Earl’s skills are incontestable, but at times, it feels like he has nothing to prove. Doris could have resulted in one big shrug fest, if it weren’t for the ferocity in Earl’s bars--which is probably all the leverage he needs.

Although it could have ended on a stronger note, it's a fitting conclusion to the pleasant trip through Melody's spacey dreamworld.

Creole's comeback mixes genres, wit and personal history with an amicable charisma that could only be cultivated by the type of guy who wears a zoot suit and a fedora any time after 1943.

While Divine Ecstasy may not satisfy all your experimentally complex tastebuds, it will satisfy some of them, mostly because it does so much.

Not exactly a massage, but a wind-down from the tumult that is Ultima II Massage.

The songs are solid and don’t mess around as much as the show. Though the non-stop, not exactly dancey indulgence groove ride of the whole first half, no pause until six songs in, might nag some.

If you can glaze over the four total minutes that those three aforementioned songs ["I Love You Ugly," "Madness," and "Demon From Hell"] occupy, what’s left is an all-around good time.

The album jumps all over the place, showing little interest in staying true to a single genre or style, but even in the darker, heavier moments these songs are unified by an urge to please and the untamable desire to move onto the next thing as soon as possible.

Indie Cindy delivers a relatively gratifying 12 track-journey that, at the least, yields some classic-sounding Pixies tunes.

The duo is quite adept at keeping the dopey momentum going, but without a respite or a break in the haze, Return To The Ugly Side is often impenetrable. But that's kind of cool--a half-hour album that stretches out (or drags on) to feel like far longer.

By not exerting himself, Hynes manages to craft an easy-to-listen, easy-to-enjoy album that will be spun as a change of pace.

Attention Please could not be further away from Heavy Rocks. The album is characterized by elegant violin, delicate vocals and dreamy guitar distortion.

But because of its uneven idiosyncrasies and its cheeky self-flagellation, At Best Cuckhold sounds like Avi Buffalo’s coming of age story.

The recording quality is smart and sophisticated, and the overall feel of Our Nature is much richer-sounding than on In The Wooded Forest.

Piñata might be long, but it moves fast.

Though her lyrics are incoherent, Barwick tells a story on this album that is up for interpretation depending on the listener as if Barwick created the music just for her.

As its title implies, the record is full of a dynamism that sometimes sets it apart from others out there, and will undoubtedly show listeners a good time.

Like any good exorcism, Year Of The Witch allows Ryff to share and shed what's haunting him.

Boris channels the heart of heavy metal music with a massive sound and unparalleled aggressiveness.

Pure X may not be particularly pure anymore, but it’s a pleasure to have them down in the muck with the rest of us.

They make albums that make you squint and stare at the floor and convince yourself you like it, maybe. And somehow, you’ll find yourself listening until you’re sure you do.

They’ve tossed a simple, solid album in our lap, thrown up the deuce and strolled out the door, take it or leave it.

Clash Battle Guilt Pride sees Polar Bear Club's likable mix of working-class suburban punk and arena rock getting glossier production.

There aren’t any bad songs here, but ultimately Bazaar comes off more like a compilation album of great tracks than a carefully edited album.

On the album as a whole, the guitar riffs are what stand out the most from the thrashing drums and growling vocals.

The songs on Champions might not add up to the best record proper, but those guys in front of the stage probably could care less. They've got some more fuel for the party, and at the end of the day, that's all that really matters.

Sure, Lennox makes a lot of pretty noise on this album, but sometimes you just want to pluck him from his own sound waves and have him try to navigate them from the inside of a more firmly constructed ship.

Midway through Heavy Mood, Tilly hits a lull; "Hey Rainbow" and "I Believe In You" just don't pack the eclectic Tilly punch.... The pace picks back up with aggressively positive ender "Defenders."