Bird probably could have stood to cull a few of the weaker numbers, and with the additional room, might have reworked a few of the selections from Useless Creatures into experimental pop songs, thereby tempering his lack of risk taking on Noble Beast.

Brill Bruisers is a solid, satisfying record, one that found a fresh approach and created some more ultra-catchy pop tunes. If the freshness dulls on occasion when the new approach gets overused, you can still hear the quality underneath, even if you’re more inclined to move the needle back to the tunes that leave their bruise more immediately.

When it comes down to it, these tracks really aren't that bad, but it's hard not to have the echoes of savvier songwriting in your head when listening to a group like Trail of Dead, whose history has shown them to be more sophisticated musicians than the ones present on Lost Songs.

My Dinosaur Life, with it's punchy guitars and lyrics about ennui and breaking up and video games, would fit perfectly in any blink fan's iTunes library.

On The Hope Six Demolition Project, the album just sometimes sounds flat uncomfortable with its focus.

The Unfairground maintains no connection whatsoever to jazz, once a mainstay of Ayers, The Whole World, and The Soft Machine, and even the album’s affiliations with other black art forms are strained at best.

African Electronic Music 1975-1982 is, after all, a bit of a hodgepodge compilation, and that Bebey was indulging his creative spirit more than he was creating music for a mass audience. Still, the more structured tracks serve notice Bebey was an accomplished composer who had several big hits in his native land.

It's hard not to feel that one of the year's most anticipated releases only keeps you waiting and waiting for something more to happen.

Every Country’s Sun certainly has some very lovely, dense, and poignant moments borne out of creative and unpredictable arrangements, yet the majority of it fails to leave any impression other than boredom.

Despite the album's general inertia, it contains some impressive individual songs.

It's possible that 13 songs are too much for the sort of vision that Hinson is chasing, but it's a fine heartfelt effort that rewards as richly as it disappoints.

When that intimact/insularity lines gets confused for the characters here, the album is fascinating. It’s when the two blur for the players that things get a bit more problematic.

The candied pop that characterized much of the Pumpkins later work is still out in full force.

He is committed to the material--that is certain--but despite the original songs, an undeniable sense of déjà vu detracts from his fine performances.

There are no bad songs on 925, but the songs I enjoyed are pretty scattered. ... It will be interesting to see where their music goes in the future to see how they develop, but for now, Sorry haven't quite fully arrived.

The highlights scatter thinly throughout the disc.

Sunkissed may be an innovative and unique album tonally and texturally, but in the end the songs themselves-that is to say, the words between these bizarre notes-often feel far more rote, delivering an anonymous kind of joy amidst the jagged pleasure of the music.

Because the songs are often about the tour or the people, the lyrics are often unrelatable, with one obvious exception: “100 Unread Messages.”

Wild Pendulum’s flaws are admirable ones, the result of ambition more than apathy. Furthermore, the lush ornamental arrangements on these songs do little to disguise the effortlessly toe-tapping melodies that permeate each piece of music.

When Grimes's impeccable production skills are given a chance to shine, the ideas behind Miss Anthropocene's slow-burners begin to come into focus.

As far as the music goes, rhythm guitar is the foundation here, and it ranges from Strokes-ian down strokes to slow-core. The drums are mixed prominently, giving adequate room to Dacus’ towering voice. The lead guitar is mixed oddly low, though. Many times throughout the album, when a blast of lead guitar is expected, we get it, but dang is it quiet and a little deflating.

Save a few strong tracks scattered throughout, Real High comes across as inconsequential background music of the aesthetically pleasing variety.

Resurgam is pleasant and occasionally quite captivating ear candy from an artist who may nevertheless have to work harder in the future in order to remain distinct.

There are glimpses of risk here and there on City Sun Eater but a few more curveballs could really be the remedy that brings home a larger reward.

There is no denying that LaVette has a hell of a voice. On Thankful N' Thoughtful – as on her other work – it's a massive, destructive, ragged thing... [Yet] she has the voice, but not the songs. She has tried to overcome this by working with songs from other artists; the results are mixed.

The poignant lyrical message conveyed through most of the album, coupled with the ability of the music to keep you uplifted, is perfectly reminiscent of the spirit of New Orleans. Even though times could be better, there is always a reason to go on.

The result sounds tired, formulated, comfortable, and much too safe to be satisfying. If the album does one good thing, it's that it begs us to go back and listen to the catalogue of Clutch that was so bold and exciting.

Book of Curses' brevity also works in its favor, at least for me. A 15-track, 40-minute album of music like this would've been a bit much, but at 26 minutes, the band's abrasive punk is quite listenable.