So, in my hiatus I missed a lot of albums. I’d like to get some kind of opinion out there, so that it doesn’t seem like I totally skipped over some albums (Quite a few of them are recommended listens). Plus, with stuff from The Knife, James Blake, Kurt Vile, and more coming out, I just don’t have the time to give a lot of this stuff proper reviews. So, here’s a roundup!

Autre Ne Veut, Anxiety

Who?: Art pop and R&B artist from Brooklyn, NY

How Do I Feel About It?: It’s a good album that’s too heavy for its britches. It loses traction by the end, but there are some great ideas, especially in the first half.

Choice Cuts: Play by Play, Counting

Leftovers: Ego Free, Sex Free

Score: 3.5/5

Caveman, Caveman

Who?:  Indie Rock group from New York

How Do I Feel About It?: I liked this album. It’s really gorgeous and spacious, so even if it drags on a bit you can get lost in the sound. I also like the guitars and how gorgeously executed the sonic elements are.

Choice Cuts: In the City, I See You

Leftovers: Strange To Suffer, Strange

Score: 4/5 (RECOMMENDED LISTEN!!!)

Charles Bradley, Victim of Love

Who?: 64 year old soul singer who was only recently signed for his 2011 debut, No Time For Dreaming. This is his sophomore album.

How Do I Feel About It?: Great soul music here. Each song manages to combine Bradley’s old, tortured soul with a flair that evokes a feeling of classic 70s soul, like Al Green and Marvin Gaye. Plus, Bradley has some great pipes.

Choice Cuts: Strictly Reserved For You

Leftovers: Love Bug Blues

Score: 4/5 (RECOMMENDED LISTEN!!!)

The Dear Hunter, Migrant

Who?: Boston alt rock group with a wide set of influences and sounds, this is their follow up to their fantastic colors EP series

How Do I Feel About It?: It’s really boring and generic. This does absolutely nothing for me, with no great ideas, and really dopey lyricism. It’s especially disappointing considering ow much I loved his color EPs.

Choice Cuts: An Escape

Leftovers: Shouting At the Rain, Bring You Down

Score: 2/5

Kvelertak, Meir

Who?: A Norwegian Hardcore Punk/Black Metal/ Hard Rock (They combined the three genres) group, with their major label debut (Warner Bros. Sub-label Roadrunner)

How Do I Feel About It?: I’m normally not a man of metal, and about 60% of punk leaves me cold. But this album is awesome. There’s some cool classic rock influences on Bruane Brenn, sweet dynamics all over the place (see Evig Vandrar), and an intense amount of energy. The album is very well put together, and it never drags, which is one problem I tend to have with a lot of harder music. Also, there are a ton of awesome guitar solos on here. I haven’t heard their debut, but this makes me want to visit it.

Choice Cuts: Apenbaring, Bruane Brenn, Nekrokosmos, Tordenbrak

Leftovers: Kvelertak, Manelyst

Score: 4.5/5 (RECOMENDED LISTEN!!!)

Lapalux, Nostalchic

Who? A R&B/ House artist signed to Flying Lotus’ Brainfeeder label

How Do I Feel About It?: This music is absolutely mesmerizing. Even when the album technically loses steam in the second half, it still has a strange and enthralling feeling to it. It’s adventurous, beautiful, and totally worthy of Brainfeeder’s awesome lineup

Choice Cuts: IAMSYS, Guuurl, Without You

Leftovers: The Dead Sea

Score: 4/5 (RECOMENDED LISTEN!!!)

Lil Wayne, I Am Not A Human Being II

Who?: Famous Rapper Lil Wayne’s new album

How Do I Feel About It?:

Choice Cuts: B*tches Love Me

Leftovers: Literally everything else.

Score: .5/5

Milk Music, Cruise Your Illusion

Who?: An Indie Noise Rock group from Washington

How Do I Feel About It: This is a nice album. It does drag a bit towards the middle, and I’m not the biggest fan of the vocals (His voice is a grower). However, I absolutely love the guitar tones and playing here, and the finale is absolutely fantastic. It’s an album that, while I don’t love it (yet), I keep revisiting it. try it out.

Choice Cuts: The Final Scene, Illegal and Free

Leftovers: Dogchild

Score: 3.5/5

Phosphorescent, Muchacho

Who?: A folk and Americana act originally from Georgia

How Do I Feel About It?: As a lover a folk, this is nearly everything I want in a folk album. Great production, wonderful songwriting, along with elements that make songs different and interesting, something that can be hard for Folk music.

Choice Cuts: Sun Arise!, Song For Zula, Ride On/ Right On

Leftovers: The Quotidian Beasts

Score: 4.5/5 (RECOMMENDED LISTEN!!!)

They Might Be Giants, Nanobots

Who?: Indie Pop group that’s been around for…a very long time.

How Do I Feel About It?: there are some nice songs here, but most of the short skits are just throwaway ideas that aren’t worth hearing.

Choice Cuts: You’re On Fire

Leftovers: Like, any song that’s under a minute long.

Score: 2.5-3/5

Rhye, Open

Who?: A “Sophisti-pop” act from LA, which mixes House influences with that new How To Dress Well R&B

How Do I Feel About It: This is a really great debut album. The sounds are all spacious, sparse, and gorgeous. Plus, there are a lot of well written, infectious songs. Plus, I haven’t heard an album this  sexy in a long time.

Choice Cuts: Open, The Fall

Leftovers: Woman

Score: 4/5 (RECOMMENDED LISTEN!!!)

Waxahatchee, Cerulean Salt

Who?: An alt Signer-Songwriter and Indie Folk act currently from Brooklyn

How Do I Feel About It: This is a great album. The guitars, her voice, and her somewhat unorthodox songwriting is absolutely stellar, and this shows promise for even more greatness to come

Choice Cuts; Hollow Bedroom, Swan Dive, You’re Damaged

Leftovers: Waiting

Score: 4.5/5 (RECOMMENDED LISTEN!!!)

Youth Lagoon, Wondrous Bughouse

Who?: A former-bedroom dream pop act from Boise, Idaho. This is his sophomore effort.

How I Feel About It: This album isn’t as fantastic as his debut, but there’s still a lot of greatness here. While sometimes the emotional punch feels missing, it’s still there (Dropla), and some of the psychedelic additions work really well, even if they aren’t as mind-numbingly good as the spacious keys on his debut.

Choice Cuts: Mute, Dropla

Leftovers: Attic Doctor

Score: 4/5 (RECOMMENDED LISTEN!!!)

There will be a part II (hopefully), and that is where I will try to cover anything else I’ve missed or put off (Looking at you Bowie). In order to make this easier for me, and easier for the future, what albums have I missed that you want me to cover? And which future releases do you want me to cover as we move further into April?