Coldplay “Viva la Vida” (Capitol)

For their fourth studio album, Viva la Vida, Coldplay turned to Brian Eno for help in crafting and refining their sound. The move works remarkably well as both the songwriting and the music demonstrate a focused concentration that suits them well. While the album may not be the knockout blow their label was hoping for, Viva la Vida is a quietly satisfying work that shows some real artistic growth.

Silver Jews “Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea” (Drag City)

Three years after what was probably the Silver Jews’ darkest album, David Berman and company return with Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea, which may very well be the band’s lightest work. That’s on the surface, anyway; these songs about candy jails, party barges and Old San Francisco are lighthearted, but they reveal deeper shades of meaning – and Berman’s typically brilliant yet inviting way with words – on repeated listens.

Dennis Wilson “Pacific Ocean Blue” [Legacy Edition] (Sony Legacy)

When Dennis Wilson’s solo debut, Pacific Ocean Blue, was released in 1977, few had high expectations for it. Dennis’ brother Brian Wilson was, after all, the acknowledged genius and mastermind of the Beach Boys sound and his other brother Carl Wilson had THE voice, so little was expected of Dennis, the pretty boy drummer and near-professional party animal. But Pacific Ocean Blue turned out to be a gorgeous masterpiece, full of a naked, affirming spirit and worlds past and beyond what any of the other Beach Boys were doing at the time. It was also, perhaps not surprisingly, a resounding commercial flop, although critical reaction to the album was strong and positive. With the release of a definitive two-disc set that features a remastered version of the original LP and collects the remnants of the unfinished follow-up album, Bambu, along with other solo odds and ends, a convincing case can be made that Dennis Wilson was the other bona fide musical genius in the Beach Boys.

Wolf Parade “At Mount Zoomer” (Sub Pop)

After a slew of disappointing follow-ups by great indie hopes, Wolf Parade returns with an album that’s even better than their first. Driven by the songwriting power of Spencer King and Dan Boeckner, At Mount Zoomer finds the band sounding tighter, more confident and more mature than they did on Apologies to the Queen Mary. Even if this album doesn’t have the immediate hits of their debut, Wolf Parade proves that they’re in it for the long haul here.

Sebadoh “Bubble & Scrape” (Sub Pop)Indie Rock, Lo-Fi, Alternative Pop/Rock