Packed front to back with lyrical treats and lovely sonic touches (thanks to producer Rick Rubin), I and Love and You may be one of the major labels' best pieces of news this fall.

[The album was] rush-released by Def Jam on a low budget. It's a fact that's somewhat hard to hide behind the set's lean production and uneven narrative. But there's cohesion among most of the 13 tracks.

How did they do? Very well, to be honest.

On new album Moth, the follow-up to 2012’s Something, Polachek and Wimberly seem to relish their good luck, layering hooks and beats with a kooky exuberance that was missing last time out.

As comeback albums go, though, this one feels unusually natural.

It's one of Mayer's most diverse and exploratory albums yet, trying on a variety of different styles to accompany a set of particularly reflective and soul-searching tunes.

This adjunct to "Animal" is unapologetically escapist and highly programmed fun.

The album is quieter and torchier than its predecessors, with the singer delivering uniformly stellar vocal performances.

Children's gospel choirs and Joss Stone make somewhat unnecessary appearances, but musically the project impressively meets its goal of cultural connection.

The duo backs up its devotion to classic sounds with rich layers of funk, soul, jazz, blues and rock sampling that honor the genre-bending experimentation prevalent in '80s and early-'90s hip-hop.

At this point, the Brothers are effectively ­historians, and the album's most thrilling moments are often references to their own past or inspirations.

With the help of heavyweight producer Rick Rubin, Gogol Bordello's major-label debut, "Trans-Continental Hustle," maintains the band's ethno-clash dance party reputation, but with less punk attitude and a more mainstream songwriting approach.

The result is certainly more adventurous than anything from her peers, if a little forced.

Mixing nasty guitar leads with cavernous beats, the Black Keys have crafted a dark, sprawling opus that's convincing in its commitment to a unique sound.

The album's dozen story songs-11 penned solely by Parton-are filled with uplifting sentiment and words of encouragement set against a variety of backdrops, most of them deeply rooted in country traditions rather than acquiescing to radio demands.

While it's not the Clan in full, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better supporting cast. If Tomorrow is, in fact, the group's swan song, 36 Seasons proves that Wu's members can do just fine--and maybe even better--on their own.

Every ounce of pain and acceptance rings true, not only through his raw vocal virtuosity but also thorough very live, immediate-sounding production that leaves deliberate, closely guarded space in otherwise active arrangements.

The whole endeavor has a “live and let live” feel that fits in perfectly with Strait’s laid-back, though never sloppy, attitude.

The Black Keys' eighth long player isn't loaded with obvious hits, and that's more than okay--because this is a brave, varied and engaging collection of songs.

Frontman Randy Blythe still growls his guts out while his bandmates hammer away at economy-sized grooves that suggest an extreme-sports version of Southern rock.

While many artists sound anything but comfortable breaking these kinds of musical barriers, Cullum proves once again that he sounds most like himself when the walls come tumbling down.

Ultimately, the electronic-free approach on the closer of the trilogy results in the Magnetic Fields' most organic effort to date--and it doesn't stray too far from Merritt's pop-leaning background, making it the most successful of its synth-free siblings.

Despite its retro influences, MGMT isn't out of touch: "Lady Dada's Nightmare" is an eerie, instrumental nod to a certain pop star. So to answer Vanwyngarden's question: Yes, it's working.

Martin largely shuns easy romanticism for more assertive messages that celebrate liberation and diversity, themes that can be associated with his coming out last year.

Among the many Odd Future efforts already circulating on the Internet, BlackenedWhite was a wise choice for an attempted mainstream incursion: It's got enough of the outfit's deranged humor to titillate tourists (see tracks "Gunsounds" and "Deaddeputy"), but softens the edginess with a pronounced pop sensibility.

Rich organ swells and muscular horn charts mark many of the 10 tracks, with a live, off-the-floor groove that levitates.

Too many songs fail to equal the quality of the guest list, meaning the substance of Olympia never quite matches its undoubted style.

If you don't finish this part record a hot mess, then you probably didn't have a good time.