Numan allows his compositions some room to breathe by occasionally slowing the tempo while the mood morphs from murky to majestic as he lets his Berlin-era Bowie influence seep in. His glassy futuristic voice is as crystalline as ever and fits snuggly within the slick production.

There Is No Love in Fluorescent Light is an album on rails, sticking solidly to the tracks with never a thought of deviation. It's also a route we've travelled many times by now. Yes, it looks familiar, but it'll still get you there in the end.

Deradoorian's demands on Eternal Recurrence are likely too heavy for any casual listeners, but appeals as an abstract expression without any longing to connect.

For all its personality and heart, Wide Open is just too breezy in its consistency to be a certified gem.

Haiku From Zero is fine filler for a late-night dance party, but we can't fathom reaching for this album as often as those prior-too much of it borders on forgettable

This is farm from Berman's best work, but sequencing aside, there is enough here to suggest that he's still got something left in the tank. [Jul - Sep 2017, p.59]

It'll be of concern to Queens purists that Villains pulls from sounds that expired a decade ago and beyond. Dwelling on better times of a bygone era is a fundamental pillar of escapism, but it's disconcerting when one of the most uncompromising, forward-thinking bands in the rock pantheon leans so heavily on what worked in the past that they forget that the onus is on them to innovate.

Catchy melodies abound, but there is too much insistence on melody, and not enough on thoughtful instrumentation or profundity, for this album to rise as a pop classic.

The album is custom made for summer parties and long drives, just do not expect more out of multiple listens.

Ultimately, More Fast Songs About the Apocalypse is a decent and fiery auditory excursion.

Arcade Fire are a great band, spurning a generation of indie listeners and have influenced countless groups. Which is what makes listening to Everything Now that much more painful. This is the band as a shell of themselves, an uninspiring slog of half-baked ideas following a "trying-by-not-trying" attitude.

Marela's exploration and experimentation as an artist will be key in sustaining what is hopefully a long career for this talent. However, it yields a follow-up release slightly less impressive than its predecessor.

The Jealous Machines, in contrast [to Born on a Gangster Star], strikes less of a balance. It's wordier, with no strictly instrumental tracks, and its conceptual bent is more instrumental to the essence of the LP.

While intended as a love letter to their longtime fans, this 23rd LP from the Japanese rockers feels more like an optimal entry point for newcomers.

We want the glory of Nowhere and parts of Going Blank Again. It is apparent that this is what Ride are aiming for but it's going to take more than what Weather Diaries has to offer.

Only occasionally on a track like "Ternary" does Haley manage to land deeper cuts with a drifting, introspective piece that winds down and starts up again, hinting at dancefloor potential before stepping back at the last moment. It works; there's just not enough of it elsewhere on Iteration.

The experiments don't come off, while the pop style disappears under endless repetition. That isn't to say it's not lovely and engaging for while-it is-but too much of a good thing is still too much.

While some of these experiments don't work--the riotous "Babushka-Yai Ya" is messy and, ultimately, skippable and "Euphoria" lacks any exultation--others cast Regan in a new light.

Ultimately You're Welcome is just another Wavves album, another collection of sugary anthems.

Musically there's little to get excited about, and little to draw complaint either.

Shake the Shudder is less of an improvement and more of a decline. But while there is nothing really special about it, there is nothing really that bad either, it's just disappointing.

Best Troubadour is a pleasant, warm-hearted experience.

While definitely an acquired taste, ultimately it's an auditory adventure worth taking that neither wow the listener nor will it disappoint. [Apr - Jun 2017, p.84]

What remains is a strong EP blown up into a flawed full-length. [Apr-Jun 2017, p.82]

The band seem more intent on rocking out and having a good time rather than impressing. [Apr-Jun 2017, p.78]

While sometimes the lyrics seems questionable when considered in the context of that art form, overall Americana is an enjoyable listen with a couple highlights any fan wouldn't want to miss. [Apr-Jun 2017, p.79]

Highlights like "Shake It On" and "Nights Out In the Jungle" introduce a fresh, Random Access Memories-ian electric disco vibe, but too many others--particularly the repetitive "Summer Girl"--feel like tired, recycled outtakes from the band's heyday.

Nothing really stands out, and the songs that do--the catchy "Short Elevated Period," as well as the two musical highlights of the album, "This Time" and "Sleep on the Wing"--don't leave enough of an impression to be overly impressed by.