Unhurried, smooth and easy on the ears.

The Invisible Invasion is far from a masterpiece... but it encouragingly signals a definite progression in the Coral’s thematic and arrangement skills.

Unmemorable and inoffensive, Death Cab has gone from oddball indie-pop kids to mature professionals who now have a lot more people counting on their success.

West is still a better assembler of talent than he is an MC.

A refreshing and revelatory palate-cleanser.

Twin Cinema has the winning distinction of being the most rocking set from the Pornographers to date -- and also the strangest.

Pixel Revolt doesn’t reconcile the political and personal, and that may be the point. But it nonetheless makes for a frustratingly uneven listening experience.

Idlewild may still be figuring out exactly how to juggle its conflicting elements, but there are more than enough truly bright spots on Warnings/Promises to remind the listener of what the band is capable of when it fires on all cylinders -- and even when it doesn't.

Penn’s most unified sounding record.

Body of Song is patchwork and spotty, dappled with a handful of sparkling additions to Mould’s estimable catalog.

The Understanding is one of those bold sophomore efforts that will most likely split fans of the duo into two camps, with the Air/Boards of Canada downbeaters lamenting the new direction and the dance-oriented, Basement Jaxx set reveling in the unexpected vibrancy of Röyksopp’s present sound.

Despite taking few chances thematically or musically, the reincarnated Son Volt delivers a tight, nothing-wasted set.

This isn’t a band looking to be loved so much as it desires a swift kick in the teeth.

An over-baked confection that falls well below its primary chef’s abilities.

But if the album feels less personally tied to Illinois than Michigan was to Michigan, the cost is worth paying: The style and overall sentiment of the new album are more sophisticated than those of its predecessor.

Multiply sacrifices cohesion in its quest for stylistic diversity, but it’s a bravura tour through the smooth sounds and hot jams of yesteryear.

A whatever-sticks debut with meritorious replay value.

Sadly, the album's consistency is also its failing; you can only take so much softness... before you're just listening to elevator music, and after 19 tracks that's what this becomes.

Barring a few notable exceptions, these are the songs that either weren’t good enough or didn’t fit into any of the New Jersey-based group’s proper releases.

Obviously, the peerless craft and genuflecting reverence are beyond reproach; those desiring a more progressive form are out of luck.

"One In Seven" is the best song on the London-based four-piece Engineers' self-titled long player.... The problem: "One In Seven" is the last song on the album. The ten tracks preceding it simply don’t measure up.

Chávez Ravine suffers from an uneven flow due to the varying quality of the material.

On the whole Electrified offers too much syrup.

The majority of the vocals are so tweaked and treated, morphed and modulated as to simply lose any sense of the man himself.

Discover a Lovelier You is a modest triumph, and certainly not indicative of the group’s best work.

One of the stronger debuts released this year.

For the most part, the album's money shots -- the singsong guitar of "The Hardest Part," the eerie U2 evocations in the assured chorus of "White Shadows" -- are fleeting, strung together by unremarkable verses and remarkably generic lyrical sentiments.

This is a mature, reflective work (read: repeated spins are expected to reveal the deeper layers), the sound of a veteran group content with its cult status and simply playing to its strengths: Smartly crafted guitar-pop that will appeal to the faithful and perhaps add an adherent or two.