On Familia, Cabello celebrates her family's journey and how it helped bring her musical dreams to life.

Hinting at more to come with a little more experience and practice, Growing Up is a heartwarming opening salvo that recharges the punk spirit for a new generation while recognizing, as they sing on the endearing title track, that "there's still a little more growing up" to do.

An impeccable blend of past and present, this is essential listening for indie pop lovers of any age.

Released six years to the day after Phife's death, Forever serves as both the final realization of his artistic statement, and a loving tribute to the memory of the artist himself.

Fans who fell in love with Tillman's sharp social commentary will find plenty to hone in on, but the lush sounds take some of the bite out of his clever barbs and cynical perspectives on love and connection. Even with the strong, considered design of his previous albums, Father John Misty has never sounded so pleasant.

While the songs themselves are more uneven, Pillow Queens' sound is fully formed, with tracks including opener "Be by Your Side" hitting on all cylinders.

He relates without judgment these possibilities for others journeying through this deeply troubled world, rendering I Just Want to Be a Good Man an outsider gospel masterpiece.

It's handsomely crafted classic rock played with flair, wit, and precision, elements that make familiar tropes seem fresh.

All of Widowspeak's experience feels channeled into The Jacket's poetic, poignant songs, and after more than a decade together, they're continuing to build one of the quietly great discographies of the 2010s and 2020s.

Set Sail is easily the band's most mature, far-reaching, affirmative statement. Making it even more indispensable is that it is as infectiously danceable as it is life affirming.

Fans of 2019's Happy to Be Here will be glad to know that the project's sound is tweaked, not redefined, with Lindsay making her vocals more distinguishable from plushy surroundings without compromising their wispy, daydreamy qualities.

Fast-forward a few years and that mid-fi, highly melodic sound [on 2018's Parallel Universe Blues] is fully intact on Past Life Regression. It's a little clearer, sharper around the edges, and less bathed in a kind of third-album VU haze.

Christian Lee Hutson manages to make you care about him and his life even as he artfully reveals his darkest side on Quitters, and while it's hard to tell if he thinks California really is beautiful or if he's one of the doubters, he tells his stories well enough that you'll follow this LP to the end as you try to figure it out.

The energy and inspiration are there, but as the band attempt to write more accessible material, some of the uniqueness of their past work is compromised. Still, you can't say that the album is predictable, and even if not every song hits, the band's exuberance is undeniable.

Biting the hand that feeds is one of punk's great traditions, and it's a relief to find Pup's shambling spirit unsullied by their present status.

Despite the overall trippy and feel-good nature of the set, there's enough for fans of any past era to find an entry point and enjoy the ride.

Ultimately, Immutable delivers the very essence of Meshuggah. While comfortable in their collective skin, they continue expanding their reach by obliterating -- hell, nearly swallowing -- metal's genre boundaries in their long, relentless search for the undiscovered.

The cathartic release is absolutely joyous on this stylish party album, a heaping dose of maximalist escapism from a quartet that just wants you to dance your cares away.

The record has a few interesting outlier songs, like the R&B-leaning Summer Walker duet "Difference Is" or the questionable country-trap experiment "Broadway Girls" with raspy hooks and twangy ad-libs by Morgan Wallen. For the most part, however, Lil Durk commands the flow of 7220 with emotionally complex lyrics that feel confessional and raw on more melancholic tracks like the Gunna-featuring "What Happened to Virgil" and out for blood on charged, confrontational moments like "AHHH HA."

These are recognizably Weezer songs, but they're livelier in execution, benefitting from a palpable sense of playfulness on the part of the band.

Like its three predecessors, Warm Chris blazes its own trail, and following along can sometimes feel like grasping at the last vestiges of a late morning dream. It's both compelling and confounding, like Harding herself.

An album that's trying to move forward and ultimately relieved things are ending, Tell Me That It's Over may not find Wallows any luckier at love, but they're a little older, a little wiser, just as catchy, and more sonically adventurous.

The creeping lurch and distressed fuzz damage of final track "Aurora" bring the likenesses and differences of previous phases of the band into clear focus, closing out Sonancy with a sound that could fit anywhere in the Loop discography but feels especially visceral, more dynamic than ever, and somehow new.

Humble Quest is a mature record in its approach in addition to its theme, a record that offers warm consolation in hours of trouble as well as breezy relaxation during the good times.

Ibibio Sound Machine have always sought to get listeners onto the dancefloor. Electricity reveals that they won't have to coax. Here, they have taken their songcraft, production, and rhythm science to an entirely different level without sacrificing their Afrocentric roots.

Jordan's willingness to allow us inside his head and witness his insecurities and inner dialogue alongside his rage gives this a depth few hardcore bands will ever reach. If you want your ears kicked, Soul Glo can do that like few others, but Diaspora Problems confirms that's hardly the beginning and end of their talents.

Benny's storytelling lyrics are hardened and aggressive as ever, but he balances out his tales of street dominance and underworld dealings with moments of honest self-reflection.

This band have maintained a creative vision that's served them beautifully, and their commitment to the power of dynamics and finding the details of a song by leaving room to ponder the details and textures has led them to write some great material and also find unexplored landscapes in the work of other tunesmiths. Songs of the Recollection captures them doing the latter with grace and intelligence.

Mainstream Sellout feels mostly like a middling attempt to further cross over into pop-punk, this time lighter on ideas and cohesion.

Labyrinthitis is another exciting step forward in Destroyer's never-ending evolution, delivering pleasant confusion and unexpected choices along with the kind of fractured but magical songwriting of which only Bejar is capable.

The overall downplaying of Camp Cope's more emo tendencies plays like a natural occurrence as they age into this satisfying new phase.

At a sleek 33-minutes long, Crash lets songs like "Lightning" -- an unlikely but winning collision of freestyle beats, giddy orchestral synth stabs, and processed vocals -- claim the spotlight they deserve. It may not be quite as striking as how i'm feeling now, but on Crash, Charli XCX once again finds endless freedom in pop's constraints.

Despite the overwhelming emotions, Never Let Me Go is an exercise in control and expert execution that finds Placebo on another level of songwriting and point of view, a welcome surprise at this stage in their careers.

The good news is they're clearly getting better at this, and there are plenty of compelling places the Districts could go next from this vantage point.

While some listeners are bound to mourn the loss of Mattiel's most retro-minded garage qualities, these latter songs attain a stylistic sweet spot between their most accessible and rebellious material, while still -- refreshingly -- completely defying contemporary pop.

Only Love From Now On is a beautiful and satisfying culmination of everything she's done so far.

"Teeth Out, Pt. II" is even more purgatorial, proving that Miller and Kuperus don't need beats to sound formidable. It all makes Becoming Undone one of Adult.'s most harrowing albums -- and all the more impressive because of it.

This is the kind of music only a tiny handful of people are ever fortunate enough to witness, and Forever on My Mind allows us to share that rare privilege.

The Cactus Blossoms remain a proudly low-key affair -- the focus remains on the harmonies of brothers Page Burkum and Jack Torrey -- but the small, telling details help turn One Day into a warm, enveloping listen.

It'll take at least a full listen or two to adjust to the album's structure and arrangement. Once it clicks, it's a truly unique, engrossing experience that plays with one's perception of memory in relation to music, somewhat reminiscent of the Caretaker's work, but far from its sense of romanticized nostalgia.

Not unlike the late Emitt Rhodes, there's some of the cult classic singer/songwriter in Ivey's overall vibe, which seems built for a smaller but deeply devoted arena.

Their formula hasn't coagulated yet, and the subtle changes to their sound mark a well-timed soft progression for the group.

Although Jacob's Ladder is one of the more idiosyncratic albums in Mehldau's discography, there's enough sophisticated and delicately rendered piano work here to appeal to his longtime fans.

Re-emerging after a nine-year gap, their fifth album, For the Sake of Bethel Woods, retains some of the progressive experimentation of its predecessor without losing sight of its sturdy core of songs. In producer John Congleton, Midlake has found a worthy foil and he helps imbue highlights like the gorgeous "Feast of Carrion" and "Meanwhile…" with a sense of elegance and mystique.

The next best thing to sitting in on a Sonic Youth jam session, In/Out/In distills the band's essence so brilliantly that fans will fall in love all over again.

Motomami is as provocative and risky as it is creative. It showcases Rosalía as a master, twisting together the contradictory strands of Latin and Anglo pop with traditional and vanguard forms and fresh sounds into a gloriously articulated radical approach that makes for obsessive listening.

The Alchemist's instrumentals are fluid and bubbling over with unexpected sound combinations, and the inspired nature of Curren$y's performances comes through even when he's at his most laid-back.

Though known for her Ella Fitzgerald-esque skill at interpreting songbook standards and French chanson, Salvant has proven herself a literate and nuanced songwriter in her own right. She brings all of these aspects together yet again on Ghost Song, this time adding in more contemporary cover tunes and other folk traditions she hadn't yet explored.

Despite its generous track list, Hits to the Head never drags -- like Franz Ferdinand's music as a whole, it's very listenable and a lot of fun.

Alienating and cathartic at once, Island Family ends on the collage-like tech satire "Remote Control" for a shared cabin fever experience.

It's easy to wish all four members had been able to work together again, but having the band back in any form and operating at such a high level is a dream come true for all Boo fanatics and should be a nice discovery for younger fans looking for some classic OG dream pop.

EarthGang's rapping could often take a backseat to their grandiose production and arrangements, but Ghetto Gods balances quality vocal performances and detailed instrumentals.

2 Chainz simply doesn't sound as inspired as he normally does, as this short set lacks the madcap wit and energy that flow throughout previous albums of much longer duration. A recharge and change of direction clearly seem necessary.

Raum feels a little bit more like a transitional work than the unexpectedly solid Quantum Gate, but that album seemed like more of an overt revisit of the band's classic sound, while Raum finds them taking more chances and exploring fresh ideas.

Impera is the most unabashed exercise in exultant pop/rock sheen Ghost has issued to date; it establishes an exquisite front in their own quest for global rock domination.

On songs as different as the poignant protest song "Freedom" and the title track's winding musings on existence and creativity, it's both comforting and thrilling to hear Hval breathe life into the everyday so fully.

It makes for a fine second album from a band that could have easily been nothing more than a one-trick pony.

Allhallowtide is another fine example of how Bid and his band are experts at the form. They have been doing this for a long time, and for the past decade there are few bands who have been doing it as well.

Thankfully, all of Who Cares? sounds exactly like Rex Orange County coming into his own.

It's all in good fun, and there are some definite highlights, but Magazine 1 is more of a nostalgia exercise than a genuinely remarkable album.

"Right 2 Left" (with Melé) constructs a tribal house banger using a sample of Busta Rhymes' "Dangerous," which ends up being a good idea, although it feels somewhat unfinished at only two and a half minutes. Still, the mixture of proper hits and slight experiments makes for a well-rounded album, and Diplo contains some of the jet-setting producer's best work since the Hollertronix days.

The home-brewed spectacle of this album makes it easy to visualize CMAT tackling bigger stages in the future. It's a witty and thoroughly delightful debut.

She's added new ideas that make this music feel like a metamorphosis; transforming herself into an artist who has thrown off any generic frameworks that confined her in the past.

Easily Conway's most impressive work to date, God Don't Make Mistakes is a culmination of everything he's experienced and achieved so far, and a bridge to the next phase of his life.

Bulat's melodic, folk-leaning tendencies as a songwriter lend themselves well to this kind of makeover, one that adds a touch of elegance to nuanced vocal performances, if rarely improving upon the original recordings.

If PAINLESS is less ambitious and attention-grabbing than her debut, it sees Yanya makes strides in being more affecting.

For all of its incendiary music, furious soundscapes, and rhythmic madness, Pray for Me is beautifully produced, mischievously strategized, and expertly performed.

Stripped of some of their later sonic ambitions, Band of Horses play to their strengths here on what feels like a solid return to form.

A worthy follow-up to Ignorance and an accomplished work in its own right, How Is It That I Should Look at the Stars makes the most of Lindeman's softly insightful powers.

Perhaps cloaking her personal experiences in the guise of a fictional narrative allowed Parton to allude to her past in this fashion, but no matter the inspiration, these moments are the grace notes that help make Run, Rose, Run a satisfying listen on its own terms.

Track for track, Crown is flawless, the most consistent, musically ambitious, and satisfying album Gales has delivered in a long time, if not ever.

Strictly speaking, there are no surprises or detours within these 16 tracks, yet it's unexpected to hear Marr maintain his drive through a full double album without lagging. He sounds in full command of his craft, and that's a pleasure to hear.

As with every Guided by Voices album, fans will find some songs excellent and some unmemorable, but Crystal Nuns Cathedral's steady approach and considered construction make for more keepers than duds, and one of the band's stronger entries.

The unexpected touches, such as Glasper's own drunk-funk drums on "Shine" and the Theo Parrish-like beatdown house gait of "Everybody Love" (featuring Musiq Soulchild and Posdnous), are as welcome as the familiar ones.

Another step in the direction of propriety may have been one too many, as it stands Backhand Deals slides right into the corporate power pop timeline with just the right amount of vim and vigor.

It's hard to see why most of this album exists beyond letting Ashworth explore and recreate two kinds of music she obviously loves to distraction. Whether anyone should follow along on her quest is up to their tolerance for sift rock platitudes and hard rock cliches.

These are exquisite productions where Le'aupepe's rich, throaty baritone is framed by wiry bass lines, artfully arranged orchestral sections, and spiraling guitar accents. There's a frankness to Le'aupepe's lyrics, as if he's talking directly to you. Yet, even in his most earnest, off-hand moments, he finds poetry.

The focus on deeply intuitive, sophisticated improvisation integrated with Luthert's instinctive, tasteful electronics is welcoming, adventurous, and abundantly creative.

After a decade of artistic exploration and soul-searching, the self-proclaimed "motherf*ckin princess" has reclaimed her pop-punk crown.

This set is a classic-sounding Tears for Fears record, one that makes the listener take emotional, spiritual, and mental inventory of their inner world even as the one outside roils with trouble, violence, and madness. Welcome back gents, we've missed you.

For listeners who miss the simpler early days, All the Truth That I Can Tell is a treasure trove of comfort and familiarity, an utterly relatable collection of growth and hope tempered by the starkness of reality.

Timewave Zero might be a far cry from Blood Incantation's best-known work, but it truly rewards the open-minded listener, and is simply a fantastic ambient album in its own right.

While As I Try Not to Fall Apart probably won't pull in any new fans, it has a sultry, back-of-the-club intensity that speaks to White Lies' ever-deepening artistry.

Everything Was Forever not only shows they're still in strong form, it's as bold and inspired as their best work.

Segarra has wound up with a distinctive album, one that operates equally skillfully on an emotional and intellectual level.

Because of its lack of vocals, The Patience Fader sounds a bit more open and free than A Son, and somehow manages to say more with less.

It all comes together as a beautiful and honest reflection on self-acceptance and the passing of time. Bell invites us into the deeper reaches of his perpetual but ever-evolving dream state, and in the process creates some career-best highlights.

If Sarah Shook has evolved a bit as a person on Nightroamer, as an artist they're as articulate, as fearless, and as smart as ever.

The result of this envelope-pushing is one of their most nuanced and emotionally engaging albums in years, arriving at a different kind of immediacy than can be achieved with loud guitars and angsty hooks.

Cathartic and confident, Prey//IV releases her pain with a diamond-like strength and clarity that is entirely her own.

Sad Cities is the best kind of comeback album; one that has just the right amount of nostalgia baked into the grooves, but also adds in new sounds and approaches. Shapiro and Agebjörn certainly do that and the album is a reminder of just how good heartbreak disco can sound when delivered by people who understand it so well.

Released almost exactly two years after that EP [Texas Sun], Texas Moon is spacier and a little moodier, and Bridges' writing this time gets as personal and spiritual as it does in his solo work.

The sense of low-key but heightened melodrama can be alluring thanks to the open-ended arrangements, yet much of Manticore unfolds at a crawl, so it feels much less visceral than previous Shovels & Rope albums even if it has a greater emotional range.

Ocean Child is a fitting tribute to an artist who's challenged herself and her audiences for the entirety of a lifelong career, and inspired entire sects of music in the process.

Writing happy songs that aren't annoying is a tall order, but Mount and company pull it off with enough flair to make Small World a satisfying microcosm of Metronomy's music.

If that album [7] expanded the idea of what Beach House could sound like, then Once Twice Melody fills in that idea with colors both familiar and new.

Mature and focused, The Kick is a welcome return from Allen, a refreshing and ebullient collection that balances emotional introspection with pure physical joy.

Krüller is one of the most accessible-sounding Author & Punisher releases, but it's still vast and uncompromising.