While much of Moveys sticks to swaying, midrange tempos, they pick up the pace halfway through, on "At It Again," though the song hangs on to the, by then, well-established hazy, ruminative demeanor. Later, the ambling "Montana" incorporates slide guitar and harmonica without leaving this sighing, world-weary state.

Throughout what is also an evocative set, Emmy the Great conjures images of musician-studded street corners and windblown flower petals alongside characters like "Mary," the unreliable fortune teller.

Sundowner recalls the more relaxed and reflective moods of Morby's earlier albums.

A few of the album's tracks are somewhat formless and not distinctive enough to make a lasting impression, but overall, SIGN is one of the more approachable Autechre releases in quite some time, and an easier starting (or reentry) point for listeners who aren't committed enough to plunge into their headier works.

Throughout Someone New, on top of its hypnotic mix of the strange and familiar, Deland's vulnerable voice helps make her self-conscious, searching commentaries all the more engrossing.

The album's numerous anime references will be lost on listeners who don't follow the art form, but nearly anyone can relate to his confusion, weariness, and desire to set things back on the right path.

Clipped down to 40 minutes, Nobody Lives Here Anymore would have the potential to be a great album; at 77 minutes, it's quality music that somehow wears out its welcome.

Intimate, sensitive, and unabashedly vulnerable, Mama's Boy is far and away their quietest and most introverted affair to date, yet it adds a depth and substance to LANY's catalog that had been lacking from their usual feel-good Gen Z anthems.

The unrelenting Dealing with Demons bears all of the hallmarks of its predecessors, including cover art that belongs on the side of the world's most sinister boogie van, but it aims for catharsis instead of apoplexy.

Bronson's imagination, vivid as ever, makes up for the decreasing variation in his microphone approach.

The likes of Robert Smith, Beck, St. Vincent, Elton John, 6lack, Fatoumata Diawara, and Peter Hook help pull the album away from the realm of solipsism, suggesting that even when the world is largely isolated from itself, there is still the common language of music that binds us all.

While not an essential album for fans of Big Thief, admirers of Lenker's solo work will find another reliably solid, touching set of songs here, and the instrumentals may offer ambient comfort for late, late nights or the sequestered.

Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Rendition Was In) demonstrates Sharon Jones gave 150 percent every time she stepped up to the microphone, regardless of the circumstances, and this album is a testament to her great talent as well as her gift for putting her own stamp on any song she chose to try on for size.

Ultimate Mixes do deliver a state-of-the-art aural upgrade, which is a selling point for fans who have purchased this material before.

Earth to Dora is well-written and imaginatively produced pop for grown-ups that reminds us Mark Oliver Everett is crazy enough to try anything once -- even feeling OK for a while.

Sleepless Night is as warm and comforting as a cup of hot chocolate, and while it hardly seems like a major work (and it isn't), it's thoroughly enjoyable and a reminder that you can hardly do better than Yo La Tengo in making a playlist of treasured oldies.

The boogie that was the trademark of his best-known work is almost entirely absent, and while Bolan's wordplay was often marvelous, many of these artists opt to treat them as grand philosophical statements, ignoring the wit that was so much of his lyrics. A few of the performers make this work, notably Lucinda Williams, who sounds beatific on "Life's a Gas," and Nick Cave, who somehow finds a mournful nostalgia in "Cosmic Dancer."

Even with the occasional programmed drums, some kind of peace is a consistently tranquil set, with enough shape and variety to the tracks to stave off ambient or easy listening claims.

Confetti is an album of brightly colored feel-good songs, meant to light your way to the dancefloor.

The death-centered storytelling of both the lyrics and podcast excerpts works well with Tunng's ever-ambitious blend of mystical folk and futuristic pop, and ultimately Dead Club's perspectives on the great beyond come off as curious and playful where they could have skewed far more fatalistic.

The confidence that courses through Self Worth is matched by Mourn's unguarded songwriting.

Sell Sole II finds DeJ Loaf in full capacity of her powers with an album that's consistent and controlled and doesn't relax for a second. While more songs default to her specific brand of pressurized beats and melodic hooks than brash, energetic anthems, DeJ's aloof confidence comes through even in the album's quietest moments.

It's a vulnerable set steeped in longing and memory, with recurring audio from home-video recordings contributing to its memoir-like feel.

Apart from this one song ["Intrasport"], King Gizzard don't break much new ground on K.G., and while that in itself might be something of a letdown, the result is still quite pleasing.

The results are mostly knotty and easy to get caught up in, though it closes on a spare arrangement of the traditional folksong "My Boy Willie" -- on which Fogarty still leaves his distinct mark.

III is much more concise than other Lindstrøm & Prins Thomas albums, but it still reaches toward the outer limits the way that only their work can.

Live Drugs isn't essential for casual listeners, but for fans (especially those who have been following as the band's sound grew more complex) it's another testament to their unassuming but powerful songwriting.

As a collected album, No Fun Mondays is a bit of a lark, unexpected in its energy but not its contents. With two notable exceptions, Billie Joe Armstrong chose tunes that stay well within his punk-pop and power pop wheelhouse.

Overall, Weird! is an energetic breath of fresh air that doesn't sacrifice heart or a hopeful, supportive message, adding another jewel to Yungblud's crown as princeling of the outcast masses.

The album stays in one lane for the majority of its tracks, with only a few divergences from competitive flexing about wealth or sexual antics for more emotionally reflective tracks. With songs as infectious and as goofy as the smooth, midtempo trap blast "Drankin N Smokin," however, there are no complaints about how Pluto X Baby Pluto keeps the party going.

Tracks with amusing reinterpretations of classics by Hall & Oates, Guy, and David Banner show that the rapper had a good deal of fun while making it, too.

The entire record is a victorious display of self-celebration, but the impact of T.I.'s years in the rap game are felt most directly on tracks where he's matching wit and lyrical dexterity with rappers from the generation that directly followed him.

Cudi wrestles with the same struggles that have plagued him since he began sharing the complexities of his internal world, but at its best, Man on the Moon, Vol 3: The Chosen shows that years of struggle have yielded substantial growth.

What to Look for in Summer is simply more evidence to the fact that Belle and Sebastian's songs are so well made and evocative of such complex beauty, they were never going to stay contained in the lonely bedrooms and limited-edition releases they started from.

It certainly doesn't rock as hard as an OSees album, but the mind-blowing nature of Dwyer's work remains intact and there's absolutely no reason anyone already under the band's spell shouldn't find Panther Rotate to be another vital and inspiring piece of the Oh Sees/OSees puzzle.

Altogether, Edge of the Horizon is a pleasing trip through the psychedelic that bridges the vibes of a past era with sharp production, providing a calming comedown to balance the rest of Groove Armada's catalog.

Going against the grain of both pop and club music, Park's songs are intuitive expressions rather than obvious floor-fillers.

Leading up to the album's release, the band issued a statement that cited "post-punk, new wave, mariachi, new-wave mariachi, dub, hip-hop, and goth rock" as influences, and while there is some evidence that those disparate genres have infiltrated the sonic ecosystem, the unwaveringly idiosyncratic Five Dreams never feels like anything but a Carey Mercer project.

"Blue Deal" is much more easygoing but still intricately arranged, playfully juggling drum breaks and James Brown samples into a funky audio puzzle. Not every track on Second Language keeps up this level of curious energy, but its most exciting moments are concentrated bursts of sheer otherworldliness.

Taken together, it's a fun, adventurous half-hour set that will likely leave those who stick with it wanting more.

It's not completely accurate to say that these songs are more immediate than the pair's earlier material, as they still tend to slowly unfold and reveal themselves, but there are certain vocal melodies or lyrics that leave more of an impression this time.

Heaux Tales doesn't have the heft of Fearless, Love Me Back, or Reality Show, but few contemporary R&B LPs twice its length are as substantive.

Sonically adventurous and rich with experimentation, Petrichor offers plenty to admire, even if the songwriting sometimes takes a backseat to the production.

It's tender and sad without any of the distance that he sometimes puts between himself and his listener, instead offering just a few uncluttered country-leaning songs that are simple, direct, and a little bit lonely.

Even though the album isn't as immediate as his prior work, it rewards repeated listens and some concentration, a smooth experience fit for wasting a day away between the sheets.

While several tracks are less than essential, the mixtape's best songs are powerful enough to make Demidevil the strongest showing of Ashnikko's formidable skills and uncompromising energy to date.

Apart from the foggy, piano-driven beatless interlude "Lido," the tracks pretty much remain in Bicep's familiar club-tooled mode, and while it can seem a bit formulaic over the course of an album, their consistency largely works to their benefit, and Isles sports several undeniable highlights.

Palberta5000 is more mature than anything they've done before but just as playful, and more accessible while impossible to mistake for the work of any other band.

If the musical qualities of Collapsed in Sunbeams suffer from a bit of sameyness by the end, the formula is a soothing, pleasant one with sentiment to spare and, as a debut, full of promise.

Unlike his previous albums, the play times on Dead Hand Control vary widely, with tracks sometimes transitioning into one another. It ultimately has the effect of a night out at the club or, more precisely, a series of 12" extended dance mixes à la the 1980s that are cued up among radio cuts.

The Blue of Distance refers to distant mountains appearing blue due to the scattering of higher-frequency light. An apt name for Saxl's meditative, ultimately wistful-feeling album, it also evokes its persistently immersive water themes.

Even though the Body are clearly trying different approaches and continually pushing their sound into new territory, I've Seen All I Need to See still somehow carries an air of familiarity. ... Nevertheless, by doing away with some of the more extravagant, theatrical elements of the Body's past albums, the release is undeniably some of their most direct and punishing work.

Creating an atmosphere that's brooding, anguished, and at times ecstatic, Divide and Dissolve communicate their righteous outrage in a way that doesn't require words to be explicit and effective.

While the album slowly gathers components and rhythmic complexity as it progresses, it remains cautionary in tone and, for Son Lux, restrained.

Mercurial but persistently larger than life, even in quieter moments, the sophomore set doesn't yield quite as many memorable hooks as Midnight Sister's debut but still holds fascination.

Occasionally the vocals (and the constant name-dropping) become overbearing, but the musicianship is strong and adventurous, taking familiar instrumentation in unexpected directions, and Black Country, New Road are undeniably original.

While Sound Ancestors as a whole seems as lifetime-encompassing as Donuts, it doesn't feel quite as focused. Still, it sounds recognizably like both Madlib and Four Tet while taking their music into directions where neither artist has ventured before, and its highlights are life-affirming.

Hopefully time will lead TV Priest to devise a more individual musical personality, but judging from Uppers, they have more than enough talent to make them a group to watch.

Despite subtle shifts in arrangements, the songs of Good Woman share a certain world-weariness that's balanced with a refreshing self-assurance that -- like the sisters' elegant, blended vocal harmonies -- never loses its composure.

From its opening gossamer notes to the plaintive, minimalist closer, Somewhere maintains Sun June's distinctly aching, intimate form, even through denser sections, floating by like a distracting memory.

As a whole Glowing in the Dark is a mostly solid, well-built album with enough standouts to keep it fresh without venturing too far out of the band's wheelhouse.

Me and Ennui Are Friends Baby isn't an easy listen, but it's a captivatingly beautiful bummer that ranks with the darkest, drunkest, most flailing moments of Leonard Cohen, Cat Power, and other perpetually sad-hearted songwriters.

Since it's inextricably linked to the eponymous movie -- which generated plenty of controversy and public outcry for its portrayal of a non-verbal autistic woman by Sia's longtime public stand-in, neurotypical dancer Maddie Ziegler -- MUSIC might suffer from that burden of connection, which is a pity because it's actually quite good.

Even with the quick-shifting styles, the emotional charge of the songs and Mulherin's distinctive songwriting sensibilities expand nothing,nowhere's range and keep the album from devolving into a scattered mess.

Despite the bigger sound on average, however, Baker's brutal lyrical authenticity remains the main attraction.

If this album could stand a bit of editing to make it more concise, it leaves no doubt they have the talent and vision to be an artist who is going to be around for a while, and it's fascinating to imagine where they can go next. Terra Firma shows where they are now is already pretty impressive.

With nothing to prove and never having seemed too concerned about impressing anyone, the Melvins continue to take their wild-eyed chaos anywhere they choose -- Working with God goes to some places that are strange and unforeseen even for them.

Sparke touches on poetic remembrances of people, places, and joys as well as the more preoccupying struggles, making for a mature and poignant introduction.

Listening to Dylan lead these groups through a loose rendition of Harry Belafonte's "Jamaica Farewell," an extended, almost funky jam on "Long Black Veil," a friendly boogie through "Matchbox," and competing versions of Jimmy C. Newman's Cajun country stomp "Alligator Man" is a hoot, plus there's something almost touching in hearing Bob tentatively sing Paul McCartney's "Yesterday" on the same session where Harrison jammed. Nothing major, then, but the modest pleasures of 1970 are certainly worthwhile.

The moody stateliness of When You See Yourself showcases their knack for building melodrama. The downside to this gift is that the album can seem like an interconnected piece, not a collection of songs. Individual tunes don't float out of the ether so much as fade into another handsome moment that's distinguished by production flair as much as it is by melody or hooks.

IAN SWEET's most consistent set of songs to date.

The album's 17 tracks address subject matter including breakups, grief, and struggles with mental health with a mix of pop, R&B, and alternative stylings and song titles like "Good in Goodbye," "Sour Times," and "Stay Numb and Carry On.

If The Pet Parade doesn't break new ground, it does offer comfort and compassion wrapped in a honeyed, effortless indie folk that honors the project's now-long tenure.

Future Times is a meditation on an uncertain era, and while it gets uneasy at spots, it takes solace in the healing powers of nature and remains optimistic that goodness will prevail.

As a whole, Freedom Fables is a beautifully integrated, physical approach to song and narrative; it's a musical adventure as substantive structurally as it is enjoyable viscerally.

It can all be a bit much at times, but this all-in approach to creativity has been VanGaalen's M.O. from the start and his talent remains something to behold.

More rankled moments include the circular anthem "I Don't Care" ("I gotta do what I want to"), but these are outweighed by hard-won gratitude and affection on a set that above all delivers on big hooks.

The upshot is that Justice is one of Bieber's steadiest releases, among the easiest to play from start to finish. The only overdone aspect is the low self-esteem and unworthiness the lyrics either suggest or flatly express in almost every song.

While the materialism and egocentrism in some of the tracks no doubt clash with the film, matters such as survival, self-defense, and power are more frequently raised. Critiques of issues related to white supremacy, from police brutality to voter suppression, aren't far behind.

On the whole, Green to Gold reshapes the Antlers' once somber and brooding chamber pop into something bright and smiling. The songs strip away the sharpness and volatility the band reveled in on earlier albums to reveal a pleasant glow that was all too often hidden in the shadows.

Notes with Attachments is a strange record, but it is also welcoming thanks to an unhurried pace, colorful yet economical production, and restrained dynamics, all carried by the canny, warmly humorous musical instincts of its creators.

The trip is well worth completing despite Sanders' early exit.

Collected, the songs are simultaneously familiar and surprising -- a blend that always was among the chief attractions in Cornell's work -- and while there are echoes of the original recordings here, he shapes each tune to fit his voice and contemplative bent. The inherent power in Cornell's voice can still be heard, but what lasts is the passion and intelligence, emotions that make this a bracing if bittersweet experience.

The soft focus of Under the Pepper Tree is alluring, even soothing -- a record that could calm the nerves of frazzled parents as they put their child to sleep at the end of a long day.

This is more modest than monumental, and that small scale is appealing in its own right.

For anyone who hasn't explored the music Joe Strummer made after the Clash, Assembly works well as a compact introduction.

Many of the EP's six songs began as ideas while the band was recording The Main Thing, but instead of the crisp production and defined hooks of that album, Half a Human harkens back to the hazy dreaminess of the band's earliest days.

This is entertaining from front to back, if not quite as much of a thrill as Waterhouse's previous studio LP.

SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE make willfully unorthodox music and seem to dare listeners to keep up with them and make sense of their art, but those who make the effort are rewarded by the band's unbridled creativity and warped yet radiant sense of optimism and excitement.

Clamm's storm of cathartic energy disguises how intricately constructed the songs are and makes Beseech Me both exhilarating and engaging.

Offering a newly recorded version of Epic by a bunch of different artists turns out to not only be a clever idea, but it also shows how versatile and strong Van Etten's writing is.

Easily his most introspective project.

Easily as good as the music that he released when it was recorded, Mutator is an enticing first dive into the Vega vault that will whet fans' appetites for more.

Fire It Up showcases Cropper's joyous brand of grit & groove with swagger and attitude.

There Is No End delivers more evidence of that. Taeger and Taurelle fully comprehended Allen's musicality and embraced its kaleidoscopic dimensions. As such, it is rendered free of the misdirected, sometimes jagged and piecemeal conceits that litter other artists' posthumous offerings.

Ultimately, this record is a triumph for the band, born out of strange times, and although it may not be their best, their blend of bitter and sweet still rings true.

Based on the profundity of its content and the jagged beauty in its execution, Now belongs in the pantheon of culturally important works that include We Insist! Max Roach's Freedom Now Suite, Eddie Gale's Black Rhythm Happening, and Sun Ra's Nuclear War.

Laconic and acidly textured, Delta Kream is a perfect balance of the Black Keys' lo-fi swagger and keen ear for the Mississippi blues traditions that inspired it.