All of these sounds may not surprise, but they're comforting in their familiarity, particularly because Sweet's execution as a writer and producer remains precise.

Like their disappointing 2014 album ...Honor Is All We Know, Trouble Maker is the sound of a band going through the motions, telling the same stories over and over, bashing out the same riffs, and ultimately not connecting any punches.

It's an enormous-sounding, splashy album.

Broadening the sonic palette helps sharpen the songs, and the result is a sophomore set that's ambitious and satisfying.

As with his debut, City Music feels very much like a postcard to New York, though this time Morby arrives with some accumulated miles to help support his wizened tone.

So You Wannabe an Outlaw is something plenty of Steve Earle fans have been wanting for years, a no-excuses country album that updates his breakthrough work, and it's an effort that should please his core audience while also sounding like an album Earle made entirely on his own terms.

There are other flashes of the past, good and bad, from the spring-loaded rhythms to reminders of the sometimes vast qualitative disparity between their melodies and lyrics. Ultimately, compared to their 1996 sendoff, this is more like it.

The Nashville Sound finds him growing from strength to strength, and it reaffirms his place as one of the best and most emotionally affecting artists working in roots music today.

This balance between discovery and reflection gives Melodrama a tension, but the addition of genuine, giddy pleasure--evident on the neon pulse of "Homemade Dynamite" and "Supercut"--isn't merely a progression for Lorde, it's what gives the album multiple dimensions.

Nau's delivery, if occasionally annoyed that the topics at hand aren't being handled better, remains unflustered, gravitating back toward calm appreciation. It's a high-humidity set for long summer days, present or imagined.

There's still a fair amount of skippable tracks here. Despite this, Goldie remains a hero and an inspirational figure, and even if The Journey Man doesn't quite stack up to Timeless, it's still a respectable effort, and its best moments confirm the man's legendary status.

Orchestral, experimental, and more challenging than either of the band's previous releases, it's a natural fit for the Nonesuch label, whose heritage was built on such attributes. For Fleet Foxes, it represents a shift away from their more idyllic early days into a period of artistic growth and sophistication.

Stylistically speaking, the 11-track set doesn't deviate much from the formula the band established on its prior outings, but it will no doubt please longtime fans just looking for something new to pump their fists to.

While it's an overall relaxing experience, Truth Is a Beautiful Thing is never boring; it's a comforting and often heartbreaking listen that really gets under the skin, especially with Reid's emotive delivery.

Overall, chronically anti-romantic moments are eclipsed by sweet, somnambulant melodies that may not quicken the pulse but often hypnotize nevertheless.

Growing up is working out well for Chastity Belt, and I Used to Spend So Much Time Alone is clever, satisfying proof.

Though it's hard to believe it's possible, Antonoff shares even more of himself on Gone Now than on Bleachers' debut, and it makes for some of his most immersive and satisfying music yet.

Throughout Towards Language, the emergent notion of "slow jazz"--music that unfolds deliberately in a communal context rather than the accepted soloist and accompaniment formula--is almost defined. Its individual utterances are elementary building blocks that collectively move toward an artfully realized goal of musical speech. It achieves its power from the sum total of its sounds and atmospheres. Magnificent.

Hopeless Fountain Kingdom as a whole feels quintessentially 2017 in how it jumbles styles and sentiment, streamlining a teeming, contradictory culture into something smooth, glassy and easy to digest.

Coldcut and Sherwood remain visionary artists, and Outside the Echo Chamber is (for the most part) a worthwhile hour of futuristic reggae.

With Iteration, Haley has retained all of the qualities that made Com Truise so appealing while blowing everything up into a higher resolution than before. If this is truly the end of the Com Truise saga, then it's the project's definitive release.

Overall, while a worthwhile inclusion in Gucci's catalog, Drop Top Wop is most likely to be appreciated primarily by the Wop faithful still hungry after a dizzying seven releases within one year.

Folk Songs is a smart and emotionally effective exploration of the folk tradition that respects musical history without being chained to it, and it's an experiment the Kronos Quartet would do well to repeat in the future.

While not as overwhelming as Craig's main albums, Slow Vessels is still a quietly powerful release that puts a spotlight on the raw emotional power of his work.

Ti Amo's first half is one of the band's most consistent stretches of songs since Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, but the wispiness of its second half delivers mixed results.

Adiós ultimately seems more like a coda than a grand farewell, with the album displaying a suitable modesty that suits the somewhat reduced circumstances of the artist. But it's also a potent reminder of Glen Campbell's talent, style, and musical legacy, and this album is the recorded curtain call he truly deserves.

At times, the band's obvious affection for moody, Joy Division-esque post-punk feels a little too heavy-handed, but amid their ongoing sonic evolution there's some solid songwriting.

It's a sprawling effort with an over-70-minute running time, but also a haunting one, recommended for musically adventurous stargazers of all types.

While Lindsey Buckingham/Christine McVie isn't perfect--and it was smart not to bill this effort as a Fleetwood Mac record--it's far better than expected, and indeed, they should have made it happen long ago.

Berry makes no attempt to chase trends or offer a final statement; he just gathers his ten best recent tunes and that's why Chuck is such a fitting epilogue to a legendary career. It captures the essence of Chuck Berry, how he could turn the everyday into something exciting.

Witness is a conceptual muddle but that incoherence could've been excused if there were hooks in either its grooves or melodies. Instead, Witness is populated with busy, tuneless tracks that seemed designed to pulsate in the background of a regrettable night.

This set is unified, fully realized, and eloquent, on par with the grandest of musical statements, yet utterly accessible.

There's plenty more heavy material to uncover (including a song called "Coma"), though it's all wrapped in a captivating musicality that combines the power of folk storytelling, poetry, and rock angst. In the case of Capacity, it's a quiet power.

To Syria with Love was assembled with an eye toward expanding Souleyman's audience. Given the production and the wide selection of textural palettes and tunes, it's a good bet he'll be successful. It will likely keep longtime listeners in the fold, too, although the raw, unhinged feel of his earlier recordings will be missed.

Hawkline's work up until now was strong, but this album is strong-plus. He's upped his already impressive game across the board, which makes I Romanticize his best album yet and some of the best guitar pop anyone is likely to hear in 2017.

It may not be flashy like their early work, experimental like some of their mid-period albums, or punchy like Words and Music, but the album takes in elements of everything they've done along the way and repurposes it in a lovely, extremely satisfying fashion.

The album's 70-minute length allows enough space for a bounty of mostly nondescript trap productions that support these simplistic boasts. In these tracks, Yachty sounds like he's going through a phase more than refining his individualism.

Certainly, Is This the Life We Really Want? lacks the straightforward narrative or melodic thrust of The Wall, but it isn't as somnolent as The Final Cut, and if the songs don't call attention to themselves, they nevertheless form a long suite that works as a sustained mood piece.

Abdel-Hamid takes her sound in numerous directions and explores several moods on Distractions, and while it seems scattered enough to live up to its title, it's as engaging as anything else she's released.

An excellent first effort from a budding pop star.

ChesnuTT did become a father and famously took several years away from performing to focus on his family. It's that kind of rooted sense of purpose and dedication to the process, whether raising a child or recording a pop album, that permeates and elevates all of My Love Divine Degree.

Clocking in at just under 40 minutes, the album's dizzying stylistic shifts and offbeat arrangements are rendered refreshingly palatable, and even when the band's artistic hubris is drawn front and center, as it is on the aforementioned "Hit Me Like That Snare" and a spectral, almost completely rewritten version of "House of the Rising Sun," there's usually enough craftsmanship on hand to offset the overall air of importance.

His personal embrace of the political galvanizes the album, which has a sense of purpose lacking on his debut, but what's truly startling upon first listen is how Booker's broadened his palette considerably.

The thing about this album is, it shows the power of craft across the board: he's become a vivid, imaginative producer and now he's writing songs to match.

As busy as things get on Modern Pressure, the less kinetic moments are afforded ample time to shine, with some of the LP's strongest bit arriving via breezy, sunset-ready, two-lane highway-worthy jams like "Roya" and "Impossible Green."

If a touch weightier in tone, the album returns a distinctive palette and home-recorded finish to a heavy-heartedness firmly established on 2014's Picture You Staring, so fans and sentimentalists may take heart.

Easy on the ears, heartfelt, and subtly detailed, City of No Reply establishes Coffman as both an innovative and accessible artist.

Tonally, she counters urgency with some tenderness, and her voice only seems to be getting better with time. It's a compelling entry in her catalog, one with a solid base of songs that will stand up to any nonsense.

A balance of playful and earnest, Wild Imagination's warm melodies, affectionate tone, and quirky charm may provide needed respite even in good times.

Featuring a well-written and compelling history of the label from Sarah Sweeney, Sing It High, Sing It Low is an enjoyable overview of a forgotten chapter in early-'70s country-rock, though this story is compelling enough that the album really should have been longer.

Excellent work from both artists.

Anyone who thought maybe the band's moment had passed will be pleasantly surprised to hear that Beach Fossils are back and better than ever.

The light touch Powell has with deeply felt emotions on this album is a rare combination that grows richer with each listen; she sounds older and wiser but also happier, suggesting that Life After Youth is just the beginning.

The sheer size of The Bob's Burgers Music Album means that Gene Belcher might be the only one with the stamina to listen to the entire set more than once, but it's great for obsessive fans who can finally own the whole shebang.

Underneath its simmering shimmer Different Days offers spins on classic pop, electronic soul, and late-night chill. Perhaps it's quiet exploration, but the Charlatans embrace the elastic possibilities of new avenues here, and the results are rewarding.

Nektyr would've been perfectly at home on 4AD or Projekt during the late '80s or early '90s, and might have been among their best releases, but its weightlessness and otherworldliness can't be attached to any specific time period.

Hayman's later solo work has relied more and more on this type of historically oriented conceptualism, with the Thankful Villages project being among the most unique offerings of his career. Like the first volume, this set is a warmly captured and richly envisioned endeavor that is unlike anything else in pop or folk music.

Marika Hackman's latest evolution is a triumph that finds equilibrium amid both wit and heart.

Play What They Want is a powerful, necessary expansion of Man Forever's vision, and easily their most engaging work.

Black Laden Crown is at its best when the band keeps it slow and low, as they do with great success on workmanlike candelabra-burners like "Last Ride," "Skulls & Daisies," and "Pull the Sun" and it's in those solemn moments of churning, Jim Morrison-esque torment and woe that Glenn Danzig sounds the most sinister and at ease.

T the album feels like a coherent work rather than something assembled in different locations by a disparate cast of individuals. It also demonstrates that Péron and Diermaier remain fearless and vital, over 45 years after co-founding the band's original incarnation.

If you've been following him all along, The Song of Day and Night is something of a crowning achievement for a truly talented, truly idiosyncratic guy.

While Resin Pockets might sound a bit lazy and very bummed-out at first, repeated listens reveal how much care was put into the album's construction, and it glows with a resonant beauty.

It's one of the best records of their long run, and if Stewart and company keep making them this good, this real and this emotionally fulfilling, one can only hope they keep doing it forever.

This set is drenched in mystery; each track unfolds and transitions seamlessly as it builds and expands, enveloping the listener.

A worthy update of 7AM's tone poems, 8AM proves that seven years can feel like only an hour later when the music is this transporting.

Hatfield is protesting Trump because he offends her personally, and the specificity of her outrage makes Pussycat an unusually powerful protest album.

Simply put, For Crying Out Loud works because the band knows exactly what its listeners want.

United States of Horror boasts a sleeker and more crystal-cut produced sound palette than Ho99o9’s previous efforts; that’s not to say that the guts, grit, and feral nature of those releases are absent--they're very much here, breathing and festering from start to finish.

With the possible exception of that improvisation [the final track, "April"], by combining his appreciation of both free jazz and Appalachian folk music, Amidon seems to be creating a traditional folk for the future.

Kids in the Street doesn't sound or feel like a masterpiece, but it does suggest Earle was aiming higher than expected for this album, and he hit the target--this is among his very best work to date.

The constant recycling, along with the quantity and variety of other voices, detract from some of Evans' best, most impassioned performances, which are matched with some solid work from a roster of co-producers that includes Salaam Remi, James Poyser, and DJ Premier.

Kickin’ Child not only ranks with Dion’s best (standing between career highlights "Runaround Sue" and "Abraham Martin and John"), but it's absolutely one of the greatest folk-rock records ever.

If you've ever dug the cool but fiery retro sound of Los Straitjackets, What's So Funny... will once again remind you of their brilliant chops and sense of fun, while Nick Lowe fans will definitely want to give a listen to this homage to one of rock's best living songwriters.

The presence of the Glorifiers adds an exclamation point as gospel music's past and present are seamlessly united. This is nothing less than essential for fans of American roots music.

Epithymía is uneasy and sometimes painful, but it beautifully conveys dark, heavy emotions and is well worth the time.

Stop Mute Defeat is a recharge and a reinvention for White Hills, and is, by necessity, their most focused work.

While a long way from perfect, Big Walnuts Yonder is overflowing with great ideas and imaginative execution--enough so that one hopes this foursome heads into the studio again someday, or takes this very special show on the road.

Despite all of its sonic busyness, the vast majority of which falls in the category of charming rather than challenging, the album ultimately comes off as a little goofy, fun, and full of promise.

Little Steven may share the same sense of grandeur in his sonics, but he keeps his focus earthbound, and that provides a nice tension to Soulfire: it's big music about everyday things.

Ultimately, Parking Lot Symphony is one of Trombone Shorty's most balanced productions, equal parts New Orleans R&B sophistication and loose, block party fun.

Clipper Ship feels like a standalone statement, one of powerful simplicity and masterful control. In stripping away almost everything, Toth's songs reveal cores of sometimes blinding beauty and unsettling honesty.

Shake the Shudder is the work of a band that know exactly what works for them, while still being willing to try new things. It's a winning combination of past, present, and future that bodes well for !!!'s future making plenty more great albums like it.

What makes these moody moments striking is that Weiner hasn't renounced the power of rock & roll, nor his penchant for mischief; he isn't trumpeting a new direction, he's adding dimension to a band that already offers more than its fair share of surprise and pleasure.

Through it all, Kasher offers affecting material that's persistently tense but also loose and lively.

Party finds the sweet spot between raw and refined, and in doing so, feels very real.

Black Origami is a monumental achievement, yet it still seems like Jlin is just getting started.

The album's potent mix of soul-searching lyrics and spaced-out sonics lends itself to deep thought and accompanied stargazing.

He may evoke old sounds but all his songs are about the present, and that means Manic Revelations isn't a stylistic exercise: it's compelling commentary.

Love Is Love is a thought-provoking, intensely felt album, full of all the warmth, frustration, and alternating bouts of despair and hope that half (or more) of the United States felt at the time the record was recorded.

It's good that he decided to stretch his creative muscles a little on You're Welcome. It's even better that he came up with a smart and compulsively listenable update on the Wavves sound that kept all their rambunctious energy, but also added some fun tricks and treats.

While there's no real dance anthem in the bunch, World Be Gone does deliver on vocals and memorable Vince Clarke melodies, as well as on arrangements that add some oomph to slower tempos. At the time of its release, it seems on point.

After over 20 years of writing fine songs and making great records, John Darnielle and the Mountain Goats are actually getting better and more interesting, and Goths is a genuine triumph.

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.

The Silver Globe was Weaver's coming-out party; Modern Kosmology serves notice that she's here to stay.

The issue isn't that it's a pop effort; indeed, they get points for a brave attempt so outside of their wheelhouse. The problem is that much of One More Light is devoid of that visceral charge that previously defined much of their catalog. It's a provocative challenge that ultimately fails to satisfy.

This is an utterly triumphant, uplifting album.

He glides into even mellower, more sentimental territory here for a set of brazenly unapologetic love songs.