The New Pornographers - Challengers

$14.98 (list price), Rock/Pop, Matador

Basic Story: Indie rock all-star’s AC Newman, Neko Case and Dan Bejar (Destroyer) team up once again for their fourth full-length.

Sample: “Fingers in paints/ in paints we brought/ thinking we'd leave them when we're not/ flying the flags of new empires in rags.”

Verdict: As is expected of The New Pornographers, Challengers is a collaborative effort. This time around, AC Newman took charge, writing nine of the 12 songs. Stylistically, there isn’t much change from previous records, but with songs as catchy as “My Rights Versus Yours,” it doesn’t matter. The other three tracks are left for Dan Bejar, who continues to be the bands’ saving grace, taking pop for a hard left turn and giving the record a sense of variety. It’s another solid album that gets better with each listen.

Okkervil River - The Stage Names

$14.98 (list price), Rock/Pop, Jagjaguwar

Basic Story: Following the critical acclaim of Black Sheep Boy in 2005, Okkervil River look to lighten up the mood a little this time around.

Sample: “Midnight late last week/ my daughter’s diary/ didn’t know what it might be ‘til it was open/ I only read one page/ and then put it away/ talk about your big mistakes.”

Verdict: The first three songs on The Stage Names lead you to believe that Okkervil River has done it again. With the fast-paced rocker “Unless It’s Kicks,” it’s hard to believe otherwise. Then suddenly, the songs digress into flat out boring territory where they remain for the rest of the album. By the end, singer Will Sheff’s lyrics become so painfully bad that it makes it hard to go back and take any of it seriously. As it closes, echoing the Beach Boys’ “Sloop John B,” it becomes obvious that the band just lost its steam.

Figurines - When The Deer Wore Blue

$14.98 (list price), Pop/Rock, The Control Group

Basic Story: Denmark’s most collectible figurines return with their follow-up to last year’s sleeper hit, Skeletons.

Sample: Out of the street lights/ up on the top of a hill/ I was dreaming/ my head just needed to chill/ I’ll get it together/ speak to you briefly/ and open your mind.

Verdict: There’s something very charming about the Figurines. They’re quirky and fun but still manage to be taken seriously. Their new album doesn’t stray too far from form, though there is a noticeable maturity in the songwriting. On “The Air We Breathe,” it seems as though Brian Wilson has taken over, if only for a moment. Then the band launches back into upbeat territory, where they seem most comfortable – and rightfully so.

1990s - Cookies

$14.98 (list price), Rock/Punk/Pop, Rough Trade

Basic Story: The Scottish three-piece finally makes their U.S. debut with an album recorded by ex-Suede main man Bernard Butler.

Sample: Hey!/ it’s gonna snow tonight/ I know I will be liking it/ so let’s go!/ stare out of the house/ stare into the white/ put on that dress tonight/ the one your mom don’t like.

Verdict: Covering three different genres of music can be a difficult task, but the 1990s make it sound easy. Their grasp on pop music may stem from the fact that two of their members used to be in a band with members of Franz Ferdinand. While their sound isn’t exactly original, the album does have some really catchy songs, making it highly worth a listen. The first single, “See You at the Lights,” might be one of the summer’s best hits.

Bishop Allen - The Broken String

$14.98 (list price), Indie-Pop, Dead Oceans

Basic Story: New York’s newest buzz band Bishop Allen return with their sophomore album.

Sample: “And there’s a tap on my knee/ bring up your seatback please/ but I know she means/ if you feel like dancing/ dance with me.”

Verdict: Following the release of their debut album, Bishop Allen did the unthinkable. In 2006, they recorded and released an EP for each and every month. For The Broken String, the band included nine re-recorded versions of songs from the EP’s. The songs have been buffed up considerably, losing some of that DIY touch, but they still retain their sense of charm. Is it another pop record? Sure. But it’s one of the better ones you’ll hear all year.

Taken By Trees - Open Field

$19.99 (import list price), Pop, Rough Trade

Basic Story: After ending her 11 year stint as singer and songwriter for The Concretes, Victoria Bergsman takes her first stab as a solo artist.

Sample: “I took myself out walking/ by the evening I was running/ I hadn’t done this for a long while/ my friend said cheer up/ it was high time.”

Verdict: Records as pretty as this drive me crazy. Just when I want to criticize Bergsman for leaving such a great band or for making a solo album as sparse as it is simple, I hear her sweet child-like voice and forget all of it. You might recognize that voice from Peter Bjorn & John’s infectious hit “Young Folks,” whose members aided in the recording of this album. The first single, “Lost and Found,” is the obvious standout and despite its sad tone, it will still leave you feeling cheery.

Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

$15.98 (list price), Rock, Merge

Basic Story: Following the success of, well, basically everything they’ve done, Spoon return yet again.

Sample: Bet you got it all planned right/ bet you never worry never even feel a fright/ never be down/ I said don’t ever/ because it’s gonna keep em’ hangin’ around.”

Verdict: Some bands seem destined to always be good. Spoon prove on this album that such destiny isn’t so far fetched. In fact, they make it seem inevitable. The songs are predominately cut from the same cloth as those on Gimme Fiction but with a few left turns thrown in. “The Ghost of You Lingers” is perhaps the most experimental Spoon has ever gotten, and it succeeds. Best of all is “Don’t You Evah,” their catchiest song since “The Way We Get By.”