Winner of the “Best New Act” award at the Danish Grammys, Choir of Young Believers’ debut is like summer itself--over too soon, but a tremendous joy.

The colors of the view, the hill, and the sky blend into one swirling colorful, confusing masterpiece. Just when you begin to think you might reach overload, you land cleanly on the ground, on your feet. You just listened to Alien in a Garbage Dump.

Soulsavers continue to challenge themselves and are able to produce a great album musically and lyrically. Overall, the album is cohesive and strong on almost every level.

Even though incredibly complex and insanely technical, this is a very quiet, intimate release. There is a vulnerability in this album that hasn't been seen in previous works.

The Bachelor is quite a journey with a clear direction and theme. Wolf is going through an inner struggle and seeks to find a resolution.

So who cares if Esser is clearly a product of his environment, right down to the post-Millennial Morrisey pompadour. Put him in line with several decades of British music that will always satisfy the NME reader within.

The songs have parts that are memorable but your finger is always on the advance button. Overall, pretty good but could use some editing and improvement.

Snow Blindness... is an indecipherable mess of spastic glitches and fuzz.

It's the challenge of hearing Amanda claw her way through relentless electro barrages in an effort to deliver her heartfelt lyrics, that makes tracks like 'DJ' or the melancholy 'Leaving You Behind' (which is assisted by Lykke Li's haunting vocals) some of the most unexpectedly personable material to come out of Diplo's party-centric clique.

The rest of her songs on Anjulie are really hit and miss. Some are catchy enough to enjoy, others are boring enough to forget about.

What’s really impressive here, however, is instead of crafting another album filled with ethical coaching (which was actually a pretty damn good record, by the way), the group found an interesting theme and stuck to it.

Combined with newly found experiences, newly discovered self-awareness and newly refined skills, By the Throat catches this almost-forgotten duo at a new height of the pair's combined powers. Well worth the wait.

Hercules head Andy Butler enters into sizable trances of sonic pleasure, keeping a consistent head nodding and danceable bass line while piling up different elements into an anachronistic salad of old and new melodies all combining and fusing to make something refreshingly current.

This album showcases the fact that every member stepped up to this creative challenge. A thoroughly enjoyable departure until we hear from Jack and Meg.

Depart From Me is a cohesive album of dark hip hop from an MC in top form.

Rated O is relentless enough and mean enough and playful enough to rope us in for 3 albums worth of music.

His dark, gritty boom bap is back. Better than ever.

Fish Outta Water is a very strong project.

While it may be Moby's darkest record yet, Wait For Me should, at very least, serve as an optimistic sign that Moby's independent creative juices are still flowing.

This isn’t exactly a new Wu album. Just think of it as a nice experimental side-project--one that’s 10 times better than their last major one.

A psychedelic journey quite unlike any other that could very well result in the creation of a completely new category of music simply known as Utopia Rap because musically it doesn't get much better than this.

Needless to say, for a band only formed in January 2008, not only is this release very ambitious, but also well meticulously well crafted.

Collas and Marquand hold things down with DJ tightness, while members of bands like TV on the Radio and The Dap Kings let loose in the grooves.

Eugene McGuinness is a time traveling disc where Eugene blends his creativity with sounds of the past. And although this may have not been intentional, it is somewhat still appreciated.

The true brilliance here is what is not done rather than what is. Instead of getting repetitive, drawn out, and maybe even boring, the album concludes itself at a measly yet perfect 11 tracks, clocking in at just under 40 minutes.

The guys do an incredible job of combining both the “Diplo” and “Switch” styles with that of Major Lazer, while still paying respect to a genre they clearly love.

Although at times the tunes become monotonous, the brother and sister group show that they’re going to be around for a hot minute, cranking out anti-Disney channel ditties in the name of all things punk.

A fluid transition is made into album closer Circulation, an exhilarating piece where the not-so-secret-weapon, drummer Moses Archuleta propels the band through the universe that's made Deerhunter's records so repeat-worthy; that place where reverbed typhoons are miraculously contained and space is somehow kept taut.

Given their experience writing and producing for the likes of Kylie Minogue, Madonna and Brittney Spears, it stands to reason why Miike Snow is such an irresistibly captivating album.

British Sea Power have shown their competence and achieved another level of musical integrity--the album, perhaps best enjoyed when paired with the film, nonetheless holds its ground as a standalone product, expanding the mise-en-scène of the film enormously and contributing to the documentary (if perhaps problematic) legacy of Robert Flaherty’s work.

Despite the dead weight of his guest MC, Quik delivers a package full of heat. Nothing new or ground breaking, just good old fashioned West Coast party bounce.

While there's some experimentation with new ideas here, Jhelli Beam is familiar enough to leave Busdriver fans more than satisfied. Unfortunately, it's also unlikely to convert many newcomers to the cause.

That sweet spot between the dancefloor and the moshpit is something that more and more electronic acts seem to be pursuing these days. Freeland shows he's still a vet of that particular tightrope.

On Drift, LA-based producer Nosaj Thing’s debut album, the numerous layers of synths sonically sub in for the verbalization, creating a 37-minute instrumental masterpiece.

Jay Stay Paid is a smooth hip hop ride. It is an effort that should be applauded and J-Dilla is a producer whose contributions will be appreciated from years to come. This album is another piece of evidence that testifies to that truth.

This is a well-rounded album that is as artistically rich as it is sonically pleasing. The Sounds are going to be around for awhile.

Combine some of the best pipes in the game with Grizzly Bear's newfound comfort in executing the grand & epic, and you've got Veckatimest; a total triumph that threatens to dwarf their own previous "House."

The band plainly “rocks” and on Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix they have perfectly translated that ability onto their proper recorded output--for better or worse.

Perhaps unintentional by the authors of the music, BMSR triumph in crafting a nuanced and aesthetically superb effort. Their music is wholesome and sounds delicious enough to eat, what a treat!

This could be a great album with some gentle editing and condensing. Many of these songs cannot support the weight of 8 or 10 or 12 minutes, although the extended length seems to be nearly the whole point of this album.

Featuring the production savvy of Soulwax (who also worked on "Sexor") is an extremely polished and solid release.

More Heart Than Brains is a title that perfectly captures the spirit of this album.

The occasional slow track turned power ballad and the single quirky pop tune are not nearly enough to rescue this record from the depths of the depressing ditch it dug itself into.

We know everything about Marshall Mathers...and on Relapse, he leaves Marshall behind. Instead, he embodies characters that we know aren't him, but allow him to re-channel the shock-and-awe rebellion (and skill) that made him great in the first place.

Rounding out the record with the 15+ minute 'Sequenced,' we're dropped back into the slow catatonia exhibited earlier on--and while this is a perfectly nice place to visit for a quarter of an hour, it may leave you yearning for The Field's previous world of sublime

Although there are moments where you wish for the upbeat, there is a solace to La Llama. For all of you non-spanish and catalan speakers out there, your mind is not forced to translate any of the words either, but simply inspired to enjoy the ride.

Super Animal Brothers III sounds exactly as expected; a dorm room drum machine experiment attempting to capture the zeitgeist of Generation Ritalin, permanently jacked to eleven with no real idea as to why.

The more things change, the more they stay the same. Whether this is in fact always true is quite debatable, but with Miss Kittin teaming up with The Hacker once more for Two, it seems as though they’re as strong as ever.

Espoir is a strong start to a promising international musician’s career.

Hecksher may not have Yorke’s falsetto or vast vocal range, but his delivery is sincere, almost as if each word is a plea to understand his expression. Hecksher’s melancholic state on The Mirror Explodes forces one to sympathize, and ultimately connect with each instrument as its own entity.

Quicken The Heart has allowed Maximo Park to showcase all their strengths, some harder, more distorted anthems, and some gentler, livelier ballads.

No one can deny the Los Angeles group's enthusiasm. However as for Mika Miko's album, their creativity seems numbed by monotonous repetition.

Throughout the album, there are moments of brilliance that standout, but are quickly overshadowed by guest who seem to have been chosen against the groups’ better instincts. If you go in deep, and ignore the co-stars, Divided By Night itself is more than enough to shine on its own.

The vast array of musical styles makes an otherwise mediocre album...a Meanderthal album.

I Feel Cream is pretty good but at the end of the day, it is a transitional album.

Entertainment resurrects the group. Their music disconnects, only to connect again.

If The Horrors began as a Halloween novelty, Primary Colours is like a twisted ending right out of the Twilight Zone--a hype beast that turned out to be a real monster.

Although their name might seem like a stretch when requesting at your local record store, this album is worth a purchase.

buzzes. His talent as a musician shines through in his ability to avoid having his theoretically contrasting influences sound forced together. If anything he has made them compliment each other.

As a whole, Colonia takes on a very operatic, larger than life, almost ABBA-esque quality, which grows a bit tired as the album winds down.

Great Northern may not have learned the art of being musically economical, but perhaps their greatest strength lies in their maximalist tendencies.

The production is fantastic, De La go in with the lyrics and Flosstradamus tied everything together perfectly though.

This is heady material, but it’s also extremely beautiful and catchy, and picks up right where each of their respective solo careers left off.

Although theFREEhoudini won’t have MTV calling or cause die-hard fans of a Busta Rhymes or a Jadakiss to check Themselves out on tour, it will satisfy the duo’s following and provide a taste of what’s to come on their upcoming album, "Crownsdown."

Thankfully this album is only 10 tracks long, otherwise I don't think I could have sat all the way through it. I had trouble enough as it is.

Depeche Mode have produced another album fit to fill headphones and stadiums, leaning more towards a muted commercial than perverted side, but for 30-year veterans there’s really nothing wrong with that.

The result of that little informal challenge is Fortress Around My Heart, the Norwegian singer’s debut album that expertly blends her throaty punk vocals with an infectious pop sensibility.

Dance Mother is musical pixie dust illuminated by a warm neon glow. There is a great sense of magic and wonder in Telepathe’s music, their chirping, fairy-like, multi-tracked vocals providing a feeling of childlike awe.

Fantasies has solid musicianship, simple yet poetic and meaningful lyrics, a myriad of melodies, and hooks that are memorable and exciting.

The album may not be the most cohesive collection of songs, but it’s infinitely entertaining, delicate and precise in its construction, and a solid debut from a couple we can only hope to hear more from.

Taken as a whole, the album does have a certain cohesiveness that’s lacking in most dance “albums” but many of the tracks fail to break new or interesting ground, and it leaves one wishing their potential of last summer could’ve been realized.

With Everything She Touched Turned Ampexian, not only has the frustratingly prolific Guillermo Scott Herren delivered a blinding banger of a record, he’s upped the game that appeared indomitable on 2003’s "One Word Extinguisher."

The only aspect that prevents this album from achieving flawless cohesion is the fact that each track sounds so distinctly different, so much that it’s almost a chore to readjust to the new sounds one is bombarded with from track to track.

The contrasts, themes, and sheer eclectics of the album make for something that any one person can listen to, and relate to.

Two Suns doesn’t have to parade itself around as a concept album to prove that music has always been, and always should be, about telling a story, as Khan does here.

Jewellery, their latest album, plays like an act in a high school battle of the bands.

Doves succeed in giving fans their fix of new music that sounds fresh without altering the formula so much as to alienate any of their devotees.

Nothing lyrically spectacular or hip-hopfluential happens, but this release shows the sometimes troubled Sov finally putting the pieces together.

Devoted fans need not worry, though--the album still holds the melancholic flavor they’ve come to perfect, just with some added twinkling synths, hints at old-school R&B, and a splash of funk for good measure.

Black Dice continues to produce highly interesting music, no doubt, but be warned that it’s not for the faint of heart or imagination.

If nothing else the lyrics are rich, although it gets tiresome to hear song after song of psychedelic fairytales over spaced out chimes and strings.

For Living Thing, they ditch the comfortable confines of the airy, featherweight pop they perfected on Writer’s Block for more sonically adventurous territory and prove in the process that their prior success was not just a fluke.

The duo’s debut does not reinvent the wheel, but Thunderheist delivers a fun, funky dance set that should offer at least a few surprises.

Good Evening is unbelievably catchy and vintage but at times is weighted down by its own obscurity, sometimes becoming far too much background noise and not enough of an active listen to provide enough distinction between tracks.

But if this is not a problem for you (there’s hardly a word of English), then you’ll enjoy the warm dialogue and glacial crooning of an ancient tongue presented over a psychedelic mix of some of the dark continents finest.

Unyielding in its murkiness, but all the while strangely accessible, it is a generous full-bodied offering handed to us by these otherwise blurred figures.

Right from the get-go, whatever "community" Deacon was aiming for seems to be established--the music is inclusive, it's warm, and it invites you in rather than thrusting itself at you, unlike previous Deacon works.

Junior breathes new life into an already overpopulated genre of glitch and synth stab fury.

Doom still holds some secrets, but his lyricism and feel for the funk sweat out of the this album as much as any of his previous, if not more. He clearly shows that he is here to stay, and if anyone was expecting change, they are looking in the wrong spot.

Fist of God is surprisingly decent if you can manage to divorce it from its lame context.

Overall, Listening Tree is all about Tim, and his deep closeted skeletons and inner demons, which are far too abstract to be even remotely relatable or fun to sweat it out to their exorcisms.

Scream may be the most compelling train wreck of an album in recent memory.

Stith’s ability to combine sounds into a sort of post-modern tribal folk is what makes the album so enjoyable to listen to.

The music is fresh and rather hypnotizing.

Ali's lyrics and Ant's production have more to say in a few bars than most MCs and producers are able to in an entire song.

Every single solitary track on this record maintains a cohesive vibe that will keep listeners cruising in their rides until they run out of gas; or weed, which ever comes first.

Dirty Bomb is a double-edged sword that will undoubtedly rip you apart--but trust when I say it won’t hurt.