Best albums
– Danish DJ and multi-instrumentalist Anders Trentemøller continues his progression on Lost, making a haunting album of live-band electronica with a bevy of great guest singers.
– Named for its sense of self, the fifth album from Deer Tick works with an aesthetic that’s equal parts The Boss, indie rock, and old-school country.
– With classic-rock verve, Kings of Leon delivers a new album that’s utterly unashamed in seeking fun.
– On its third LP, post-hardcore four-piece Touché Amoré blazes through 12 densely melodic numbers in about 30 minutes.
– Charismatic and impassioned front-man Dennis Lyxzen (of Refused) presents an English-language LP with INVSN that delivers a nuanced, 1980s post-punk sound.
– Mexican instrumental duo Marbeya Sound delivers a debut that’s indebted to Vangelis, Wendy Carlos, and the like — a pretension-free must-hear on headphones.
Honorable mentions
Black God: Three EP (No Idea)
Dream Theater: s/t (Roadrunner)
Jesu: Every Day I Get Closer to the Light From Which I Came (Shellshock)
Mazzy Star: Seasons of Your Day (Rhymes of an Hour)
Oh Land: Wishbone (Federal Prism)