Crack the Skye follows Mastodon’s uncanny tradition of crafting a brand of heavy metal that is unabashed, mazelike, and above all, fresh.
Whatever Humbug lacks in middle fingers, or even thematic continuity, it makes up for with sinister gazes and scathing ambiguities.
Due to awkward, clunky sequencing, Dark Days/Light Years takes longer to reveal its charms than maybe it should. Despite this, it’s still a marvellous record and evidence that despite their increasing years, Super Furry Animals are a long way from being out of ideas.
He has found his musical voice on Watch Me Fall, and while it may not be the best album of 2009, it’s certainly one of the most enjoyable.
Yesterday and Today is a brilliant sequel, one that retains the strongest elements of its predecessor whilst bravely pushing forward into new territory.
The Crying Light shows us that there is one medium of output that will undoubtedly remain his most naturally beautiful, his most perfect fit.
Bromst is an excellent followup to a slightly more-excellent debut, and proof that Deacon isn't going anywhere.
xx is a fantastically innovative album, and this band is exploring new territory.
In spite of their addition of thickening and texturing agents to the mix, Monoliths & Dimensions is for a select crowd. The only difference now is that Sunn O))) can begin to appeal to the more generalized music fan, and not just their loyal following of metalfeeders content to wallow in the muck.
It is precisely due to the band’s finesse that It’s Blitz! is so refreshing, despite being an old sound wrapped in glitter veneer.
Overall, these tracks feel more like the B sides of Random Spirit Lover, maybe the acoustic B sides, the tracks that didn't quite make the cut but would definitely be of interest to ardent fans.
The major problem is that this doesn’t sound like a band that’s pushing itself any more, or at least not making the same sort of pushes that lead to the brilliant sucker-punch of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and the vastly underrated A Ghost Is Born.
My Maudlin Career is a wonderful set of songs and can deservedly sit alongside Let’s Get Out Of This Country while showcasing how far Camera Obscura have come since their patchy yet charming début, Biggest Bluest Hi-Fi.
By no means a feel-good record, Travels With Myself and Another is rich with enough black humor, sharp perspectives and tight muscular music to make it one of the best rock albums of the year.
Don’t get me wrong, Album’s best songs (Lust for Life, Laura, and Hellhole Ratrace) are utterly essential, but take these out of the equation and there’s really very little to get excited about. Unless you count the band’s back-story, that is.
Neko Case hasn't produced a disappointing solo venture yet, and between Fox Confessor Brings The Flood and Middle Cyclone, her recent production is the strongest of her increasingly beautiful catalog.
Though definitely more of an ode to rock’s past than its present, Primary Colours reflects the necessity for inspiration.
An album so laden with lush densities and provocative melodies that you would be forgiven for thinking this album had taken ten years to make.
Punk's logic of formed recklessness and screaming ever forward thwarts style brackets and punches pigeon-holes; most of the best post-punk punk bands know this, and the Thermals are one of the very, very best. Now We Can See sounds like a pop record, but it still feels punk to the gills.
Embryonic is a true 21st century freak-out and it's only appropriate to end this decade with such an ambitious, intrepid undertaking.
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart can easily be at the forefront of this scene because, simply put, they have the best hooks.
Phoenix are by no means a new act, but Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix offers them the highest internet buzz and recognition they’ve received in their decade-long career, and with good reason.
Regardless of classification, Japandroids have created something pure, something without pretense and without any concern for how smart or cool they will sound. In the underground, where status is more important than comfort, Post-Nothing is a beacon of safety, a true rock record for everyone.
The first two songs are the most accessible work Grizzly Bear’s ever done, and those tracks alone are enough to make Veckatimest worth several listens. Most of this album, though, is going to take way more effort to get into.
MPP is a dense studio record with a prominent synthetic pulse, but AC does not jettison warmth by leaning ‘lectronic, instead defying the sterility associated with its own techniques.