While these songs are spare and direct enough to withstand simpler instrumentation, the arrangements the Chicks worked up with Antonoff are subtle and sly; they wrap themselves around the bones of the melody, accentuating the emotions underpinning the songs.

With each album, they continue on the path of self-discovery and maturity, pulling off yet another effortless display of pop prowess without forgetting the fans that have helped them along the way.

Where 2013's Paramore found the group tentatively transitioning from their pop-punk roots toward a multi-layered '80s synth-pop sound, After Laughter reveals them having beautifully completed the transformation.

If musical adventurousness and short attention spans are viewed as positive attributes, then these 13 short songs offer ample rewards.

If anything, the aptly named LP feels more alive than anything the band has let loose to date, despite having successfully distilled their sound down to its very essence.

Heartache is likely the most mined substance in all of pop music, but Williams applies such panache to the material that it's hard not to get wrapped up in all of the delicious melodrama.

No previous knowledge of his catalog is necessary to get happily lost in the blissful layers of 2012/2017.

Goodnight Summerland is a lovely, occasionally profound album with little if anything apart from the intro that could be fairly called filler, and that would be splitting hairs.

For all the hype and controversy Kneecap has received, it feels like the group is simply getting back to basics and doing what they do best on Fenian, resulting in their most accomplished effort to date.

It's a quietly satisfying album with a determined fragility that makes it all the more moving.

Coming in at just over 50 minutes, it's the band's most streamlined collection of music since 2008's career-defining Rook, and their most vital offering to date.

Pale Green Ghosts has a little something for everyone, and while all of the over-sharing can be a little overbearing, Grant's huge, expressive, and oddly comforting voice acts as a sedative, turning even the saddest, raunchiest, and most uncomfortable turn of phrase into a caress.

The album isn't a comeback but a continuum, and a welcome return from a true oracle of traditional song.

Musgraves slyly waltzes right up to the edge of kitsch without ever crossing over into camp. It's a delicate balancing act that she performs with ease because there's a lightness to her delivery and also to her original tunes.

The album's focus on horn arrangements and roomy, dreamlike production gives it a singular feel, one where listening through the entire album feels not unlike wading through a field of tall reeds as an inexplicably sad autumn day fades into twilight.

Illegal Moves is another strong chapter of Sunwatchers' unique voice and probably their most clear-minded presentation of their collective powers to date.

Given the multitudes within It's a Beautiful Place, it's not surprising that it can take a while for all of its pieces to click together. Nor is it a surprise that this album is more of a grower than Everyone's Crushed -- Water from Your Eyes aren't interested in smoothing out their edges or repeating themselves. They're compelled to imagine it different

It may even be their most consistently impressive and overall most cohesive record to date.

With this album, English has created something awe-inspiring: strange, elemental, and profound. Very little music so masterfully evokes the towering, savage beauty of the natural world, and the insignificance of man in the face of its enormity and power.

The overall tone of Sister Cities is intense and, at times, comes across as unrelentingly dour. Still, the Wonder Years' maturation from suburban pop punk ennui to (literal) world-weary emo desperation feels like a logical progression, and it's hard to fault them for tackling bigger subjects.

Slowdive may not be a dramatic return that will blow people away; it's far too peaceful and calm for that. It will comfort fans of the band, both those who loved them at the time and those who have discovered them in the intervening years, by being very much a Slowdive album. One that feels modern enough, but also very classic at the same time.

No songs are highly energized, but Carey sounds like she's deriving joy from each one.

The set moves from strength to strength, but honestly, this is to be expected, as they made very few missteps on their first two records. Although this doesn't paint a complete picture, the recording does capture the added layers of dissonance and Talbot's erratic on-stage persona, as he switches from a snarling, sardonic showman to a political advocate to a humble bastion of the people.

It's not just a follow-up to their first mildly disappointing venture, it's a bracing reminder of just how thrilling King Gizzard can be at their peak.

While The Monster Who Hated Pennsylvania doesn't necessarily break new ground, it's a strong, affecting set from a songwriter who proves himself among the elite at doing more with less.

Come with Fierce Grace is easy to embrace on its own -- even if some tracks lack distinctive identities. No matter its release as a separate entity, Come with Fierce Grace is part and parcel of GOLD; it's not a mere sequel but a truly worthy companion album.

It would all add up to another listen-to-it-once bit of over-serious Americana noir if the songs weren't so good. But they're good.

While varied in style and arrangements, the album maintains a certain heartfelt, longing tone and unvarnished immediacy that engage in tandem with its solid songwriting core.

At only 23 years old, she already has four albums to her credit and while her talent is obvious, a touch more vulnerability wouldn't hurt.

While Black Times clocks in at more than an hour, its incessant drive, appended by lush textures, a diverse sonic palette, rich dynamic, and melodic variations keep it edge-of-your-seat compelling. All told, it's evidence that the younger Kuti has come into his own with Egypt 80; he is charting his own path from the roots of his father's music.

Wainwright's growth as a composer/arranger and his experiences in the classical realm are apparent here. Though, to his credit as a tunesmith, his words and melodies remain center stage.

Though the sonic palette may be tweaked a little, the band's sense of disdain and frustration toward the little things is still gloriously intact.

Non-vocal tones do occasionally pop up here, most notably some well-placed piano lines, but Barwick's voice is undeniably the focus here, in all its evocative, otherworldly glory.

Dilate proves that the members of Bardo Pond keep finding ways to reinvent their sound, surpassing themselves each time they do.

When an album is as effortlessly warm and pretty as this one is, it's hard to begrudge the band a return to more familiar sonic pastures, and even more so when Mouthfuls suggests that the Fruit Bats' next album will be even more winning.

Walks the narrow path between playful adventurousness and tuneful accessibility with ragged elegance and swaggering confidence.

Transfiguration is a quiet record and might lose some listeners in it's sleepy summer melancholy, but M. Ward is the real deal.

Porcupine Tree makes a triumphant return to experimental, non-linear style with 2007's Fear of a Blank Planet.

Musically, the results are a brighter, tighter, yet more elaborate version of the man's best work, with tracks like "Security" and "Merry Go Round" sounding both flashy and meaty at once.

All the selections on this best-of compilation focus on the high-energy side of the music, but that's no bad thing, and it's enough to make a listener sweat just from the speed and breakneck precision of it all -- it's not just father and son who are outstanding, it's the whole band.

Considering the Black Dog's immense volume of output over the previous few years, it's remarkable that the group's attention to detail and uniquely stern sound remains. And yet, for all the output that preceded it, Tranklements isn't merely another Black Dog album.

There’s a real familiarity at play here, especially with all of the classic rock underpinnings, that makes it awfully difficult to refrain from just listing the artists that so obviously made an impact on the group, but their Bad Company-by-way-of Big Star (see what I mean?) aesthetic is so easy and engaging.

Compton crackles with life and spirit.

The dancefloor-friendly tracks seem to have a classy tech-house shuffle rather than an overblown EDM pomposity, giving weight to her lyrics rather than distracting from them.

Overall, while the album is varied, it's consistently absorbing as it reveals itself with a sense of suspense through its melancholy ambience.

The sound on this set is better than many other volumes in the series. And of course, the music is unassailable in both choice and presentation.

he album is very much substance over style, showcasing East's deft wordplay and storytelling talents without too many flashy distractions. On that end, Karma 3's production is robust and straightforward, evoking another time and place with old-school samples and head-nodding beats.

On 2020 Magik Markers don't just reflect the chaos of a year that felt more dystopian with each passing month; they make the most of the opportunity that difficult times provide to start fresh while honoring time-tested strengths.

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.

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.

Seductive, poetic, and uplifting, Desire Marea's music is powerful in so many ways.

Owusu could have gone any number of ways on his sophomore set, but it's a testament to his artistic conviction that he chose to make something so risky and complex. Even better, he pulled it off.

While it plays a less-sure hand than classic predecessors like YHLQMDLG, it nonetheless proves a welcome gift for the star's dedicated fanbase.

Superchunk have always strengthened their reputation with music that ranks with the most powerful and important ever made, able to move, inspire, and impress no matter the sound or subject. This collection reinforces that notion, and proves that in their second act, the band remain at the very top of their game.

It's a throwback vibe, evoking the flannel-laden days of '90s underground pop guitar groups like Dinosaur Jr., Sloan, and Teenage Fanclub; unabashed touchstones for Anderson whose work on Raspberry Moon believably lives up to the comparisons.

Holo Boy may not be as much of a statement as Box for Buddy, Box for Star, but its charms are undeniable.

Sunbathing Animal began the process with great success, and Human Performance shows that the band is just as vital and alive when it dials the intensity (way) down, cleans up some of the messy parts, and generally grows up in all the right ways.

At nearly an hour long, Grey Tickles, Black Pressure is a dense, rewarding listen from an artist who's becoming more complex, and more direct, with each album.

Here Chapman obviously revels in his continued ability to mine the emotional, psychological, and spiritual terrain he did in his younger years as a songwriter, while adding experiential depth to his approach through a lifetime of profound musical development. In an enormous catalog, True North stands straight-up alongside his finest recordings.

Writer's Block is the work of a band at the absolute peak of its writing and performing skill.

While Cat's Eyes still borrow from a wide range of influences, they do it so well, and with such a sense of wonder, that Treasure House is their most distinctive album yet.

If the final track is an act of public mourning, the rest of J.T. is the loving and appreciative celebration Justin Townes Earle's music deserves.

It takes them to some different places, but the destinations are still quite satisfying, and this is a brave, compelling, and surprisingly moving set of songs. They seem to be glad to be making this music, and we can only be glad they've chosen to share it with us.

It's overrun by the dissonance of half-step progressions and minor-chord crunch, and it's constantly excruciating.

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.

True to its title, Nighttime Stories' best moments appear late.

Moving the effervescent tempos and syncopated dance impulses of her first two albums from backyard parties and rumbling car stereos into the nightclubs, Empress Of's third studio album, I'm Your Empress Of, plays at times like a DJ set, keeping the music and the body in motion.

Anyone with a taste for neo-soul should try Good Things unique flavor. It comes on familiar and comfortable and becomes more rich and rewarding with every return visit.

Time Off contains great songs. It's warm, spacious, sophisticated, and elastic.

Pairing thoughtful craft with spontaneity is no easy feat, but My Days of 58's songs do it effortlessly.

It's the band's most impressive outing to date, and easily one of the best metal albums of 2011.

Joined by an impressive who's-who of traditional British folk, its eclectic array of songs, spanning from the 17th century (Scottish ballad "Barbry Allen") right up to the mid-'90s (Bruce Springsteen's The Ghost of Tom Joad outtake, "Brothers Under the Bridge"), ensures that it's no ordinary covers album.

It's beautiful and thoughtful work from musicians who remind us art can be stark and simple and still find ways to charm and move the listener.

In the Pink of Condition is the work of an artist fully in control of his sound and vision, and Hawkline delivers exactly the album anyone who's been following him wanted.

Musical sophistication meets the gritty danger of live performance; execution matches ambition with crackling energy and soulful expression.

Piteous Gate is a gripping, suspenseful audio thriller, and along with 2015 releases by Fis, Lotic, Rabit, and Amnesia Scanner, it provides an eye-opening overview of how certain corners of the electronic music underground push club-derived sounds into confounding, challenging new directions.

Without question, Jambinai are strikingly original, combining disparate elements into a unique, bewildering sound that resembles no one else.

It's an album that feels lived-in, filled with songs etched from hard-earned experiences with music to match.

Themes of nourishment, transformation, and compassion thread through meandering and often lengthy tracks like "Kukkuripa," "Aery Thin," and "Gull Rock," the latter referring to the distant rock hulking out of the Celtic Sea's golden horizon on the album's cover. For their part, the five other members of Red River Dialect add their own distinctive voices to the conversation, swelling and jangling together in loose formation to create a musical landscape that, if photographed, might look very much like that sea-encircled rock, dark in its own solidarity among the sun-crested waves.

As vocalists and songwriters, Kacy & Clayton have proven to be as consistently satisfying and emotionally resonant as anyone in contemporary folk, and Carrying On finds them making their homeland very proud indeed.

It's uplifting, ebullient music for the mind to dance to, and an absolute pleasure to behold.

Everyone involved shines, but for Wasser, it's a feather in her cap and an excellent way to kick off the next phase in what continues to be an exciting career.

Arriving after such a long hiatus and during a period of global tumult, Broudie's sweet melodicism and gentle vibes are more welcome than ever on this appealing return to form.

Electrophonic Chronic plays like an old-fashioned long-player instead of a stack of 45s, a heady experience that nevertheless is anchored in R&B. Maybe the thrills aren't as immediate as they are on Yours, Dreamily, yet the free-floating psychedelic soul is alluring, as well as a worthy tribute to Swift.

A Trip to Bolgatanga gets as sunny and upbeat as African Head Charge's live performances or their more polished studio efforts from the mid-'90s, but it maintains the spirit of experimentation and love of speaker-crushing bass they've had since the beginning.

SickElixir is the most challenging listen in Blawan's catalog, which makes it all the more unexpected that it's his first album for such a high-profile label, but it still contains some fascinating material.

In addition to the standouts "Fast" and "Here All Night," the horny "Kiss" is a euphoric house escape that really solidifies this set as one of Lovato's best works.

The gentle push and pull between soft sounds and rich arrangements give the record just enough tension to keep it from drifting off into the clouds, and Sayeg knows just when to inject something interesting when eyelids begin to droop a bit.

Why Should the Fire Die? is a brave album that warrants more than a passing glance from country and bluegrass purists, and the full support of the indie rock/folk/pop community.

Sojourner is an aptly titled monolith, one that invites fans of Magnolia Electric Co. with a "thank you for believing," even as it urges them to take in more of the picture than ever before.

Third Law is a startling, fascinating listen and another triumph for Porter.

If the basic balance remains unchanged, the result has been a sound just enough of the War on Drugs' own as a result, which gets stronger and even more droned out and powerful as the album continues.

It delivers the sound of a mature band coming into its own and learning to utilize its various strengths.

The same anything-goes-attitude, the adherence to all kinds of folk music, whether it's from across oceans, terrains, or alleyways, whether its roots are rural or urban, permeates this recording, making it an Earle record most of all; and that is about as fitting a tribute as there is to Van Zandt.

While the album makes more of an impression as a whole than do individual songs, it makes a lasting one.

Berenyi has been an expert at pairing delicate sonics and pointed lyrics since her Lush days, but Tripla's experimentation and revealing songwriting make it a compelling highlight within her body of work -- and a testament to her drive to keep creating, no matter what.

Like so much of Hanson's music, these songs come on strong from one direction while hiding deeper peculiarities and weirdnesses below the surface.

He's far from catering to the mainstream here, but through it all, the wistful chords and progressions that are such a trademark of his sound act as a sonic through-line. Also uniting the album are immediate, conversational vocals and, similarly, an impression that accompaniment is gathered in a circle playing along by ear.