Beach HouseTeen DreamSub PopBy building on the hazy, lush shoegaze and melodic soundscapes of their two previous records, Beach House, the Baltimore dream-pop duo, has created its best album to date. Frontwoman Victoria Legrand’s delicate vocals float lightly above layers of reverb piano, droning keyboards and shimmering cymbal crashes. Gentle harmonies and ethereal, ambient atmospheres call to mind pop icons like The Beach Boys and modern indie favorites like Grizzly Bear. The record is tinged with nostalgia for teenage memories and youthful love.Album-highlight “10 Mile Stereo” showcases Beach House at its best, as Legrand croons melodically over an insistent drum beat, a wave of emphatic cymbals and a gorgeous keyboard loop.AC. ABSHIRE 
Lil WayneRebirthCash Money RecordsSelf-proclaimed “best rapper alive” Lil Wayne takes a new turn by releasing a rock record for his seventh album “Rebirth.” Unfortunately, Wayne’s new sound doesn’t work for him — at all. Crammed with unappealing rock-hip-hop combos, odd synthetic vibes and overdone vocal effects, “Rebirth” is mostly unlistenable. Wayne loses his usual creativity and wit on this effort, instead trading them for auto-tuned dramatics. Wayne may not lose the best rapper alive title because of this less-than-impressive entry in his repertoire, but he should learn the sky may not be the limit for him after all.DM. JACOBS
SpoonTransferenceMerge RecordsSpoon’s long-awaited seventh release doesn’t disappoint as long as the listener is open to change. “Transference” offers a much different sound from the Austin band’s previous albums. If you approach it expecting the catchiness and hooks of 2007’s “Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga,” you might be let down. The band remains true to its sound, but the album is bit of an unexpected turn. Like the Freudian title suggests, Spoon seems more vulnerable than ever, laying all of its emotions bare.”Written in Reverse” opens with a piano riff characteristic of Spoon, and the song is probably the best on the album.”Transference” is one of those albums that needs more than one listen to be truly appreciated. And shouldn’t be evaluated by how it compares to “Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga,” because it has a radiance of its own.B+E. CLAUSEN
Edge of DarknessWarner Bros. PicturesIn his return to acting after an eight-year hiatus, Mel Gibson is as compelling as ever. Too bad that’s just about as far as this film’s appeal goes as director Martin Campbell (Casino Royale) senselessly weaves through the plot of a veteran homicide detective trying to find his daughter’s killer. The film is arguably a less enthralling version of 2008’s “Taken.” But while Liam Neeson seemed to indulge himself in being the one-man killing machine, Gibson pointedly focuses on the character’s grit and determination. Sappy visions of the ghost of Thomas Craven’s (Gibson) daughter are definitely a bit much, but Gibson’s effort shines through.C+B. BOURGEOIS
Los Campesinos!Romance is BoringWichitaWelsh indie-pop septet Los Campesinos! delivers a disappointing exploration into unrequited love with its latest release, “Romance Is Boring.” Lyrics that border on whiny at times provide little relief from the noise congestion and faux-punk-meets-synth pop background that permeates the album. “I’ve learned more from toilet walls than I’ve learned from these words of yours” — a particularly unimpressive lyrical bludgeon from track “We’ve Got Your Back” — appropriately demonstrates the album’s lack of substance.And to convey the musical incoherence of the album, “Plan A” sloppily throws female vocals over clashing ska.”Campesino” may mean farmer in Spanish, but Los Campesinos! don’t produce an agreeable yield with this album.DG. CLEMENTS
 
The Young VictoriaGK FilmsDespite Emily Blunt’s excellent performance perfectly capturing the character of England’s longest-reigning monarch, “The Young Victoria” is a lackluster historical drama. The movie drags on for an hour and 40 minutes before ending abruptly, cutting the narrative short just as the plot seems to be developing. Costumes and sets are stunning, but visuals can’t compensate for the film’s lack of drama. The script often comes across as a bit heavy-handed, with lines like “even a palace can be a prison.” “The Young Victoria” is mostly historically accurate, but Albert and Victoria’s love story is not enough to compensate for the movie’s glacial pace.C+E. CLAUSENEditor’s PickWhen in RomeTouchstone PicturesThe sweet Roman scenery is the only redeeming quality in this beyond cheesy flick. And even the scenery is tainted with the inaccurate and cliche portrayals of Italian life — somewhere Michelangelo is turning over in his grave. Kristen Bell’s unfortunate performance and overdramatic expressions coupled with Josh Duhamel looking aged in his role as a young baseball-cap wearing NYC single make this one of the worst-cast films in a long time. What were Danny DeVito and Angelica Huston thinking, appearing in this disaster? The sweet as pie plot (taking a coin from the “Fountain of Love” and fending off spellbound-admirers) isn’t even worth resolving. The insubstantial film comes off as one of those movies within a real movie — a giant commercial stunt. I’m not sure if the Italian community would be more offended by MTV’s “Jersey Shore” or this catastrophe.FS. LAWSON