While Young Widows might not be as loud as they used to be, it's possible that the band's sound is as heavy, or heavier, than it has ever been, making Easy Pain the band's moodiest and most engaging work to date.

Loose, languid, yet structured enough to feel like a proper bit of pop craft, it brings things back to earth, if only for a short spell, its unfettered hippie heart aglow with positivity and possibility.

There's a lot going on here in composition, performance, and production, but it's always focused, never excessive, and always accessible; in some places, it actually approaches the profound.

Ultimately, Mount Kimbie strip away any musical excess on Love What Survives, and leave raw vivid emotion.

With 2024's Short n' Sweet, Sabrina Carpenter reintroduces herself on an instant classic summer album of stylishly fun, smartly-executed pop.

A striking second album, the different perspectives Adore Life bring to Savages' music make them sound more vital than ever.

With Ghosts of West Virginia, he's created some of the most eloquent music he's written in two decades.

There's a lot of subtlety here and it might take a number of listens to fully appreciate Lost Futures' peculiar spread of dynamics. But, like any grower, its slow revelation is part of its charm.

Occasionally, Painted Ruins' drifting meditations border on meandering, but its open-ended beauty is well worth the close listening it takes for the album to fully reveal itself.

Love Songs for Patriots isn't an American Music Club masterpiece in the manner of Everclear or Mercury, but it's certainly a stronger and more coherent effort than the group's last set.

Throughout, Wells' arrangements are excellently matched with Moffat's lyrics and performances song for song.

Once again, HMD appeal to novices and experts alike.

As immaculately crafted as anything else in Greene's catalog, Dawn Chorus is a bleary but vivid journal of the thoughts clouding one's head as morning finally breaks after an earthshaking night out.

Burden of Proof finds Benny the Butcher fully formed after years of development and growth. There's even a marked upgrade in production compared to his 2018 outing Tana Talk 3.

Gumbo isn't worlds removed from any of Young Nudy's previous projects, but it attempts a variety of styles he hasn't focused on before, further expanding an already vast range and continuing a streak of releases that refuse to limit themselves to any one lane.

Two minor complaints aside, For the Ghosts Within succeeds as both collaboration and an aural portrait of what a complete standards recording by Wyatt could offer.

While not as immediately appealing as his prior releases, Nothing Is Still is clearly designed to be appreciated through multiple listens, and it's ultimately a work of considerable depth and feeling.

Much of Reunions mirrors a troubled present, but "Letting You Go" finds room for hope and humanity, and it reinforces the themes of what may be Jason Isbell's strongest solo effort to date.

It's not entirely the same rowdy, lascivious joyriding that made up some of his celebrated early work, but the album's fearless expression of a full emotional spectrum makes it remarkable and at times shatteringly beautiful.

This is Gill's masterwork.

The entire album is a stunning work of highly advanced kaleidoscopic new age pop, and is easily Smith's best and most accessible release to date.

But while De-Loused in the Comatorium may well remove the stigma from the prog and art rock forms it suggests, and is certainly a monument to unbridled creativity, it can also be seen as bombastic and indulgent.

These trips to the dark side add even more depth to an album that's a significant step forward for Blank Realm, and some of their most enjoyable music yet.

Father of the Bride finds Vampire Weekend embracing change and delivering some of their most mature and satisfying music in the process.

One Day I'm Going to Soar hardly justifies the almost-three-decade wait, but it's as marvelously idiosyncratic as any longtime fan could hope to expect.

While the moody "Report on an Investigation" does reveal a bit more emotional depth than much of Minekawa's work, Maxi On! doesn't offer much in the way of surprises; however, it also offers few disappointments.

Electric Version is an enjoyable and easy listen, chock-full of hungry hooks and brimming with indie rock's classic humility.

An album as much about focus and precision as its predecessor was about appropriating and reconfiguring sounds and styles into a psychedelic free for all.

Sparse, noir-tinged melancholia... If David Lynch should ever film a TV series in England, here are the soundtrack composers.

Seldom have banjos, violins, organ, and bandoneon (an old accordion that helps define the band's unique sound), let alone guitar, piano and, stand-up bass, seemed quite as intimidating and brooding as in the hands of this band.

The Grails have once more pushed their own sonic terrain, where all that is familiar to them is woven into a gorgeously textured fabric with all that could be envisioned by them at this point in time, with the listener as the true beneficiary.

If the album has a flaw, it's the excessive length — 14 tracks in 45 minutes should have been shaved down to ten in 30. But overall, this is a solid effort from a band with a lot to offer fans of aggressive rock who aren't too worried about categories.

Similarly, the loping "Occupational Hazard" and the militaristically epic "Dionysus" have a kinetic flow that is, as with all of Furnaces, both literate and cinematic.

Little Seeds has enough going for it that one hopes Shovels & Rope will start coming up with ideas that match their skill set, but this is not the album that delivers that breakthrough.

This fondness for old-fashioned songwriting gives Feel Your Feelings Fool! a sturdy understructure upon which the Regrettes thread feminism, sneering angst, and ecstasy. All these intertwined emotions give the album an emotional punch that complements its musical rush.

The result is an impressive step forward, an album that finds Natalie Prass straddling the border between the future and the past, just as she promised.

The album is a treat to the ears. It's unmistakably in the tradition of soul and funk older than the artist himself, but could not have been made any earlier than the late 2010s.

Simply incredible, timeless, and placeless music.

At just 28 minutes, Alphabetland fires on all cylinders throughout and bows out before it can wear out its welcome; it's a nearly miraculous example of a band returning to the studio after a long layoff and delivering at full strength.

Rose is arguably still at her best on the more intimate balladry, such as on album highlights "Dusty Frames," with its rippled, watery effects, and the brittlely resilient title track. Nothing here, though, is a misfire, as Rose deftly navigates these new approaches.

Sheff has proven himself again and again to be a gifted wordsmith, and Stage Names features some of his finest parlor room romanticisms and slacker-poet observations to date.

Sunshine Rock is the fourth installment in one of the most satisfying chapters of Bob Mould's career--no small statement considering his legacy--and the tender ferocity of these songs is something no one else could do quite this well.

Vast yet intimate, in some ways Sauna is the most like the Microphones album that gave Mount Eerie its name in the first place.

She's full of fire, uncommonly dexterous both vocally and in emotion -- scathing, instructing, loving, and funny as all get out. All 360 degrees of the Jill Scott experience are presented here.

His songs are delicate but strong, faint yet persistent, and have a deep, almost inexplicable emotional pull.

While it might take listeners a few spins to find the right head space for the album, once they get there, it's an easy place to get lost in.

In some ways Silence Yourself doesn't provide the full Savages experience, but it offers more than enough to make it a powerful debut that suggests they'll become an even more distinctive force to be reckoned with over time.

No matter how many years go by between their albums, the adventures they embark on are irresistible.

She's created a visionary American music that extends its traditions as it embraces others, free of borderlines. City of Refuge shines from West to East, from South to North--and beyond.

On Virgin, she is transcendentally witchy, harmonizing with herself both literally and spiritually, a pop star in the throes of creative rebirth.

Leave It All Behind is a concise and complete set of songs that brings out the best of both producer Nicolay and Phonte.

Fans of Far will be able to appreciate At Night We Live as a further evolution of Water & Solutions, but new listeners will have a hard time finding a fresh experience.

This is an impressive job by a child-prodigy instrumentalist who has accomplished the very difficult task of continuing to challenge himself in productive ways as an adult.

SURVIVAL HORROR is one of the band's best distillations of their extremes, providing just enough brutality without sacrificing their evolving vision of how melodic and experimental a metal band can be.

The Magic Position loses a little focus near the end, but flashes of inspired lunacy like the jarring arrival of a spectral Marianne Faithfull on the spooky "Magpie" help to make this unpredictable collection of Victorian-peaked electro/folk-pop so hard to dislike.

After Drop some might have expected Thee Oh Sees to continue to explore their softer side, Mutilator Defeated at Last confounds those expectations. Blows them up, really, in a giant fireball of guitars, noise, and psychedelic power.

This powerful debut was a long time in the making, but Past Life Martyred Saints will win Andersen new fans as well as thrill longtime ones.

Not only does We Shall Overcome feel different than Bruce's work; it also feels different than Seeger's music.... It's a rambunctious, freewheeling, positively joyous record unlike any other in Springsteen's admittedly rich catalog.

Rundle has tempered her sweeping post-rock cinematics with lyrical vulnerability in the past, but Engine of Hell is a braver and bolder beast, as it lays bare the soul of its creator and dares the listener to reckon with it.

Fans of contemporary punk upstarts like Lambrini Girls, Turnstile, Amyl and the Sniffers, and the Linda Lindas should find plenty to love on Are We All Angels, a refreshing dose of no-frills, youthful punk energy.

he mercurial Hex Key is compellingly weird and rhythmically and melodically catchy, with each of its fluorescent, silver-, or neon-colored tracks holding earworm potential.

When the dialogue is combined with those wonderful performances, On Air: Live at the BBC, Vol. 2 helps paint a portrait of the Beatles just reaching the peak of their powers.

Hawley is a compelling mix of the pastoral beauty of English folk rockers like Nick Drake and the urban cool of balladeers like Scott Walker with a dash of the otherworldliness of Julee Cruise.

[A] fine collection of city-weary poetry.

Forget about long shadows--Williams steps out into the light on Here with Me and proves she doesn't need to use the family name as a crutch.

With South London peers Theon Cross Trio, Ezra Collective, and Blue Lab Beats, they reflect a compelling scene rife with exciting ideas in cultural and sonic cross-pollination. Black Focus is a hell of a first effort.

In its own way, The Consuming Flame: Open Exercises in Group Form is a fitting companion piece to Plastic Anniversary. Like that album, it's a winning celebration of what makes Matmos special, and a tribute to the boundless possibilities of creativity -- especially when it's shared with others.

From the weariness and wonder in its title to the mix of delicacy and anger in its songs, Why Hasn't Everything Already Disappeared? is one of Deerhunter's most haunting and thought-provoking albums.

Ultimate Success Today sounds timely in 2020, but this music would be a smart, compelling accompaniment for staring into the abyss as it begins to look back, no matter what the year.

Cave World is a world away from the band that recorded "Research Chemicals" or "Sports," and they've added some brain power without losing their strength.

A fitting final studio effort.

Cut the World is easily the most revealing Antony and the Johnsons album to date, joining material from various recordings in one extended, sublime document.

Like all Delgados records, it takes repeated drives along the city outskirts to sink in, but when it does there's no going back, and the listener is rewarded once again with something rich, happily overcast, and strangely intangible.

This time out, he's a single short and couple songs too long, but his back is strong enough to carry the weight, proving once again he's one of the Dirty South's most reliable voices.

Even more than some of the group's other albums, La Foret seems guided by dream logic, flowing and crashing unexpectedly.

This is one of the finest chapters yet in Audika's continuing retrospective. Let's hope there is still more where this came from.

Queen of the Minor Key is a reminder that this music at its best speaks to the wayward impulses of the human heart, and Eilen Jewell embodies that quiet, insistent voice as well as anyone making music in the 21st century.

The whole of Impossible Spaces holds together as a strong listen, but in many ways it's the individual moments that stand out above all else.

There is a bounty of rare material, none of which should ever be inaccessible again.

While this album's predecessor evidenced his accomplishment in the instrument's creation and operation, The Orchestrion Project reveals that Metheny's possibilities with it have only been tapped.

While it's no shock that the bandmembers had an album like this in them after all this time, Saves the Day's effervescence makes for a pleasant surprise, giving listeners a brief escape from their day into a world filled with poppy hooks and sparkling melody.

It's a must for any Bloomfield fan, and hopefully will open the gates to a renewed appreciation for this brilliant, manic, and groundbreaking guitarist.

Lucero are musicians and showmen at the same time, and Live from Atlanta captures both sides beautifully. If you're any kind of fan, this is essential.

The rest of the album shows a knack for songcraft and dramatic arrangement that could only have come from learning from the past and forming it in her own very specific way.

The instincts these players offer in these works display the duo's mutual desire for intimate communication and spiritual trust through the medium of sound. Their uncompromising movement toward them results in a shared musical mind that speaks in a distinctive, unique emotional language.

Here ["My Kids Live on Mars" or "I Can't Express My Deep Love" ] and throughout What If, the ways Hauschka explores the possibilities of his music--and the future--make it one of his most intellectually and emotionally engaging albums.

If you liked what transpired on Land of Plenty, you'll love the swirling complexity and good-time vibes of SpiderBeetleBee.

Rich and soothing, it's a focused and warmly crafted debut that sounds unlike anything else in Watson's previous recordings.

Exploring both their known, time-honored chemistry and new inspirations, the vibe that stretches across Songs You Make at Night feels positive and renewed. Always caught in a dream, this is one of the brighter and more hopeful dreamscapes in the Tunng catalog.

On Dark Horses is a far more collaborative affair, and while it still looks inward, it does so with the kind of steely warmth that can only come from somebody who has seen the light at the end of the tunnel as clearly as they've seen the oncoming train.

Rap or Go to the League is a step forward in 2 Chainz's artistry, and reveals sides of his personality that were previously harder to see in the shadow of his enormous persona.

While the subject matter may sound heavy, hard-earned lyrics are delivered throughout the album with a relaxed, affable tone befitting the group's twangy, sauntering indie rock.

No Wahala is an essential addition to any collection of continental African music in general and Nigerian music in particular.

Like Ruinism, Amnioverse is an ambitious, striking record that seems to assess the entirety of existence, and it's hard not to feel moved by it.

If there is one complaint about this beguiling, driving outing, it's that after its 44-minute running time, Gogo Penguin's "magic in motion" aesthetic is so beautifully articulated in this immersive, mysterious music, they will leave listeners wanting much, much more.

Album No. 8 is an intensely personal album that feels like Melua made it for herself first and foremost.

This is not a record for people who like their noise rock packaged nicely or for those who need a melody or song structure; it's for people whose idea of the best thing to do on a Friday night is being locked in a basement with three sweaty rockers bashing out songs with all the fiery energy and unschooled enthusiasm of their heroes.

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.