Rebecca Docter’s Review: “Cope” by Manchester Orchestra
Grade: A
Manchester Orchestra frontman Andy Hull has said countless times in the past few months that the main mission of “Cope” is to be the record that rock music today is missing. After sustaining a near slump with “Simple Math,” the Atlanta alt-rockers have more than delivered. As a band that has always prided itself on being honest, with “Cope,” MO have brought so much honesty, it’s almost brutal. Through all of MO’s work, guitars have gotten progressively louder, and “Cope” is no exception: the record starts off with an unrelenting bang and doesn’t quit for the full 11 tracks. Hull displays his signature loud shrill throughout, but the grand finale, the title track, “Cope,” is saved for the end of the album, leaving the listener with a final taste of the new Manchester Orchestra.

Panya Kroun’s Review: “The Joy of Motion” by Animals as Leaders
Grade: B
Animals as Leaders’ debut album gave fresh and manic insight into jazz fusion and progressive metal. On the band’s second release, “Weightless,” the group explored electronica, but its efforts largely fell flat. On the third album, “The Joy of Motion,” it successfully engineered a formula for cross-genre success. Panicked electronic sounds punctuate faster-than-light riffs, and syncopated beats lend order to their tandem chaos. Listening to “The Joy of Motion” is just that — a euphoric, maddening odyssey through sound. The only mistake this album makes is that some of the songs don’t flow into each other — the transition between “Lippincott” and “Air Chrysalis” are awkward at best and jarring at worst. Despite this flaw, though, the album is still a joy to listen to.

Joshua Jackson’s Review: “Pulses” by Karmin
Grade: D
After four years of YouTube videos and three EPs, pop duo Karmin has released its debut album “Pulses.” The records starts off strong with “Geronimo Intro,” which should be longer than 41 seconds. The intro eases into the album’s title track, in which Amy Heidemann channels her inner Nicki Minaj and Nick Noonan carries the hook. After these first two tracks, “Pulses” flatlines. Slow songs such as “Neon Love” and “Tidal Wave” are not the group’s strong suit. Karmin is at its best when it performs upbeat, bass-heavy songs with catchy choruses. Instead, the group makes a failing attempt at a pop song with a reggae twist on “Gasoline.” If “Pulses” is any indication that Karmin is trying to experiment with its sound, consider its career over.

Will Kallenborn’s Review: Infamous: Second Son
Grade: B-
In this transition period from one console generation to the next, it seems no one is sure what to expect from the next generation. “Infamous: Second Son,” is one of the first games to truly make use of the new hardware the PlayStation 4 provides. It’s a game where everything works. The game’s physics are incredible, and the faces in this game look fantastic; this may be the closest we’ve gotten to game characters looking like actual people. The game also has the entertaining gameplay and interesting story many have come to expect from the “Infamous” series. The major problem with the game is length. Many people have been waiting for this game since the PS4 came out last year, and the game can easily be completed in a few days with limited replay value. Ultimately, “Second Son” is a great example of what the PS4 can do, and it leaves a lot to be excited about for the system’s future.

Gerald Ducote’s Review: “Teeth Dreams” by The Hold Steady
Grade: C-
With 10 years under its belt, American rockers The Hold Steady are back with “Teeth Dreams,” an album of unadulterated heartland rock. Lead singer Craig Finn has never sounded more like Springsteen. If it weren’t for the distinguishing factor of lyrical quality, I could have easily mistaken “Teeth Dreams” as the newest work from The Wallflowers. “Teeth Dreams” sounds like a lackluster ode to American life that provokes images of steam from manhole covers and working people in hardhats sitting on girders. The album sounds Bob Seger-esque Americana with the dreary buzz of Tom Petty’s drug use. As a whole, The Hold Steady doesn’t come up with the right stuff on this album, and it’s the unsatisfactory result of the band being a decade under the influence of American rocking.

Meg Ryan’s Review: Shakira’s “Shakira”
Grade: B+
Shakira’s newest album, “Shakira,” provides such an array of sounds and song types it’s hard not to find something to like on the record. Shakira, who is well-known for her Latin pop sound, expanded to more genres on this album, including rock and country. Her duet with Rihanna, “Can’t Remember to Forget You,” includes rock elements accompanied by guitar and heavy drums. Her duet with Blake Shelton, “Medicine,” has more of a country sound featuring Shelton’s twang. Shakira also includes a good mixture of break-up and love songs to keep from making the album seem like it only has one theme. While this record is a change for Shakira, she still didn’t forget her roots, including two Spanish songs, “Nunca Me Acuerdo de Olvidarte” and “Loca por Ti”. The album’s changes in sound and lyric type keep it from being repetitive, while also staying cohesive.