Broken Gargoyles is yet another tremendous work from one of the most singular, incomparable artists of her era.

Stars like Chris Brown, Shenseea, and Asake join him here and there, but for the most part, the collaborations are underplayed, leaving the spotlight where it belongs: on DML's silky vocals and mellow grooves.

Whether it's a nod of recognition and a helpful hand ("Throne") or a brief dalliance in the moonlight ("Dressed in Black"), All of Us Flames' mission statement is one of resistance, inclusion, and the healing power of finding and protecting your tribe.

Garden Gaia is a varied presentation of the different routes Pantha du Prince has taken over the years, but its different styles contrast more than they conflict, offering up some of the project's most captivating material to date.

Physical Thrills lives up to the title, delivering one of the band's best statements to date.

Despite its occasional unevenness, the album is exciting in both its moments of audience-tested hitmaking and when Megan cracks the veneer of her invincible persona to share feelings that are difficult, messy, and real.

If you're a historically minded Lou Reed completist, Words & Music, May 1965 is a must. Others are advised to approach with caution and keep their expectations in check.

While arguably overlong, The Painter not only feels heartfelt on occasion but offers just enough variety, mainly through its guests, to sidestep sameyness while sticking to his signature sound. Trivia of note: Orbit also did the album's painterly artwork.

Stunning playing, unexpected turns, and precisely detailed sonic architecture are all commonplace elements of Kikagaku Moyo's sound and the stylistic tangents and world-building atmospheres of Kumoyo Island feel more even more like a statement than any of the band's already seriously crafted previous albums.

Everything I Know About Love is a strong first showing from Laufey, an effortless blend of old and new that manages to both comfort with familiarity and excite with possibility.

Even as Quelle Chris' music grows more challenging, it's still highly compelling, and his lyrics are filled with sharp, powerful observations about life, death, success, and failure.

Let's Turn It into Sound is a complex, angular construction, yet it's not a demanding, impenetrable work, as Smith invites the listener to join her on a spirited, boundless journey.

Although Crushing is a hard act to follow, Jacklin pulls it off gracefully here, with an album whose dramatic arc and songs hold their own.

While Will of the People is not as essential as their 2000s classics, it's a quick, satisfying burst of Muse essentials that cleverly forgoes the hits-compilation graveyard in favor of fresh material that honors both their evolution and dedicated fan base.

It's hard to call any of the unheard material a surprise, yet these demos, abandoned ideas, and working mixes help to add a dimension and perspective to Blondie's basic canon. Those original albums and, especially, the big hits are so familiar that they can seem set in stone, but when they're paired with these raw, unheard recordings, the group's nervy, arty spirit is resurrected, so it's possible to once again understand what made Blondie such a striking, special band at their peak.

King may be letting his feelings spill onto the page here -- his originals were written in the wake of a bad 2021 breakup -- but his signature stamp isn't emotionality so much as it's enthusiasm. He gets a thrill out of cranking up his amp and trying to sing as loud as his guitar, and that's the energy that truly fuels Young Blood.

Earth Patterns rewards patience with some positively searing moments.

This is also a fine example of the philosophy of "If it ain't broke, don't fix it," and Get Fucked shows the Chats know what they do best and are here to deliver good obnoxious fun.

Sitting through the entirety of The Last Slimeto is bound to be an exhausting experience to anyone but YoungBoy's many devout fans, but even if it seems to function more as a playlist than an album, it's definitely not monotonous, and the rapper's dedication to the game is unquestioned.

Much of the album follows this complex formula of heavy emotions and sunny sounds, with Lauv finding a way to turn his dark memories, bad trips, and deepest regrets into something digestible and light.

The slower, foggier, harmony-rich "Ofrenda-Flanger-Ego-à Gogo" is a more coherent entry, if utterly psychedelic, although most of the rest of Freeway Lucifer follows the example of the first song, expressing overwhelmed thoughts through a shape-shifting and ultimately surprisingly (if not entirely) listenable and cathartic sequence of tracks.

As a whole, Heavy Rocks [2022] is demanding, wild, and raw, yet needs to be heard in a single listening session. After three decades together, Boris continue to willfully and eagerly engage a tense musical restlessness that keeps them sounding unsettled, ambitious, often feral, and in a class of their own.

Leaving Why Bonnie's previous home-brewed and indie pop leanings behind, 90 in November and its solid songs mark a confident step forward into the domain of dreamy, twang-infused rock.

At so many points throughout Mint Chip, it's really hard to tell if there's anyone steering the ship anymore, and that balance of madness and control provides the album's most exciting moments.

Overstuffed remix collections like this are hit and miss by nature, but Bigger. Messier. acknowledges this with its very title, and its impressive cast takes the original songs in some fascinating directions, making the whole thing worthwhile for fans of any of the artists involved.

As it stands, Chopper's ear-candy synths and vivid production simply add new layers of intrigue to Kiwi Jr.'s unshakable foundation of consistently strong (and pervasively catchy) indie rock songwriting.

Some stellar outside contributions notwithstanding, Cheat Codes stimulates most when Mouse and Thought are sequestered, allowing the latter to leave space only for the occasional instrumental break or rare prominent sampled vocal.

Touching on Hot Chip 's classic themes and sounds as much as it does, Freakout/Release isn't an entirely clean slate, but it does offer some fresh perspectives on their music along with one of their strongest batches of songs in some time.

With the Mountain Goats, John Darnielle has created a vehicle where he finds ways to surprise the listener in fine ways each time out, and Bleed Out is more proof that he's one of the best storytellers indie rock has ever produced.

Viva Las Vengeance is Urie's amorous declaration to everything sumptuously mythic, exultant, tragic, and yes, even silly about loving and aspiring to be a part of the rock'n'roll world. That Urie is completely self-aware about his place in that world makes Viva Las Vengeance all the more delicious.

Whether it's a genuine transformation or just a brief exercise for the pop chameleon, the triumphant Holy Fvck is a refreshing change of pace and an utter thrill to experience for those willing to look past the headlines into the heart of an artist who continues to grow in the public eye.

Even at its most expansive, Success never feels indulgent, and its directness makes it one of the band's most exhilarating records.

McCombs ultimately delivers one of his catchiest and most uplifting albums to date, while touching on enough various musical styles, improvisation, relaxed melodicism, light hooks, and wit to satisfy fans of most any of his previous work.

Though composed and demo'ed in disparate, less than ideal circumstances, Ancient Astronauts is remarkably holistic in its execution, revealing the band's arrival at yet another creative peak.

Even with the compilation-like format of a new voice on every song and unexpected left turns of style and sound, Thyrsis of Etna quickly becomes a singular world of its own, guided by Miszczyk's spacious production and the environment it creates for his collaborators to take chances with their performances.

Doe and his accompanists sound fully engaged even when this music is whisper-quiet, and it's impressive that a record that sounds this casual is so compelling.

His most elaborately designed work to date, Cry Sugar incorporates grandiose strings, gospel choirs, and soulful wails into its fractured, chest-rattling beatscapes. Channeling the highs of formative clubgoing experiences, the best tracks on the record feature giddy synth melodies and overloaded drum patterns, along with ecstatic vocals.

Compared to the grander constructs of their latter-day Oh Sees albums, A Foul Form is a hit and run job where the music jumps in, leaves everyone stunned, and splits before the cops can show up. It's a manic blast of pure energy with lots of smarts if you're looking for them, and demonstrates Osees are never short on daring, ideas, and the skills to make them work.

There's a haunted, kaleidoscopic quality to No Rule Sandy that has the feeling of listening to an old phone message from a loved one you might have forgotten, or watching grainy home movies -- familiar, yet new.

Even when other albums by Panda Bear or Sonic Boom have suggested positivity and low-stakes fun, none have quite delivered that feeling like Reset does.

Tonally, Beck and Depp don't quite mesh -- Beck's guitar wants to soar, Depp stays earthbound -- and instead of generating something rife with tension or an outright failure, the results are just leaden and dull.

2021's Cavalcade found the group exploring a lushly orchestrated avant-prog sound, switching between spiky, angular workouts and softer, more patient compositions. Hellfire moves further in this direction, but with a greater sense of showmanship.

Vol. 2 sounds like the album one might slap on after the Funk Wav Bounces, Vol. 1 party ends and everyone is ready to crash.

Promise of the Real give Noise & Flowers the muscle the music needs, which means the album never sounds nostalgic or stiff: it's a warm celebration of the music made while Elliot Roberts stood by Neil Young's side.

They remain in the same aesthetic ball park. The musical ambition on display in this loose, warm, provocative set remains close to spiritual jazz roots, wandering ethereal blues, and minimal funk.

It expertly combines these global roots traditions with hip urban sounds in a distinctive mix that's at once contemporary and timeless. Well worth the long wait, this is the kind of creative, far-reaching, accessible album that comes along once in a generation.

While a trimmed-down version of the album might have been more consistent, …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead are going for dream-spinning pageantry, and XI: Bleed Here Now is more proof they'll always be true believers in rock's power of spectacle.

Much like 1999, 2000 is a showcase of musically rich throwback production, with jazz-flecked instrumentals and smooth boom-bap beats backdropping Joey's controlled bars and lyrics of New York City life.

From top to bottom, Lacy's strums scratch an itch with a tinge of abrasiveness. Keyboards supplied throughout by sensitive and unobtrusive players John Carroll Kirby and Ely Rise, background harmonies from a quartet of women (including Lacy's sisters), and occasional production help from DJ Dahi and the Internet's Matt Martians all enhance Lacy's sound without complicating it.

It would have been more interesting if 30 Something dug a little deeper into Orbital's catalog, but as it is, it's a good balance of nostalgia and futurism, and a treat for longtime fans.

Where she used to dwell in the shadows, on Something More Than Love she's basking in daylight. Within that brightness, she finds plenty of different textures and sounds, creating music that's every bit as atmospheric as her earlier records but carrying an appealingly lighter vibe.

The LP is top-to-bottom danceable and sequenced with each track setting up the next, through the ecstatic finale, where Beyoncé most potently mixes sensuality and aggression, claiming her man with nods to Donna Summer, Giorgio Moroder, Patrick Cowley, and Larry Heard.

The Wizrd proved that Future can still make career highlights after over a decade of releases yet the formulaic, playlist-packing INLY joins High Off Life as a mediocre interlude in the rapper’s career.

The high quality of its majority shows that the singer/songwriter is at a new creative peak.

With Take It Like A Man, she's made a striking, deeply satisfying album that follows no rules other than what her muse has chosen, and it's inarguably her finest work to date.

This trio displays a kinetic spontaneity even as their discipline shines through. As individuals, they are fluid and attentive; they react to and guide one another sensitively, confidently, and instinctively. Under Sorey's leadership, they reveal that these old nuggets still have plenty of mystery in them ripe for discovery in the right hands.

While the story presumably makes more sense if one had the opportunity to witness the installation, or listen to the audio fiction (released several months after the album), Escapology still works as a stunning experience in its own right. Heavy on brief interludes, filled with buzzing and whirring noises as well as computerized voices, the more developed, beat-driven tracks are incredible fusions of multiple styles of futuristic dance music, showcasing some of Kode9's most complex sound design to date.

Vladislav Delay is a master sound sculptor, and he's able to shape chaotic disarray into something strong and stimulating. Along with both Rakka volumes, Isoviha is some of his most exciting work.

Going Places isn't a particularly challenging record, but that's not the point. Rouse imbues these little vignettes and easy-going love songs with his trademark charm and wit, creating a self-contained mood that has plenty of appeal.

Their debut for the label, Patina, delivers another high-quality set of infectious, subtly varied, vintage indie/dream pop for tuneful ears and stirring souls.

While typically low-key and rustic in nature, with touches of (mostly) atmospheric keyboards and electronics, the album is further distinguished by the use of brief instrumentals that make up about one-third of its extensive track list.

All of it sounds supremely organic and works as a further interpolation of the soulful pop she embraced on Heard It in a Past Life. Surrender is the sound of Rogers coming into her complete self as an artist and choosing to be the positive force for good that she wants to see in both the pop and real worlds.

It's never really obvious who is playing what here, but it doesn't seem to matter on an album so moving, immersive and mysterious, organic and otherworldly. Sprague and her bandmates hanging out on a porch upstate managed to make a record that delivers simple songs, artful sound exploration, deep emotions, and comfort all at once.

Despite the dark undercurrents of the songs, the music doesn't try to fight the mood so much as it allows us to hear about a world where, in spite of the chaos outside, there's some simple beauty to be found even as things fall apart.

Riderless Horse does indeed present her in a new way, though the remarkable talent that was on display in her previous work is still here, as powerful and moving as ever.

The Sadies created something very special here, and Dallas Good was rightly proud of this work.

Despite its panoply of styles and personnel, the album remains consistently interesting while still adhering to the Afro-fusion vibe that is his hallmark.

Greer's vision of barbed future pop isn't easy to immediately understand, but Barbarism is as thrilling as it is challenging, and a rare example of art truly existing on its own terms despite how difficult it might be for an audience to digest.

"Hello, Hi" reveals that even when he's playing quiet so as not to wake the neighbors, he's still keeping it alive, and if you need some music for a quiet morning, this will ease you into the day quite nicely.

The album taps out at 25 minutes, but it's urgent enough that it clearly makes its point within that time frame.

The Last Goodbye is a definite improvement over A Moment Apart, which felt a bit too overcooked in retrospect. Here, they get the balance right, refining their sound without rehashing it, and trying new ideas without sacrificing their own character.

Their renderings of "Don't Worry Baby" and "Wouldn't It Be Nice" may be ramshackle, but much like the originals, they're delivered with unguarded joy and wide-eyed innocence.

TV Priest are still working on an individual sound judging from My Other People, and at the same time they're growing into a more accomplished and interesting band; their obvious talent makes them an act only a fool would ignore.

Those expecting the organic post rock fusion of the bands McEntire and Prekop are best known for won't find it in the meditative lingering of Sons Of, but close listeners will hear the same airy melodic sensibilities and creative restlessness in these chilled-out synth tracks that are at the core of each player's best work with their respective bands.

That McRae also manages to bring a hooky sense of pop joy to the album speaks to her growing maturity as an artist.

While few of the tracks offer much in the way tunefulness, Tividad's lilting, delicate leads on "Junkie" and the borderline power ballad "Butterfly Bulletholes" are among a handful of exceptions.

Songs My Friends Wrote delivers what a good covers record should: it works on its own terms and piques interest in the original versions.

Even though Girls is a brisk nine tracks, there's enough variety and energy to make it an engaging and irresistible listen.

Far from a rehash of Cuz I Love You, Special finds Lizzo revealing new layers to the genuine songwriting and generous spirit that has defined her music since the beginning.

The Resurrection of Rust doesn't suggest the world lost a potential classic when Rusty failed to make a record in 1972, but as a glorious recollection of a youth well misspent, it's hard not to love if you care about Costello at all.

With 2022's Misadventures of Doomscroller, Dawes have crafted one their shortest and tightest albums to date that also happens to be one of their most enjoyably experimental.

It's not all the hits, but as they run through "Just Got Paid," "Heard it on the X," "La Grange," "Tush, "I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide," and "Legs," it feels like they are -- but there's still energy and a palpable joy in how they launch into a groove or extend themselves in a jam and it's still a wonder to hear Gibbons solo.

Working Men's Club dig even deeper into their black disco ball aesthetic, crafting an album full of acidic electronica that straddles the line between atonally robotic industrial music and dancefloor-friendly post-punk.

The artist born Jung Ho-seok delivers emotional depth and irresistible energy. Backed by rowdy production, his aggression, raspy delivery, and tongue-twisting bars take center stage, showcasing the rap-focused perspective that he brings to the BTS formula.

Rushing through in a cloud of distortion and broken snares is fine, but a little subtlety goes a long way to making a band stick around longer. Beach Bunny and Lili Trifilio seem built for the long run and it will be fascinating to listen to them grow.

Entering Heaven Alive feels of a piece with White's previous work, yet the ideas are synthesized and executed in fresh, inventive ways, suggesting that the ungainly Boarding House Reach was indeed a transitionary album to allow him to do music that's as relaxed and vibrant as this.

A lush, sophisticated, and otherworldly project from its earliest days, Nightlands ultimately takes on its most panoramic rendering yet on a track list interspersed with brief, wordless ("Blue Wave," "Song for Brad") or lyrically concise atmospheric pieces, such as the cricket-assisted "Greenway."

By turns frustrating and engaging, The Other Side of Make-Believe is decidedly uneven, especially coming after the frequently great Marauder. Nevertheless, it offers plenty of mood and a little bit of innovation from a band still revealing nuances to their sound 20 years after their debut.

Fans looking for more of Fake It Flowers' sass might initially be disappointed, but Beatopia's quiet confidence and well-rounded musicality feels like Beabadoobee is laying the groundwork for a long and varied career while remaining true to herself.

Highlights include the Carly Rae Jepsen-esque, synth-washed jam "No Problem" (with Felix of Stray Kids) and the frantic sing-along anthem "POP!" Front-loaded with the immediate, pulse-pounding fare, IM NAYEON closes with a trio of sensual and smoothed-out tracks that would make early '90s R&B girl groups proud.

World Wide Pop is flat and uninspired, overdone and undercooked, and filled with dubious choices.

Mallinder's vocal style on this album is far removed from the unhinged paranoia of early CV, sounding much more reserved and shadowy but not vulnerable. This suits the music perfectly, as the rhythms energetically unfold without reaching any sort of climax but are too busy and engaging to recede into the background.

Here she fronts a septet with dreamy acoustic guitars, shimmering layers of percussion, and a sweeping flügelhorn, putting the tune to rest as if it were her own. If You Will is a revelatory exercise.

Jazz Codes is one of Ayewa's most ambitious works yet.

While Serpentina manages to add some fresh highlights to Banks' catalog, it never veers too far from her established formula, for better or worse.

One thing The Versions does have in common with tribute albums is that virtually none of the remakes are preferable to the originals, but it rarely fails to fascinate.

While the rest of the record never quite reaches that level of instantaneous pop gratification [as "Silk Chiffon"], Muna still turn in some of their better songs from there while also taking their sound to new places.

It's an engaging delight that will grow on old fans and likely win Flasher plenty of new ones.