The Head And The Heart * The Head And The Heart - Blushing & sincere folk-pop melodies with a dynamic piano focus that will resonate with a less adventurous crowd. Avett Brothers-lite (B)
I'm From Barcelona * Forever Today - Nothing new from the 186-person band, but entertaining nonetheless. Poppy and uplifting, but without ever surprising or progressing. (B-)
Cass McCombs * Wit's End - "The Lonely Doll" may be the most gorgeous song released this year. The rest of the record oozes with similar earnest, but never quite reaches the level of this fantastic track (B+)
Dawes * Nothing Is Wrong - The sophomore effort from these [not from] Minneapolis favorites sounds awfully familiar, probably because they've been playing nearly every song consistently in their recent stops to the Twin Cities. While they're live shows bring out the energy in the tunes, the record showcases the intricate layering of instruments and vocal harmonies we expect from the four-piece. (A-)
The Elected * Bury Me In My Rings - Rilo Kiley, Salute Your Shorts and Boy Meets World alum Blake Sennett returns with another collection of sunny California-centric tracks to keep himself busy as Jenny Lewis is now traversing the globe solo (or with "Johnny"); only a handful live up to the high expectations he set for himself early in his career. (C+)
Frank Turner * England Keep My Bones - Boisterous and raucous, this is the kind of music you'd expect to hear in a London bar as you're waiting for a pint of bitter to be poured (while getting a chair broken over your back). (B+)
Sims * Bad Time Zoo - Signature Doomtree sound without being redundant. P.O.S. broke out two years ago; Dessa ruled last year. 2011 belongs to Sims. (A-)
tUnE-YarDs * w h o k i l l - I'll forgive the ridiculous grammar of frontwoman/namesake Merrill Garbus on account of the album's thunderous rhythms and intoxicating loops. I really didn't expect to like this album, so color me sUrpR15eD. (B+)
Bon Iver * Bon Iver, Bon Iver - Majestic, encapsulating, epic, and all other synonyms of awesome. A flawless album that will dominate Top 10 lists at year end. (A+)
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