing on "Based on a T.R.U. Story" exist as faint flickers, pointing to a storytelling skill that has yet to be given the spotlight.

An album that required a painstaking process to complete but sounds infinitely effortless in its pop arrangements and flicked-off soul ruminations.

No matter what Ocean's mood is on the album, the songs sound fantastic.... it's one of the best albums of the year.

Living Things" is simply a minor effort in an impressive discography, and one that should translate well to Linkin Park's live show.

The result is an album that was absolutely worth the seven-year wait, not to mention the mountain of hype atop which Apple has sat since her big comeback at SXSW in March.

Overall, Believe sinks its tendrils into the listener's brain by riding the dance music phenomenon and offering some whizz-bang production alongside Bieber's sticky-sweet singing voice.

At its best, a truly next-level soul album. One that has the warm, organic feel of R&B and deep pop hooks, but also the pulsating low-end and shimmering keyboard flourishes of EDM.

The extent of K.R.I.T.'s achievement on his proper debut can be lost in the consistency of his output, but it is a stirring triumph nonetheless.

It's one of Mayer's most diverse and exploratory albums yet, trying on a variety of different styles to accompany a set of particularly reflective and soul-searching tunes.

Trespassing continues the work of the underrated "For Your Entertainment" and allows the singer to keep unveiling his character in broad, colorful strokes.

In an already impressive, multi-platinum career, Blown Away is a landmark achievement.

"Born Villain" finds a seemingly refreshed and clear-minded Manson and his band poring through a diverse set of moods and styles in songs that cut a little deeper than the deliberate provocation of many of his previous works.