With his latest album, Mixed Race, Tricky picks up where 2008's Knowle West Boy (named after his rough birthplace) left off, exploring his diverse background, sonic heritage and frequently unforgiving surroundings with sounds as much as words.

A mixture of optimism and realism is present throughout Everybody, and Michaelson's insights occasionally sting with honesty.

Clearly, Kem isn't self-conscious about his love of love--and we love him for it.

Strict Joy maintains the relatability and sincerity that made the soundtrack to "Once" so compellin

The music is at its best when it emulates an animated conversation, one voice leap-frogging the other with no one losing sight of the central theme.

The release is Sade's first new material in 10 years, but the act hasn't lost a beat.

11:11 is another winning showcase of exotic instrumental brilliance.

Hynes continues to explore the scope of his musicianship, producing a collection songs that refuse to stand still.

The group spit-shines its soundtrack for working-class America.

It's not so much that Merle Haggard has established himself as an American gem on his ambitious releases in the past decade; it's that we finally took notice.

The tilting scales of light and dark give the collection a definite creep factor and a clever complexity.

With her third Sire album, the deliciously attractive Far, Spektor again shows how original she is, finding the gleam in modern life with its contradictions and confusion in a uniquely colloquial manner.

The Resistance, shows growth from the band's previous releases and proves that it's primed for a global musical takeover.

A minor release for Curren$y still bests most major hip-hop releases, and this Pilot Talk sequel relishes in the rapper's expanding set of skills.

The set is an enveloping mix of melody, mood and texture that speaks to Robertson's triple-threat virtues as a performer, composer and producer.

While the sound is looser with strummed acoustic guitar, sax, autoharp and brushed drums, it contrasts sharply with Harvey's thematic adherence to war, guns, bloodshed and bleak landscapes.

Arctic Monkeys have captivated the post-Britpop scene since their 2006 debut, but Humbug finds the group justifying the hype by shifting its best qualities into different, equally dazzling shapes.

For the most part, Lavigne's fifth full-length encapsulates everything worth loving about the 29-year-old's long-running artistry.

After uniting with Kings of Leon/Modest Mouse vet Jacquire King, the band has emerged with a set that's more inviting than its first but just as catchy.

Deerhoof vs. Evil is more tentative than the group's best work, but its consistently dazzling musicianship carries the band as it explores different themes on a new label.

Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas steps out with his debut solo album, Phrazes for the Young, and dynamically weaves '80s techno-pop with psychedelic punk, while also reinventing his usual monochromatic croon.

As on Volume One, Ward's performance and production excel, and his song arrangements move effortlessly between heart-rending and cheery.While Ward's musicianship remains the magic behind She & Him, Deschanel's lyrical growth on Volume Two proves she can hold her own alongside a well-respected partner.

Caribou's newest set, "Swim," which contains more electronic elements than its pop-traced predecessor, is a major step forward for Snaith.

On Music for Men, the band's devotion to being itself has finally found it a place in the mainstream.

Some fans may miss Wainwright's more complicated orchestral numbers, but a single piano is all that's needed to show off his immense vocal talent.

Helmed by producer T Bone Burnett, this is front-porch, rural and rustic country music. Nelson is perfect in this setting, however, as he brings his weathered but expressive pipes to percussion-less arrangements of such gems as Ernest Tubb's "Seaman's Blues," Merle Travis' miner's lament "Dark As a Dungeon" and the smooth stride of Bob Wills' "Gotta Walk Alone."

Merriweather delivers just fine in his own right, with a soulful voice of the Otis Redding/Al Green/Marvin Gaye variety and lushly arranged songs that channel an array of influences from early Elton John ("For Your Money") to vintage Holland-Dozier-Holland ("Impossible").

Although the new set may lack the wide-eyed naivete that made the group's past efforts so endearing, the newfound maturity makes for a compelling set of songs.

Recorded in the garage of frontman Dave Grohl's home in Encino, Calif., the 11-song set is an explosive, high-octane burst of rock energy from a 16-year-old band that is tightly honed and righteously raw.

Recorded with polish and pluck at Nashville's Blackbird Studio, the 11 tracks on their self-titled debut set sound like they could've been captured at any of the family picnics or church services where the Secret Sisters honed their harmonies singing Doc Watson, Everly Brothers and spirituals.

The National had reached a level of comfort very few indie rock acts achieve. That feeling of comfort permeates every part of their new album, Trouble Will Find Me.

The pair's cryptic lyrics can get lost in the shuffle at times, but Bechtolt and Evans offer enough interesting musical ideas to keep the listener engaged.

Cash not only infuses love into her delivery on the collection but also proves herself a supreme song stylist.

This is guilt-free bass bliss for a post-genre age.

x finds a hungry artist doing everything possible to elevate to another level, simply by abiding by his instincts.

Overall, 5 Seconds of Summer is a delightful debut from a group that cannot be easily pigeonholed, and is worth paying attention to.

Big Boi delivers an inventive, high-spirited set full of synth-funk signifiers, talk-box flair and snares.

While's new band Punch Brothers is building a case for bigger fame with the release of its second album, Antifogmatic.

As a result, My Everything is a less cohesive project than Yours Truly, although its best moments eclipse the highs of Grande's 2013 debut.

Warrior is a pure pop album with rock influences, despite Ke$ha's attempts to make it the inverse.

Past Death Cab albums have found frontman Ben Gibbard penning youthful lyrics about the wariness and mystery of love, but now, the singer -- who recently married actress/musician Zooey Deschanel -- seems to finally be at peace with his strange, wonderful self.

Frontman Ben Bridwell's airy vocals and cozy lyrics have stayed consistent, but the impressive production work by the band and Phil Ek places the gorgeous melodies front and center without sacrificing Band of Horses' rustic power.

On her fifth album, Body Talk Pt. 1, Swedish electro-pop singer Robyn proves she's ready for the dancefloor.

Even those too young-or not yet born-for the Vaselines' heyday can appreciate the earnest fun of Sex With an X.

While expanding on what it's done well, the group doesn't cease to be adventurous on LP4.

Percussion is nowhere to be found on the group's latest release, Declaration of Dependence, and the pair's Simon & Garfunkel-esque harmonies are less dynamic than they once were. But there are still plenty of bright spots.

Once again, TVOTR channels something unique and forward-thinking.

Given her current partnership with the crossover kings at Big Machine, one hopes that an album of pop covers might loom in McEntire's near future. (How great would she be on "Just the Way You Are" by Bruno Mars?) Until then, we'll have to make do with "All the Women I Am," which offers another welcome helping of her well-established sound.

Her fifth studio release, New Amerykah Part Two: Return of the Ankh, finds the singer delivering no-holds-barred lyrics about lovemaking, love longing and, at times, love lost.

Sara Bareilles returns with more bouncy and intricate piano melodies on her sophomore album

Original Santana percussionist Michael Carabello and Checkmates singer Sonny Charles (now a member of the Steve Miller Band) fortify the performances, while longtime Miller fans will also soak in some of the last recordings by the late harmonica ace Norton Buffalo.

Robison and Maguire prove capable of crafting galloping, catchy choruses for such songs as "The Coast," "Ain't No Son," "It Didn't Make a Sound" and "I Miss You."

Newsom's wispy singing style may still be too inaccessible for some, but hardcore fans will savor the growing vocal confidence during the two-hour-plus running time. In an era of quick musical fixes, Have One on Me is a spacious artistic statement too original to pass up.

The oddball trio's new set is edgy and experimental, containing lurid imagery and bold use of dissonance.

The EP concept behind All About Tonight may seem small, but like its predecessor, it delivers big.

Having defined its gauzy sound on previous albums, Halcyon Digest Deerhunter finds the group expanding it with knockout results.

The whole album has a pleasurable mix of lean, mean rock'n'roll and pensive ballads that reflect both the state of the world and the band's place in it.

How did they do? Very well, to be honest.

Battles still sound determined here to inject their precision-geared prog-pop with the kind of humor and adventure one rarely encounters among bands that possess chops like these.

The album is quieter and torchier than its predecessors, with the singer delivering uniformly stellar vocal performances.

A collection of unconnected-though certainly related-songs that traverse all sorts of Southern terrain and situations. The group's songwriting trio (mainly Patterson Hood) offers the usual array of potent guitar riffs, stomping hard rock and vivid lyricism.

The Texas native reclaims her spot as one of country's most expressive and distinctive vocalists.

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."

While "The Oracle" is certainly familiar, it still sounds fresh enough and well worth the wait for fans who prefer their Godsmack served up straight.

The result is a lustful listen that often centers on either coming together or breaking apart.

Evolution will silence all but the omnivores, and Shamir has the right taste buds. But he also has a great voice, a stunning countertenor that some have mistaken for female.

The most obvious distinction from past releases is the richly textured soundscape of unusual tones that Metheny harmonizes with on with his guitar.

Picture Show should end up as one the year's most tuneful rock releases.

On major-label debut GO:OD AM, his third and best studio album, Miller grapples frankly with fame, addiction, recovery and the struggle to be a decent person over taut, melancholy production that channels both bleary inebriation and hard-fought optimism.

Mostly, though, the surprisingly warm-blooded Audio, Video, Disco reveals Justice to be human after all.

St. Lucia's splendid synth-pop allure has instant pop catchiness, but Grobler's willingness to wear his lyrics' romantic motivations like a badge of honor gives Matter a thrilling extra jolt.

Here, the artist seems to finally feel comfortable in her own skin. It's a wide-ranging album-she's in love, out of love, light-hearted and playful.

Thanks to [Lorde's] vision, and her grip on the series' most important thematic elements, the 50 minutes of music behind Mockingjay Part 1 ably function as both a glance at 2014's finest purveyors of complex, downcast pop and a complement to the start of the series' chaotic, brutal conclusion.

The journey of its latest change has been bumpy, but by blending its storied past with the musical present, Queensrÿche's members prove the band as a whole is indeed greater than any one person.

The opening track, "Don't Let Me Fall," showcases the rapper's smoothed-voice singing talent and vulnerability ("They say what goes up must come down/But don't let me fall") over a booming guitar, while "Magic" (featuring Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo) takes a more pop-driven direction.

For an album with crowded electro-pop instrumentation, the music isn't overbearing, and Little Boots' cheeky lyrics never lose any of their dry attitude.

While listeners can't help but be reminded of his fall from grace, Brown also shows us on Graffiti that he's still a formidable talent.-

At the very least, listening to The Cutting Edge 1965-1966 should send you scurrying back to the official versions of those three classic Bob Dylan albums. It’s his story, and it’s history, reconsidered one more time.

He makes up for the lack of addictive anthems and playfulness with his impressionable stream of sentiments--our kryptonite, his superpower.

["Louder Than Words" is] a riveting and beautiful piece of music, yes, but not quite a definitive statement. The same might be said of The Endless River as a whole.

The band fares better in a handful of frothier cuts.

Monroe sings these songs, many of which she co-wrote, with exquisite, bruised sensitivity.

With sterling wordplay and a consistent melancholy vibe, the Detroit native took all the tension, the highs and lows, and laid it out on wax, compiling the strongest project of his career.

As first impressions go, Know-It-All is a charismatic balance between dreams and reality that makes its author stick out in the most impressive way.

The easier-but not exactly wiser-route for Brown would've been to take jabs at those who turned their backs on him, but his tactic here seems to give listeners a solid album.

[A] promising, unapologetically dense debut.

Sonically it's a super-charged take on the girl-group sound, with thundering drums, multilayered vocals, heart-wrenching lyrics and loads of echo-all of which contrasts with her honeyed voice.

The music is digital and danceable but with emotional depth--much of it thanks to Mayberry.

The younger act strikes a posture of ­winsome self-assurance across these 11 tracks.

For all the grief and regret it contains, it's a triumphant debut, encapsulating the grit of life, ­turning it into a hell of a journey.

Speedin' is an uncomfortably internal album that's a pleasurable listen. It's not as gleefully nihilistic as Future, but comes across just as revelatory.

You can hear the result of all those showbiz connections in the radio-ready economy of high-sheen hook bombs.

Debut LP We Are King finally gives the act room to stretch its crushed-velvet sound to its outer edges. The three voices often swirl into one, with lockstep harmonies that make challenging, constantly shifting melodies go down easy.

Streisand gives her trademark romantic-ballad treatment to 13 well-known standards.

No matter the mood and tempo, though, the Florence & The Machine heard on How Big How Blue How Beautiful is a newly self-aware one. It shows a different kind of mastery by allowing for a different kind of vulnerability, an especially delicate balancing act for a young woman in pop music.

Clearly you can take McBride--who co-wrote six of these tracks--anywhere and she'll sound just fine.

Bingham's writing is filled with stark images and canny observations, which is evident on such tracks as "Self-Righteous Wall" and album opener "The Poet." Look for this gifted young artist's star to keep rising.

On this adventurous LP, the critically lauded Scottish sextet waits until track nine, "Ever Had a Little Faith?," to offer one of its patented gently strummed character studies.