Her songwriting talent and willingness to experiment was already evident on 2017's Play 'til You Win, but the perfect balance of exploration and poignancy on Overview make it a significant step forward for her.

It may have taken Mogwai 25 years to open up like this, but it was well worth the wait: As the Love Continues is another peak in their long and influential career.

Throughout, the star of the debut remains Kirby's inviting voice and hummable melodies, and, at less than 30 minutes, Cool Dry Place will leave many fans of the singer/songwriter tradition eager for more.

By focusing on bringing light and shade into the margins, the Hold Steady wound up with an album that feels vivid and alive; it's as if the songs themselves have a life outside of the recording.

Largely acoustic with a limited amount of overdubs, Flowers feels somewhat more minimalist than the aesthetically varied Petals -- which isn't to say it's any less impressive. There is a sense that Williams is celebrating her influences.

This unrepentantly unsettled, searching feel makes private LIFE a little less immediate than Ecstatic Arrow, but as they lean into the more experimental side of their music, Virginia Wing share a rich inner life that reveals more with each listen.

These nine songs are some of the most neatly rendered of the band's post-2010 output, but lose none of their mind-bending effect in the production upgrade. If anything, the album finds the Telescopes delivering their messages of self-discovery and cosmic love louder than ever.

While the individual songs may not be as fun on average as those of its predecessor, Lines Redacted does drive home the feeling of dissatisfaction while, like a Ramones under the influence, locking into an admirably irreverent, distinctive persona.

Ultimately landing like a skill set in progress more than an artist fully formed, Super Monster is nevertheless sweet and full of winsome promise.

While one can certainly hear touchstones echoed throughout New Fragility, it has the singularity and focus of one artistic voice.

While slowthai has always been praised for his honesty, he reveals more of himself on Tyron than before, and it's equally as compelling as the sharp social commentary of his debut.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Arriving at a time when so many artists are inspired by his music, Lost Themes III: Alive After Death proves Carpenter is still one of a kind.

If you want to hear Lucero kick out the jams, When You Found Me will not be your cup of poison, but if you want to hear a great American band bear their souls with fearless grace, this is a must.

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.

With In Praise of Shadows, Puma Blue has crafted a deliberate slow burn of a debut album you'll enjoy taking your time with.

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.

Chaotic roll-out notwithstanding, the album is sure-footed and attests to the artist's high standing among the crowd mining pre-disco R&B, jazz, and pop. Celeste and her fellow songwriters and producers -- led by main collaborators Jamie Hartman and Josh Crocker -- have all the knowing, tasteful moves down pat and exhibit some tricks of their own.

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.

Musically and emotionally, there's so much going on that it's sometimes hard to keep up, but Ignorance is a major statement that never feels oversimplified. While she's growing so much with each album that it seems risky to call this Lindeman's best, it's safe to say this is another outstanding achievement from the Weather Station.

Tasjan Tasjan Tasjan is an album that invites -- and benefits from -- full immersion, as it has its own odd, alluring flow. The nods to the past only serve to indicate how thoroughly Tasjan has absorbed Petty and Lynne, finding a way to spin universal pop into something personal and poignant.

I Told You So is grittier, edgier, more confident, and focused on staying in the moment; it's kinetic in its adventurous chance-taking yet surrenders none of the good-time feel, groove consciousness, or energy. Hands down, it's their best outing yet.

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.

The Third Chimpanzee unmistakably feels like a side project. It's intriguing to hear what sounds and moods he can create outside of the context of his band, but even compared to the more fully realized MG, the EP merely sounds tentative. However, it's worth noting that the striking cover art was painted by Pockets Warhol, a capuchin monkey, which is fascinating.

Both nervier and more confident than their debut, On All Fours is a huge step forward from a band that's well-equipped to bring post-punk's legacy into the future.

In sum, those who had trouble with To the Bone, Wilson's well-executed homage to the progressive pop of Kate Bush, Tears for Fears, and Peter Gabriel, may have even more with this. Most fans, however, especially more recent ones, shouldn't find The Future Bites an inconsistent entry in Wilson's catalog, but an arguably minor one that steps sideways instead of forward.

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.

By the time Vertigo Days comes full circle with "Into Love Again," he and the rest of the Notwist have taken their audience on a wild and wise journey of the heart.

While a bit muddled and confusing, the album certainly invites the audience to listen attentively and figure out their own interpretations.

Big riffs battle with the kind of nagging singalong choruses the band have avoided over the years, a combination that makes Medicine at Midnight rush by with the intoxication of a good night out. ... Medicine at Midnight is a speedy, hooky, and efficient record, every bit the party album Grohl promised.

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.

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 album feels like a departure: with its soft orchestral balm and sweet melancholic undertow, OK Human offers a singular, complete listening experience unlike anything else in their catalog.

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.

It would be disingenuous to say the Besnards had been on a downswing prior to this, but in wrestling with mortality they tap into a well of vital energy that makes the group appear revitalized and full of vigor.

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

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.

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.

Simply putting a group of barely-familiars in a room together doesn't necessarily guarantee collaborative magic, but Yorkston & the Secondhand Orchestra complement each other's strengths well on this richly satisfying matchup.

Even if The Last Exit is sometimes a little too wispy, it's still a fitting soundtrack for getting lost on the open road.

If emotionally unresolved, Ongoing Dispute does deliver on engaging hooks and rousing choruses, at least until that wistful outro, "Friends on Ice," which closes the album in a wash of chiming guitars and circular thought.

This being the Rhye album with the most layers, Milosh was wise to employ the brilliant Alan Moulder (My Bloody Valentine, Nine Inch Nails, the Killers) as mixing engineer. Every change pays off.

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.

With Cooler Returns, Kiwi Jr. remains suspended in an alternate reality where it's always the last day of undergrad classes and a group of bookish housemates is hanging on a front porch waiting for a party to start around them. The sophomore semester moves with a little more intention and nuance than the freshman year did, but the year-end celebration is no less of a blast.

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.

Though it was stitched together from outtakes and covers, From an Old Guitar is a fully satisfying album filled with the spirit and vigor that has made Dave Alvin one of the enduring heroes of the Americana music community.

This is a warm, low-key affair, a record about family bonds and togetherness that gets by on its gentle, endearing vibes.

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.

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.

This is a relaxed, generous affair, an album where the featured star and his guests defer not just to each other but to the songs they are singing.

It's not every day when a band makes a second album that's more thrilling than their debut, but Pom Poko aren't an everyday band. Their tricks are always in service of their songs on Cheater, and their excitement about the possibilities of their music is utterly contagious.

While losing some of the pop appeal of his previous work, Whole Lotta Red represents Playboi Carti coming into a new phase of his artistry, however jagged and disorienting the process may be.

The collaborators' willingness to take their songs unexpected places and shift gears multiple times within a single track is one of their most interesting attributes. The Helm of Sorrow continues to push the boundaries of their genre experimentation, and lands in even heavier territory.

These tracks are balanced by a few sparer intimate ones steeped in nostalgia and an uncertain hope. Throughout Two Saviors, Meek's uniquely kindly tenor conveys evocative phrases and settings that likewise stand apart from the crowd.

With Catspaw, Sweet has crafted an album that cuts deep and leaves a strong impression.

While similar in feel to her debut, Magic Mirror is a significant step forward for Charles, who really steps up her game here.

Shame sounds unstoppable on Drunk Tank Pink, yet they also find new ways to channel that energy.

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.

Even at the album's bleakest, Sleaford Mods never sound completely beaten down. Not even a global pandemic and repeated lockdowns can crush their spirit, and Spare Ribs feels like a hearty, timely, and well-deserved two fingers up to the powers that be.

He never pushes too hard, yet he has a light touch, so he sounds as comfortable sliding into a wall of digital sound as he does singing with just an acoustic guitar or two. This gift justifies the considerable length of Dangerous: The Double Album as all the sheer variety proves Wallen can indeed convincingly sing just about any modern country style.

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.

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

A few of the pieces are a bit more abstract, such as the meditative "Illuminations," the title cut to Devadip Carlos Santana and Turiya Alice Coltrane's 1974 collaboration (which remains strangely overlooked within both legends' catalogs), or the performance art avant-disco of Justine & the Victorian Punks' "Still You," a 1979 Peter Gordon production. Otherwise, the group tend to focus on relaxed yet sophisticated pop with a bit of a funk tinge to it.

It's heady stuff, but Wallace and company imbue the proceedings with so much heart and soul -- and considerable pop acumen -- that the compulsion to hear and see where this sci-fi Canterbury Tales will go next never abates.

All too often, this type of record can become bogged down by its own reverence for the period it seeks to re-create, but on Introducing..., Frazer manages to overcome the vintage doldrums with good songwriting and top-notch arrangements.

As anything he's ever given us, full of straightforward, cheerfully impassioned rock & roll with some garage rock and psychedelic touches to keep things colorful, coupled with Fair's individual lyrical outlook. Still talking more than he sings, Fair is much better at bringing the listener in than he was in his earlier days, and his tales of favorite horror movies (both real and imagined) have a homey, less obsessive tone that works in their favor.

The album creates beauty out of fear and uncertainty, and it's among Laura Veirs' most personal and satisfying works to date.

It's a thrill to hear Martin stimulate hip and neck movement again. His juddering drums and cone-toasting bass frequencies are dispensed with more clarity and crispness than ever, while the swarming ambient FX are in full effect, never quite overpowering Dis Fig. Only on the closing "End in Blue" does the voice of Martin's partner dissipate, and once it does, it's already missed, prompting an impulsive rewind.

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.

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

The duo end up complementing each other brilliantly, as their ideas flow spontaneously yet are executed with precision, resulting in a genuinely free-spirited, joyous work.

Not quite as malevolent as the title indicates, it's a little more openhearted than Faiyaz's earlier output, but it does contain flashes of the cynical outlook and more of the remorseless (if sensitively delivered) slow jams for which he's known.

The distorted thumps and dislocated bass of tracks like "UN Sanctions" are intense and mesmerizing, and additional touches like the whooping vocals of "Immortal" or the trancey synths of "Why" elevate the energy level even further.

"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.

The record works as a tribute to the music of Michael Yonkers, hopefully inspiring anyone who isn't familiar with his work to do some investigating, while also providing Dwyer with the creative boost and general head clearing he needed. Best of all, it's a blast of an album that fuses what's great about Damaged Bug and Oh Sees into one giant behemoth of sound and vision that's impossible to ignore.

The seven songs maintain a consistent approach, hovering between terror and transcendence for the albums' duration. ... To maintain this type of tension and still create a listenable, even beautiful album is a rare feat, and exploring this tension is one of the factors that makes Ballet of Apes such an interesting listening experience.

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.

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

Cut live to disc without the possibility for edits or overdubs, mistakes get made, but none get in the way. Make no assumptions, though: Night Dreamer is not a free-for-all jam; the music and charts here may be uncomplicated but are also tightly arranged and sophisticated -- everything is in its proper place, including the grit and grease -- placed in service to the almighty groove, with no room for overplaying or peacocking.

The album is celebratory rather than mournful, channeling the positive, creative energy of these spirits and honoring the fleeting miracle of life.

The Bats' ability to achieve beautiful new results by returning time and again to the same specific set of sounds and inspirations remains one of the best things about the band.

Curiously [on the final track], the drums briefly mutate into skittering drum'n'bass breakbeats before everything goes silent, approximating the sensation of suddenly being jolted awake from a vivid dream. Moments like these keep the album intriguing, and they resonate more deeply with repeated listens.

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.

Evermore as a whole doesn't play as a sad album. Swift enjoys playing with the new musical and emotional colors on her palette for Evermore to anything but a warm balm, a record suited for contemplation, not loneliness.

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.

While the slower songs are fine, sometimes sincere, the growth on Wonder is all evident on the livelier tunes, all of which point toward a more adventurous twenties for Shawn Mendes.

Universal Beings E&F Sides is, therefore, not only a fine follow-up, but a visionary outing of its own that also stands as required listening for post-millennial jazz fans.

El Último Tour del Mundo is Bad Bunny's most adventurous outing. With so much going on, it may take longtime fans a few listens to fully grasp, but the record will ultimately leave its infectious hooks, earworms, and strangeness fully embedded.

Not only does Little Bastards get at everything that makes the Kills equally enduring and inventive, it's a lot of fun, too.

Rollins in Holland is handsomely packaged with rare photos and some lengthy historical essays. The importance of this release cannot be overstated; Rollins' playing here is at a peak of unfettered creativity, communicative openness, and technical acumen.

Dimensional Stardust illuminates the murky depths of Mazurek's visionary sound world even as it evokes strong, benevolent emotions in the listener.

Driven by a restless exploratory spirit, Gengras uncovers something new during nearly every moment of the album, which indeed consists of some of his most playful work.

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.