Whether as background music for one's day-to-day or as a receiver of one's full attention, it is truly an enjoyable record that is prepared to fill whatever space is asked of it.

Glass Swords feels and sounds like a cohesive statement, and a strong one at that.

III is a pleasant--although occasionally forgettable--listen from a seasoned artist who is playing to his strengths.

It's a fantastical story of aliens, spirits, and children told by one breathtakingly gifted artist, and it's utterly remarkable.

The different styles explored throughout Carrier produce varying sonic results, but never fail to assure the listener that they are listening to one of the most emotionally rich electronic records of this year.

Truly, there's nothing outrightly offensive about There's More to Life Than This, but there's little to hold on to either.

Looping State of Mind might just be the finest document of his craft yet.

Darnell is entirely aware of his own bravado, and it's that bravado, along his willingness to keep tongue in cheek, that makes I Wake Up Screaming such a worthwhile listen.

Plaid's sixth proper studio album, Scintilli, is hard to place stylistically, but nonetheless offers plenty of enjoyable head-scratching moments, along with a straight-up tune or two.

While The Devil's Walk may not be an absolute blemish on the Apparat discography, those who found his earlier works (such as Duplex, Walls, and the excellent remix collection, Things to be Frickled) so rewarding will find that this album unfortunately pales in comparison.

Neon Indian's second album is a collection of more serious and straightforward pop tunes that separate his penchants for the past and its oddities, and shed nearly all trademarks of the dubious genre he haphazardly pioneered.

The Rapture's latest is both a welcome and necessary addition to its relatively small discography, a record the band should be both proud of and content to leave as the final chapter of its existence. At least until they come back again.

All told, Azari & III is a solid work with plenty to offer newcomers and devoted fans alike.

Yes, it's ridiculous to expect everyone to make a grand statement with each release, but there's scarcely a trace of an evolving style or technique to be found on Down 2 Earth. Surely, we're entitled to expect more.

Somehow, when put together, the artists' individual strengths are watered down, resulting in a mixture of the benign and the over-the-top, depending on the particular song.

Shlohmo's "debut" LP arrives slightly bloated due to its own blind ambition, and might require a few taps of the skip button for a more rewarding listen.

It's a singular, though often exciting, vision with seemingly no end, but as the scope of Sun Araw expands wider and wider, it might benefit its creator and his tools to grow along with it.

There are a few lulls to be heard on Haven (as in songs like "Someone" or "At Last," that begin with good ideas but never form into anything more substantial), but they are all easily overshadowed by the fascinating convergence of influences that comprise the album's 10 tracks, making it an extremely promising debut and a uniquely assertive statement in its own right.

While it's obvious that Hicks and Hall know their way around both sound- and songcraft, they rarely--if ever--use those skills to sound like anything but a band even the most casual synth-pop fan would be familiar with.

Overall, Satin Panthers is an excellent new entry in the Hudson Mohawke discography, a case in which an artist stayed the stylistic course and improved on an already-successful formula.

While it's not an impeccable album, Ada's Meine Zarten Pfoten (German for "my tender paws") does offer some pretty exciting experimentation and a few really great pop songs.

All in all, most every cut on Sam Baker's Album is solid in its own right, but maybe 40 minutes is just too much, considering that the lines which box in the instrumental hip-hop genre become only more clear as the album pushes on.

With Dedication, Zomby's first release for the legendary indie label 4AD, he's turned increasingly inward-and it's an entirely welcome trajectory.

It's that attachment to the Earth that makes Clams Casino's otherworldly hip-hop familiar enough to reach any true lover of beats.

The kitsch value may warrant a spin or two for curiosity's sake, but few of the album's 10 productions have the staying power of the musical touchstones Com Truise is referencing.

Perhaps the album's only major drawback is its lack of jaw-dropping "wow" moments. It's as though 100% Publishing is almost a little too consistent.

It points the way towards a possible new sound but lacks the polish, originality, and final touches that would make it stand out as a serious work of its own.

Carbonated may not be exactly what the legions of devoted Mount Kimbie fans have been pining for, but music with such intricately weaved details surely takes time, and this EP proves to be a welcome stopgap to help hold us over.