In the end AM not only signifies a career-defining moment that neatly places the band on a proper pedestal for all to admire--this is where not only Arctic Monkeys have come but in many ways, how they’ve masterfully conquered and continue to simply win.

Vampire Weekend's penchant for throwing an occasional obscure reference into their work doesn't change the fact that Contra is an obvious early contender for one of 2010's best.

Both more deeply melodic and somehow more resigned and melancholy than his previous albums, White’s latest may just be his best.

The beats on The Mouse and the Mask are remarkably consistent, satisfactorily complex, and surprisingly subtle.

She's advanced from before and turned in a mirror translation of music from her personal life. The swagger comes in the form of knowing your strengths and for Stern, she's put all of them on display with Marnie Stern.

This is some of the most mature and eloquent music I've heard in quite a while.

Closure is undoubtedly a reliably contrarian, brutally honest and uncompromisingly human album for a great band to--at least try--calling it quits on.

Another accomplished, cohesive effort that finds the group continuing to tweak without significantly changing its sound.

Sounds come and go but the inspiration and wherewithal to realize your own goal in tone is paramount. Women seem to know exactly what they stand for and in presenting it they've entirely outdone themselves, again.

Cold Spring Fault Less Youth is as confident and assured as any great follow-up can be, showcasing a group that is not afraid to cross genre-borders and cast aside the meek post-dubstep moniker.

It's best to purely take in the dissimilarity of this exceptional new album in contrast to Hospice--it's downright astonishing on its very own.

A gentle yet insistent collection of songs, Wilderness is marked by its subtle beauty and meticulous attention to sonic detail.

Its warmth, honesty and intuitive sensitivity capture Stuart Staples firmly back to the dizzy high-quality heights of his cherishable early-career with the Tindersticks.

This kind of hunger, this kind of uphill battle and this kind of gritty determination leaks out onto Monomania with tremendous results; the ending fruition is another gleaming winner for Cox and Deerhunter.

Music that's at once beautiful, joyful, and pure aural pleasure.

It sounds like the Ramones covering OK Computer. It's also one of the best debuts of the year.

It suits them well that as musicians that have worked their entire career just to get noticed; for their newest album, I Learned the Hard Way, to be a beautiful representation of what real, honest and true soul music really is.

Boca Negra is certainly not the easiest entry-route into the post-jazz catacombs of the Chicago Underground, but its steely determination and non-conformity is nevertheless refreshing and worthy of respect.

Thankfully aside from a few superficial blemishes, Here’s The Tender Coming’s world is dense enough, and interesting enough to merit a visit.

It's always great to see one of our better artists achieving a return to form, but it's usually successful with leveled results. But on The Ecstatic, Mos Def is certainly back and he has released the best hip-hop album of the year, so far.

The eleven original songs all sound distinctively unique and yet, uniquely familiar all the same. And even when Oldham covers a song, he is able to make it sound like one of his own.

It’s symphonic, seductive, resolute, yearning.

Brilliant.

This is a gorgeous pop album that deals maturely with a wide range of emotions and ideas.

So whilst The Obliterati is certainly not a patch on the seminal Vs. - given that it lacks the same magical combination of cerebral claustrophobia and kinetic psychosis - it’s easily more potent than the over-oiled ONoffON.

Although amERICa perhaps lacks a few more songs that could standalone from its conceptual connectivity, as a combined entity it captures Eric Goulden catching an inventive and much-deserved third wind for his charmingly contrary career.

Whereas his previous long-players were primarily personified by their hushed beauty, dusty experimentation, and nostalgic romanticism, Post-War pushes forward a more boisterous and band-orientated vision for Ward’s sturdy songwriting.

Whether it is the new production, the new sounds, the new language or maybe just the unique cover, everything works for Sigur Rós; on Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust is something exceptional.