Despite Fortune’s several throwaway tracks and sometimes generic alt-country feel, it serves as a reminder that The Mendoza Line’s prolific songwriters are still capable of churning out catchy, accessible pop songs.

So while the subdued vocal harmonies and acoustic folk influences of 70s pop bands Chicago and America can be heard, there is enough intricately layered dream-pop floating around the fleshed-out orchestrations to keep indie-rock fans contented.

The sad truth is that few of the songs top their studio counterparts.

Alternating between sounding like a gremlin and sounding like a baby, the vocals don't so much haunt as distract.

While individual songs work on their own, the album seldom succeeds as a whole.

The songs themselves aren’t as outstanding as they could be, and it sure doesn’t help that the production choices give them less of the overwhelming energy that the Pharmacists are known for.

Four long players into their career, you can't help but wonder if Interpol is just trying too hard to recapture some of that Turn On the Bright Lights magic. Either that, or the creative juices have been stifled by a rough turn of events.

For every standout track on the record there is another song where Sparta takes a step back to assess the situation and falters a little bit.

Folds' wit is less biting, but it's still present. And he's still got style.

The North continues to show off their skill and while nothing earth-shattering will be found here, it's something to fully bask in.

Mo’ Mega starts off strong... But from [the middle] on out the songs lose focus.

When not overdone, the playing and singing are excellent, and when they want to, the Dresden Dolls can pen a mighty fine tune as well.

Overall Snowflake Midnight isn’t quite the disaster that the disillusioned might have expected.

While it feels great to have some undiluted Avey Tare material, he seems a little creatively restless here.

The unashamedly wilful reductionism of Brightblack Morning Light will either engross or alienate listeners, depending wholly on instinctive preferences.

Ultimately, The Avalanche lacks the lasting impact of Illinois, as its songs don’t quite hold the same sense of gravitas, economy, and focus.

Hometowns may not be the amazing album some had hoped for but it is an honest debut on many levels: sometimes great, most of the time decent and a good while just being there.

Picking through Blurry Blue Mountain in stages, there is evidently a decent fistful of individually strong moments but taken as a whole its meandering, undemonstrative nature does make it feel like a somewhat makeweight collection; one that will appeal to few people beyond the existing Giant Howe fanbase.

It’s somewhat troubling to see Jurado abandoning the genre of folk that served him so well on his last album. More unsettling is the simultaneous presence of the mopey indulgence of some of Jurado’s faux-gothic breakup stories and the honed, spare excellence of tracks like “White Center,” “Lottery,” and “Fuel.”

The problem is the songs. Oh, the songs - they're pretty, all right, but there's no substance.

The tracks with fuller arrangements are the more interesting and surprising tracks here, and they suggest Vile would do well to seek out other strong personalities to write and record with.

Barrett combines his best strengths to deliver one of the album’s few shining spots; it’s just a shame there aren’t more of them on here.

Noir... writes some really genuine, cheery, memorable songs, but it’s just too much to digest on one record.

Despite the overall melange approach being a little uneven, there are some genuine delights to be found within.

I’m Wide Awake is an uneven product, full of everything there is to loathe and love about Oberst.

This is an unwieldy yet infectious compendium that will satisfy those who need it most.

It's hard to dislike this album because it is capably performed and the sounds and voices work up a dreamy headspace, but it's also difficult to be really enthusiastic about it.

Come Home to Mama is lyrically stiff on top of instrumental complexity. The lyrics need to be pulled way back. What does work are the opening beats and rhythms awash in a mix of sonic, ambient environments.