Matthew Montgomery

Tim Kasher’s latest is his first under his own name, and while it’s is strangely ambitious, don’t expect anything out of the ordinary from the Cursive front man. Musically, this is less downtrodden than perhaps any of Kasher’s catalog — that may not be saying much — but lyrically, The Game of Monogamy sometimes drips with the expected emotion. He doesn’t reveal too much new about his ongoing, unsteady relationship saga; likewise, there’s not too much that will turn new heads in rapt attention to the man.

Having changed their name to be significantly less exclamatory, Oh No Oh My (previously Oh No! Oh My!) is at the whole pop game again, and with it, they've carved out a new spot for their sound. It's a little less playful and a little less cheerful, with a more contemplative approach coming to the fore.

At first glance, Smith Westerns seem to be pumping out some nice, unoffensive indie rock, but further listens see a band busily carving out a niche for themselves. Sure, they're reverb-laden, they've got those fuzzy guitars, and there's often something about Dye it Blonde that recalls dream pop — and bands that fit those short descriptions aren't in short supply. I'm looking at you, "glo-fi" and "chillwave" proto-genres, but that discussion's best saved for another day.

Reverb. That's really what it takes to sum up the sound of Millionyoung in a word — well, reverb, some synth goodness, jangly guitars, and a whole mess of diverse elements may be a more accurate description, but that’s hardly a single word, so it doesn’t much count. That's all on display withReplicants, the first full-length Millionyoung release, which follows a couple EPs; expectations, as a result, have been strong.

This is Robert Pollard at his bombastic best. His 2010 outings tended to hint at being moderately over-wrought, but Space City Kicks feels like a genuine return to form. The man’s best albums are always scattershot adventures, and his latest is no exception.

There’s about as much variety in the latest song from Conor Oberst (this time, as Bright Eyes) as you could probably pack into one single four-minute outing without sounding, well, messy. “Shell Games” manages to avoid that mess by establishing a theme early on, and sure, the post-punk interludes mesh without too much trouble with the crowd shouts, stomping synth, and Oberst’s vocals, but there’s something off here.

Minks doesn’t take a tactical approach to song crafting, and By the Hedge, their full-length debut, makes that abundantly clear. For their first full release, they’ve opted for noisy, cluttered pop music rife with distorted guitars and reverb, floating vocals, and a keen sense of melody. This is music that feels incredibly ad hoc, but the results are engaging enough.