Tyler's parents worked as songwriters in Nashville. 41 Longfield Street Late '80s is informed by this nostalgia, but it's also a forward-thinking record that pushes its influences into another realm.

Sheeran knows how to please his fans and Play doesn't veer far from his usual formula, shaking things up just enough with the invigorating addition of a couple internationally spiced highlights.

Arctic Moon is a solid comeback from a group whose sound is so influential that it feels like they never left.

For any critics who complained that Hail to the Thief was just too long, bloated, and disjointed, this is the course correction that'll give that album the justice it has always deserved.

This record plays like his shot for glory, and with tracks as hooky and well-constructed as "Mockingjay" or the title track, there's no reason he shouldn't hit the big time.

A far jollier ride than its angsty predecessor, 2023's Other One, Metal Forth leans hard into the group's kawaii metal aesthetic, delivering ten potent sugar rushes that evoke Babymetal's dizzying, confectionery debut.

On Hard Headed Woman, Price might be a stubborn artist who doesn't feel like she owes "the bastards" anything, but she feels like she's keeping a promise, both to her fans and to herself.

Though there's an element of dark humor to the album -- note "Gamma (need the <3)"'s lyrical reference to Michael Haneke's home invasion satire Funny Games -- there's still a lot of sincere joy expressed in these songs, even if it isn't always obvious on the surface.

If Departures and Arrivals: Adventures of Captain Curt has flaws, they don't change the fact it's an audacious bit of record-making that succeeds far more often than it fails, and once again confirms Harding is a major artist whose talents deserve a far wider audience.

Joni's Jazz functions as a kind of sublime playlist, providing a stellar grounding of her work in folk, rock, and pop, while almost constantly reflecting jazz's musical vocabulary and influence.

International is beautiful and painful in equal amounts. Beautiful because one of the great pop bands of the modern era has left such a moving, inspired, and special artifact, painful because it's not fair for them to quit when they can still make records like this.

Ultimately, Carpenter feels like she's writing from her own relatable experience on Man's Best Friend and while her tongue remains firmly planted in her cheek, the album has plenty of pop bite.

These songs are so fun, so triumphant, so full of life that it's easy to feel reassured by them, even when they investigate difficult realities.

While Double Infinity is an album more likely to wash over listeners than stick, its collaborative, impromptu spirit has infectious qualities of its own, and it's interesting to hear that the band expanded outward instead shrinking with the first departure of a member.

The arrangements, often filled with close-miked acoustic instruments and clanging percussion, feel as intimate as the lyrics, yet they're also disarmingly trippy, with electronic effects and processing twisting the sounds into unfamiliar and unconventional textures.

The album balances more violent, hardcore material (the Clipse-featuring "Community") with songs primed for the club (the Miami bass-influenced "WRK" and "Sk8"), with the nostalgic coming-up story "For Keeps" being a highlight.

With JACKBOYS 2 delivering nothing to really bite into, all there is to do is chew on it awhile and spit it back out.

While it's highlighted by evocative tracks like "Fuck Me Eyes" and its mix of smooth synths and dissonant fuzz, and the more intimate "Dust Bowl" ("I knew it was love/When I rode home crying"), like any concept album worth its salt, Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You is best heard in its (73-minute) entirety.

Star Line is vibrant and energetic, with his signature blend of mellow, friendly hip-hop, gospel, neo-soul, and jazz gracing the instrumentals and his voice as high-spirited and charismatic as ever.

An album of big alternative pop tracks which are confused, confusing, and impressively hard to enjoy.

Last Missouri Exit is a thoroughly entertaining debut from a band that knows how to make the most of that most uncommon of musical virtues, modesty.

This sounds like it could be her best album to date, and a strong candidate for "Best of 2025" lists.

With Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party, Williams has crafted an album about letting go and finding a way to move forward honestly, and perhaps most importantly on her own terms.

Everest never strays far from the hard rock and heavy metal foundation that has propelled Halestorm to the upper echelons of the modern rock scene. Instead, it expands their sonic palette, proving that evolution doesn't have to mean compromise.

A remarkable album with more gateways than a knowing mixtape, Essex Honey shows that Hynes is as ingenious as a would-be DJ, A&R, and talent connector as he is as a songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist, and singer.

When Rodney Crowell feels like rocking a bit, Airline Highway gives him all the swagger he needs, and even when he doesn't, he confirms he's nobody's fool and remains one of the best songwriters in the Americana community.

While this album isn't quite as adventurous as The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons, it's among the Hives' most consistent. Like its title suggests, The Hives Forever Forever the Hives is a potent reflection of their blunt force, sharp wit, and refusal to sit still.

Despite its frequently overcast tone, Straight Line Was a Lie is, in typical Beths fashion, dependably catchy and sweetly harmonic.

Choppy alternation between spoken and sung parts continues through much of the program's second half, as Taylor and her guests wrangle with the power dynamics of prospective new love and (with an especially apt Jill Scott appearance) delight in magnetic physical attraction. The erotic slow jams, led by the finely wrought "Bed of Roses," tend to fade out sooner than necessary as well.

This set reveals their mature, fully developed musical language expanded by sonic and harmonic invention.

He has certainly harnessed the zeitgeist.

As a major development from Duffy's early, solitary bedroom recordings, it might be reasonable to expect a bit less of that meticulous complexity here, but they manage to retain that sensibility and arguably bring it to new levels by including the participation of instrumentalists like Blake Mills; Daniel Aged (Frank Ocean, FKA twigs); Tim Carr (Perfume Genius); and Gregory Uhlmann, Josh Johnson, and Anna Butterss from the improvisatory supergroup SML.

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

Like most of Yorkston's best work, Songs for Nina and Johanna succeeds not only because of his talents as a songwriter, but by his choices as a collaborator. He knows when to step back and let others shine.

The Collapse of Everything is a powerful, sometimes harrowing work that lives up to Sherwood's lofty standards.

A triumph of ambition and heart, each of its songs feels like an epiphany.

Legacy: The Creedence Clearwater Revival Years (John's Version) is a potent reminder of how many great songs Fogerty wrote in his salad days with CCR, and shows he still has the energy and spark to give them life, but he might have done a better job of demonstrating the latter if he'd come up with a good batch of new tunes.

Going two for two in the 2020s so far, Deftones maintain their position as one of the greatest bands of their generation. Throw on a pair of headphones and get lost with Private Music.

Songs in the Key of Yikes is proof that Superchunk hasn't lost a step and remains a one-of-a-kind band.

It's not a fun listen by most metrics, but investing some time in its lonely chill eventually reveals a deeper side of DeMarco's musical vision, one of slow rumination that's just as valuable as the combustible spark of his earlier days.

Love Is Like is a return to the core soul and R&B influences that marked the band's early albums, a change that finds singer Adam Levine and bassist Sam Farrar largely taking the productions reins, along with contributions by JKash, Federico Vindver, Elof Loelv, Bobby Love, and Rio Root. The group also wrote a handful of the songs together for the first time in many album cycles. All of this lends the record a unified vibe.

Together, the ten pieces combine to create a surprisingly cohesive whole.

It’s good to see Tyler having some real fun with it, but for a 28-minute project that should be all killer no filler, DON'T TAP THE GLASS warrants more bite.

For all his weariness, Gibbs remains compelling and cogent. This time, JID, Larry June, and Anderson .Paak are the guests, and the track with Paak is (no surprise) both the hookiest and most in tune with Gibbs' heavy ambivalence.

Wishbone is a complete arc, capturing both the elated, tidal-wave euphoria of falling in love and the bittersweet comedown off that wave. And it's not just the feelings of love, but the tastes, the smells, and the thrilling sweaty intimacy of being close to another person in every sense that Gray embodies.

Atmospheric Hammond organ and country-styled guitar help set a sunny stage for songs such as the sultry "Rope You In"; the lusher "Contact High," with its acoustic and 12-string electric guitar, Ace Tone organ, and rim clicks; and the breezy and lilting "Hot Headed," an affectionate tune that regrets giving in to anxiety sometimes.

Molly Tuttle has always had smarts and talent to spare, and on So Long Little Miss Sunshine, she's using her gifts in ways that are new to her, and the risks pay off handsomely; this may not make her into the next Taylor Swift, but by all rights it should win her the larger audience she certainly deserves.

The album may not offer the radical reinventions of Goldfrapp's duo work, but it doesn't need to -- Alison Goldfrapp pioneered these sounds, and on Flux, she's still doing them with effortless elegance.

"Bad Dreams Summertime" is a standout among a truly immersive set, thanks largely to ghostly girl group-type backing vocals, shifting tonal centers, and lyrics that confuse time, imagination, and reality ("False recollections, the wrong soundtrack").

Interior Live Oak is both a little more moving than the wry songwriter's typical output and a little on the long side (among the 16 songs are a handful of six- and seven-minute tracks), although it may be just the thing for a contemplative Sunday afternoon.

ABOMINATION isn't only textbook Osees, it's a bracing reminder to wake up and rock out, channel anger into riffs and drumrolls, and be as punk as punk can be.

It's a marvel of design and execution that registers mostly as activated, unrelenting noise pop and invites listeners to discover something new and joyfully befuddling every time they listen back.

The 13-song set, which includes the streaming hits "Oneida" and "Nose on the Grindstone," combines Childers' alchemical blend of country, bluegrass, and folk with rich gospel harmonies and immersing ambient field recordings.

One of those songs, "Daisies," also involves the unmistakable Mk.gee, and for Bieber it's a career highlight, a gentle rocker conveying an ultra-rare combination of anticipation, patience, and empathy. More often, Bieber's direct and inelegant wordplay is at odds with the hazy sonics.

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.

It's not always an easy listen, but These New Puritans have made a career out of challenging themselves and listeners, a worthy pursuit that they continue here.

Without diminishing her legacy as the mainstream bounce ambassador to the world, this gospel turn ends up being the most meaningful and powerful album of her career to date.

If there's a knock on when i paint my masterpiece's 200-to-16 approach, it's that the album's recording style is its most cohesive trait, with the track list sometimes seeming like a Bob Dylan exercise, followed by a Frankie Cosmos op, a quasi-tango study ("dogs playing in the backyard"), etc. -- even if that playful, adventurous spirit is also part of its charm.

There aren't many surprises here, for better or worse, and it's a pleasant, straightforward collection of reliably rocking jams.

As a whole, it extends not only Younger's musical reach, but also readily reflects the influence of her mentors in this, a music that could only be born in the 21st century, and as such, it's a gamechanger.

With this album, Neale manages to translate existential torment into strange and beautiful sounds, yet again progressing with the chimerical vision of rock & roll that's uniquely her own.

Lonely People with Power finds Deafheaven incorporating the most successful parts of that album into their usual sound, resulting in one of their strongest works.

Headlights is his most unassuming, back-to-basics (Neil Young, Elliott Smith) record in years.

The slightly dubby and distorted "What We Are and What We Are Meant to Be" is the band's own acknowledgement that they're challenging themselves and pushing themselves forward.

The producer expertly incorporates space and silence, with dramatic pauses capturing the listener's attention, and when he does go full throttle with intense beat patterns and distortion, the impact is maximal.

Stylistically, Friday remains as hard to pin down as ever, but in terms of ambition and drive, she's never been more focused.

The eclectic set is built around the concept of a convergence of multiple realities administered by a mystical jukebox.

Seemingly willing to dip a toe in every genre. It's certainly interesting, and often successful, though a sense of continuity is missing from the album as a whole, which feels almost like an anthology. Still, there are plenty of highlights.

With The Future Is Here and Everything Needs to Be Destroyed, the Armed gleefully close the door on whatever shreds of accessibility they dallied with on their last few albums before it, but this unrelenting barrage of excitement and glorious confusion is a welcome replacement.

Throughout BITE ME, Rapp serves up plenty of wry pop charisma, which is more than enough to sink your teeth into.

If Not Winter is the work of an artist who thinks and dreams big, and it secures Wisp's place as one of the acts defining the sound of shoegaze in the 2020s.

These recordings are not just charming, but along with the other studio out-takes, portray a young artist who’s excited about an opportunity to realize his songs to their highest potential, and motivated to do some homework in preparation. Famously, Drake’s music was gloriously, beautifully sad, but The Making of Five Leaves Left helps show that the experience of creating it was a thing of great joy.

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

Digging its claws in after repeated listens, the result is a more nourishing experience that could have longer legs as time goes on.

This may be somewhat of a disappointment for expecting more from the vault: regardless of how good these selections may be, there's only seven remixes and just one demo of a "new" song that wasn't on the original Ray of Light. For more forgiving fans, however, this release offers a fascinating peek into the era, providing more intense, trance-y forays for some much beloved tracks.

Night Moves still know how to spark your emotions, and cuts like the opening "Trying to Steal a Smile" and "Almost Perfect," as with all Double Life, have a bittersweet romanticism about them that pairs nicely with the band's clubby, strut-ready attitude.

Tere are precious few singer/songwriters with Patty Griffin's level of craft, empathy, and wisdom, and nearly every album she gives us is a gift. That's absolutely the case with Crown of Roses, and it demands to be heard.

Going Down To The River … To Blow My Mind works well enough that one hopes they'll change their minds about this being the end of their trilogy.

With Find El Dorado, Weller celebrates the passion for finding a good tune and the feeling of having discovered a lost treasure when you do.

All told, Precipice is enjoyably hooky, but taking the edge off of her sound and, ultimately, songs doesn't do their emotional weight any favors, even if -- or rather because -- it makes them go down easier.

While the group's sound is timeless, their lyrics are often distinctly modern.

50 years later, these demented rock & roll outsiders pick right back up as if no time had passed at all, and they have a blast doing it.

Whatever was involved, the sound of the cello is ravishing. Listeners interested in microtones and their possibilities in a close-up focused environment are advised to hear Blue Veil.

Adventure is another chapter in what has become an improbably delightful late-career renaissance for these pioneering underground heroes.

The First Family: Live at the Winchester Cathedral 1967 offers a fascinating and exciting glimpse of them in their embryonic stage.

Admittedly, all of Yungblud's sonic borrowing can get a bit maddening. Nonetheless, you feel his passion, and the album takes on layers of meta-self-reflection, as if he's trying to work through his influences as a way to suss out his own musical identity and legacy.

Very Human Features gets more involved and goes to different places than previous albums from the Bug Club, but it drives its songs home by keeping energy in the forefront.

Different Rooms is a nebulous haze of semi-familiar melodies and half-heard voices, forming an abstract dreamscape.

Gathering around the fire, joining together for a cèilidh, meeting the solstice, and honoring the mythical fellowship of fairies and giants -- each of these themes are present on this stirring and sometimes radiant collection.

Simply put, the wonderfully accessible, soulful and bracing Tuff Times Never Last is the summer soundtrack of 2025.

Here, the duo still sounds like the mortal threat they represented in younger days, but integrates refinement, spirituality, and reflection on hard-learned lessons under that lens, communicating from a place of wisdom without losing any of their time-tested fury.

Personal History is a triumph, offering an unguarded look into her heart and her soul.

Gina Birch has always been a brave and clear-minded voice as a writer, musician, and artist, and Trouble leaves no doubt that she's rabble-rousing for the right reasons, and making compelling music at the same time.

Some of the ideas on The Fateful Symmetry seem a bit mismatched, and not all of the songs really work, but it does have its poignant moments.

Throughout, Winter's elfin yet confident vocals add a touch of vulnerability to a set of "over it" songs.

Loner is an easy improvement over Barry Can't Swim's debut album, and he retains his ability to craft reflective, sentimental material while strengthening his skills at making airtight tracks designed to ignite the dancefloor.

This is artistic progression and while some might miss the old, more fun version of Gwenno, the more mature and serious version isn't half bad.

Moisturizer is more confident, and more revealing, than Wet Leg's debut. These are love songs for people who don’t want to fall in love, made by a band that sounds more comfortable in its skin than ever.