Paired with Quezada and Thulin’s frantic soundscapes, Obey is a reminder that the steeliest demeanors can belie a raging cauldron of emotion. By the time the album’s short 38 minutes are over, what seemed at first like ambivalence feels more like transcendence.

More than just another post-whatever crescendo generator, SMZ remain committed to nuance and subtlety while no less committed to getting louder.

Even when duetting with harp sprite Joanna Newson, she avoids the trappings of twee.

Cuomo’s notes contain detailed autobiographical backstories for each song, some of which are probably the best Weezer never recorded.

Torbjorn Brundtland and Svein Berge move away from millennium trance tracks like '49 Percent' from 2005’s "The Understanding," and that’s a good move.

A sample-heavy hodgepodge of indie rock, hip-hop, garage rock and mature instrumentals fills out the rest of this joyous album whose almost wistful title track near the end brings everything together in the most satisfying way.

The results are exactly what fans of either act would hope for and a pleasant surprise for those who'd given up on both of them.

Bicycle begins with an infectious melancholy hook, opens up with a perfectly placed vocal line steeped in regret and ends with Peter Hook-inspired guitars over a choir. Breathtaking stuff.

Ezra Koenig's songwriting is effortless and breezy, and the Afropop rhythms are as strong as ever.

The album contains some indisputable classics (Here, Summer Babe, Shady Lane) but aims to dig deeper than the hits.

Though there are clear highlights--the druggy, danceable Egypt and the dreamy Anomaly--the album holds together as a larger, unified statement.

Jiaolong feels more organic and warm than the kinds of bangers the genre's superstars are playing in massive arenas.

Admittedly, the whiny Martsch-inspired delivery of singer dude Christian Hjelm will be a turnoff for some, but the Figurines' compositional skill shows real promise, and their endearing enthusiasm should win them many fans over here.

The album swells, twists and turns, but rather than feeling helplessly meandering--a pitfall of the genre--it has an organic pacing that naturally starts and ends with each song.

A beautifully crafted debut full-length that delivers on the early hype.

These are understated, heartfelt tunes carried by lovely acoustic guitar work.

Oblique by pop standards, the album's full of raw, tightly wound energy.

Once you get over the lack of choruses, you'll find a very solid, satisfying melodic techno album.

Collapse is a genuine return to form for the band, blowing away anything else they've done for more than a decade.

Hard-fought optimism fuels the political fury behind Savages’ buzzing aggression (timely given the momentum behind progressive political movements), but now the manifesto is delivered via more familiar, accessible sounds.

A Different Kind Of Truth sounds familiar in the best way.

This time his band has gelled into an effective stadium-rocking outfit, and his dark humour actually seems connected to some real emotion rather than a strategy designed to create some ironic distance.

At a time when many musicians seem eager to gain currency from identity politics and sociopolitical events, Mangy Love satisfies by being rooted in a nuanced observer’s perspective.

Mixing punk rock with cute pop, the Atlanta, Georgia, quartet are a fine addition to Slumberland's near-flawless roster.

These are personal, contemporary story songs that centre on DeMent's signature plain delivery, the gospel-soul horn arrangements and the occasional wailed vocal

It's heavy at times, but always thoughtful and interesting.

The Haunted Man is yearning, elegant pop music in line with the past year's best.

Once our boy Nick begins his bellicose bellowing, there's no mistaking Grinderman's amped-up scorch for anything but another of Cave's darkly humorous creations of magnificent malevolence. Long may he howl and snort.