All told, West might repel listeners with short attention spans, but with a bit of patience, its coherence pummels any monotony.

Overall Dolby proves his keen ear and impeccable taste for arrangements.

It's a delicate balancing act when a band attempts to rework Christmas music, but surprisingly, from an act known for upending expectations, Holidaydream's greatest asset rests in the Spree's restraint.

It has already been proven that serious topics are not beyond Atmosphere's grasp, and The Family Sign takes a second or third listen to fully absorb, but this album is certifiable proof that the dark side has a melody.

See You There may turn out to be Glen Campbell’s swansong and, if that is the case, it’s a fair testimony to the man.

Watching Movies is Miller’s most enduring, and endearing, project yet.

The Light the Dead See is an album you listen to late at night, possibly in the dark, and absolutely alone.

Honestly, Nevermind isn’t a bad album, but it is disappointing.

Cage the Elephant sound bigger and more polished here, but it’s Shultz’s lyrics that have grown up the most.

An Object, as a conceptual aesthetic project, borders on brilliant. Yet the music itself is not immediately captivating.

Glad All Over largely succeeds because it never devolves into simply getting the old band back together.

Lines is a sculpted spring album, still chilly in certain ways, but hinting at the sun-burned revelries of months to come.

This album release coincides with the aforementioned documentary, and as the details of Lovato’s rocky recovery continue to unfurl, there’s a bit of concern in the idea that this record is a bit too intrinsically tied to another very public narrative. She tells us, over and over within the album, that this devastating chapter of her life is over and gone. In the aching, tender closer, she sings that she’s in a “good place” in a track of the same name. I desperately want to believe her.

Beach Music feels like the work of an artist a few steps ahead of his audience, jumping to answer their expectations of a DIY darling taking on the trappings of a label.

While this record won’t reel in many new listeners, it’s a worthy and worthwhile addition to the band’s discography, full of catchy grooves that continue to defy expectations.

On Magik Markers’ latest, Surrender to the Fantasy, the rough edges are further sanded down, the songs revealing interest in a diverse set of genre signposts.

Marauder is still Interpol, and it’s still pretty good. It’s got mood and emotion for days. But because the album is marred by nonexistent bass lines and, most concerningly, production and mixing choices that run completely at odds with Interpol’s natural strengths and most beloved idiosyncrasies, it’s nowhere near great.

While Karlsson and Winnberg continue to assert themselves as two of the most accomplished producers in contemporary music, Happy to You does well to prove they're just as good on the other side of the mixing console, showcasing the furthest extents of their own considerable talents for the second straight album.

Shana Cleveland joins an ever-expanding roster in the folk resurgence of the past several years alongside artists like Angel Olsen and Sharon Van Etten. But before she can match the most recent works of those two artists, she’ll need to work on differentiating her songs.

Long-time fans who have a completist urge will find owning these tracks in one stylish package to be a necessity (the vinyl’s “silver foil jacket with incredible tritone all-original artwork” looks dope), while new listeners will get a good survey of the diverse songwriting and groove-heavy garage/psych rock of Thee Oh Sees.

Everyday Life mixes the magic of “old” Coldplay with their smash hits that have kept them at the top for so long. And it works.

If Lion--easily one of Murphy’s most solid solo releases--was made in less than a week, imagine what time and planning could accomplish.

These songs keep the gruffness that marked Rose’s early bands but opt for clearer dynamics.

Yeah, he hinted at this sort of consciousness on a couple of recordings in the past, but this is full-fledged social commentary.

While not a minimalistic record by any stretch of the imagination, Moth greatly benefits from a toned-down approach that gets to the core of what makes each song work.

Tomorrow’s Hits doesn’t boom like The Men’s early material (namely, 2010’s Immaculada and 2011’s Leave Home), but it’s more rousing instrumentally than last year’s New Moon.

Over 13 tracks, A Different Kind of Truth offers the same youthful escape that sold the band to millions worldwide over 30 years ago.

While not the strongest of the band’s second-era output, it’s a nice addition to Alice in Chains’ impressive discography.