Gift of Screws is a standout even in his catalog.

More cohesive and profound at times than the records that preceded it, the album sets a tone masterfully, and lingers contentedly and without rush, allowing the listener to drop in and sit for a spell with Jones as he ruminates on his various lush instrumental moods.

Rather than chasing trends or aiming for reinvention, the Innocence Mission seem content at this point in their career to carry on doing what they do best and expand on their trademark sound with another fine release.

The broken-hearted Longstreth sounds like a changed man in many respects, but he's no less talented and visionary than he was before, and Dirty Projectors demonstrates that musically and lyrically, love and its absence have taught him a thing or two.

This large, cavernous sound camouflages the lingering emo elements which largely surface in the angst-mining lyrics, as well as the occasional bellow, and even if this lack of stridency may alienate some longtime followers, this gleaming pop-punk makeover is the band at its most immediate and easy to enjoy.

While Once Again might not get as much attention as its predecessor, it's more assured and sounds nothing like an experiment to see what sticks.

It's both club- and cafe-ready, artsy, cool, and elusive enough to woo the Williamsburg contingency, yet soulful and lightly sweetened with warm Southern honey.

Righteous anger, razor-sharp songs, and killer music is a trifecta few punk bands can claim on their first album, but Single Mothers hit the jackpot on Negative Qualities, and if this doesn't turn out to be the best punk debut of 2014, then the music has been having a truly great year.

It's a solid label debut that finds its own footing apart from the Wilco connection.

While Liberty is more often than not gentler in tone than Ortega's preceding albums, it is by far her most innovative and powerful, and stands as her masterwork thus far.

Even with the R&B-leaning roster of guests -- Jill Scott and Snoh Aalegra are also on board -- Alicia is Keys' most moderate work, seemingly hedged with an objective to appeal to as many listeners as possible. There's at least no doubting the artist's intent to heal and uplift, and she puts it across with some of her most nuanced vocals.

Light of a Vaster Dark is ultimately the most integrated, seamlessly rendered aural illustration of McCarthy's unique vision that Faun Fables has released to date.

Despite all the intensity, the Last Shadow Puppets have a light touch--their songs are short and don't overstay their welcome, and the whole affair is just arty and indulgent enough to make it special.

Tropical Fuck Storm are fast becoming a watering hole for listeners with a thirst for the weird, and on Braindrops, they have eschewed formulas to such an extent that they are now staring back through the dimensional mirror with wry smiles and killer tunes.

Even considering the over-abundance of elaboration on all fronts, it's a credit to Lupe that he has made an album that cannot be processed after one or two listens, and if you have the time, its inscrutability turns into mere complexity.

Everything sounds gorgeous, from Little Scream's hazy warble to the two minutes of rainfall, audible rush-hour traffic, and wind chimes that end the album. This is an absolute beast of a debut.

Not surprisingly, it's the less propulsive numbers that truly resonate on What the Brothers Sang, as Oldham and McCarthy sound less emotionally constricted at a more measured pace, and when they allow their muses to meet, as they do on highlights like "Breakdown," "What Am I Loving For," and the beautiful closer "Kentucky," the results are transcendent.

Appropriately titled, the album is packed with feel-good, summery nostalgia that breezes along at a clip with Greedo's varied delivery, which switches between auto-tuned crooning and wordy bars.

The biggest complaint has to be that the early single 'Nike Boots' is missing, but otherwise, this unique debut does not disappoint.

By shedding the smirking artifice that served Casanova so well, and hiring producer Nigel Godrich, the Divine Comedy may be treading dangerously close to the sounds of countrymen Radiohead, but the Divine Comedy are smart enough to give listeners just enough lyrical bit to throw them off the scent.

There is little time for respite during their breezy debut album that bridges the gap between heavy-hitting rock and digestible pop/rock.

Grandfeathered shows them looking outward while successfully building upon their already impressive sound.

Attitude counts for a lot with Chrissie Hynde, but the true appeal of Alone is how it marries solid songwriting with a sympathetic, surprising production, all of which amounts to a very satisfying Pretenders album.

The Lonely, The Lonesome & The Gone provides listeners an exceptionally well-rounded portrait of both the mature writer and the iconic singer.

Again's relatively more streamlined indie rock and reflective sensibility may set it apart from their previous work more than any studio varnish, although it all works together to take a more consistent step forward on their proper label debut.

Recommended for those interested in classical-rock fusions.

Blood Oaths is perhaps the closest to plainclothes Wooden Wand has come.

Smart, inventive, and exciting guitar pop.

Polished and tight in all the right places.

Imperial Teen is clearly evolving into a group of subtler, more nuanced songwriters.

Quality Control hits all of the same highs as Jurassic 5's excellent EP of three years earlier...

It's pointedly brief (the entire album occurs in under 27 minutes), but Merritt showers each moment of April with ridiculously perfect raindrops.

Contemplative electronic mood-music in a minor key-

If it's difficult to focus in on what FC Kahuna does best, it's probably because it's all done well.

Pretty, brittle, subtle, full of surprises, and disarming in its ability to set moods, Life Is Full of Possibilities is a masterpiece that places Dntel near the top of the heap of electronic artists working in 2001.

Ten years since Rocket's first full-length, the sextet still sounds like they're on a live wire with an endless power source, as inspiring here as ever before.

Carrabba's work is so specifically stuck in adolescence that, even if it's presented in a prettier package as it is on A Mark, it's still very difficult for anybody past sophomore year in college to really connect with his music.

Harcourt experiments in more ways than one on this album, never overindulgent in the process.

Strangely lovable and lovably strange, sort of like a lo-fi version of the Flaming Lips.

Rivers isn't as immediate as either Heartcore or The Snake, but fans should find it satisfying once they've had time to let it soak into their ears, brains and hearts. Rivers isn't as immediate as either Heartcore or The Snake, but fans should find it satisfying once they've had time to let it soak into their ears, brains and hearts.

This strong, satisfying, often stunning third release proves he can deliver the goods.

Live at the South Bank is an artfully and spiritually satisfying coda to a long and criminally underappreciated career.

It is, in the purest sense, a back-to-basics move for Buck: he's turned the clock back 25 years, making the album he may have always wished R.E.M. made instead of Fables of the Reconstruction.

Streetlight Manifesto delivering an album of bittersweet ska-punk that feels more grown-up than anyone could have expected the genre to be.

The Phoenix shouldn't shock those who know the producer's past.

Rave isn't a radical departure from Bogdan's earlier work, but it is a welcome reminder of what we've been missing out on for over a decade, and to anyone addicted to his singular style, it's much cause to rejoice.

As a whole, Printer's Devil is both stronger and sweeter than their prior sets, likely resulting in a more lasting impression for casual listeners and a surefire hit for established fans.

Folks who were expecting Lydia Loveless to be the next savior of country music may be thrown for a loop by Daughter, but anyone who wants to hear one of America's best and boldest songwriters working at the top of her game owes it to themselves to give it a careful listen.

It's a bittersweet and ultimately satisfying end to a hugely ambitious project that always remains true to the emotions driving it -- but Arca fans would expect nothing less.

The result is an album that manages to sound both elegant and organic, like classical music made by people living off the land.

Boot! not only refines what the Thing do, it extends them into a breathtaking sphere where a Babel-like musical conversation takes place, elevating all of its singular elements into a rough, raucous, glorious whole.

Weirdo Shrine shows La Luz are more than living up to the promise of their early work, and that they're still one of the most interesting and entertaining acts on the Pacific Northwest scene in 2015.

Parks has always had a light, airy voice, and here it often seems like she's struggling to be heard over the bass, while the breakbeat-driven grooves are more immediate than the songs' hooks. Nevertheless, there's still some quality material on Ambiguous Desire, even if its pleasures are nearly as ephemeral as the nights out that inspired the album.

Doom hasn't changed a whit, but by the same token, he sounds like he's repeating himself. Deft diction is one thing he's got in spades, but there aren't many lines here that will get burned into your neurons.

The warmth of the beats and the tasteful melodic arrangements are perfectly suited to McMorrow's soulful, blue-eyed delivery, and the occasional stylistic detours and offbeat turns of phrase make for welcome deviations from the formula.

Pretty much every track on Spirit Youth sports a bewitching melody that makes perfect use of the hypnotic swirl of guitars and electronics, moving in an elegant arc as it unfolds. You can hear it in the delivery, too, with nuanced vocals that seem to say "Hey, after all the trouble we went to in writing these tunes, we're damn well gonna give ‘em their due."

Sinners & Saints is the most confident, self-assured, and consistent recording Malo's done, and it showcases his own playing and songwriting at an entirely new level of skill.

As with much of their late-career output, Old Mad Joy begs for a few spins before it reveals its charms.

Invisible Life reaffirms that Lange can keep that quality, regardless of which direction he takes Helado Negro in next.

Solo work, if he can keep making records this special, should be where he focuses his prodigious talents.

While a little unfocused stylistically, the recordings have a consistently dreamy, submerged sound quality that evokes a past life or at least an obscure record-store find. While the songs' narratives present Drab City as a disappointing destination full of broken hearts and gentrification, its immersive musical allure makes it worth the price of passage.

While there's plenty of dreamy heartache, it's the often bewildering beauty Chrystabell and Lynch achieve on this album that makes it an artistic milestone for both of them.

Trying Hartz is a far more inclusive, pure and honest testament to faith than the soulless, over-produced fast food that passes for contemporary gospel in the 21st century.

This is the work of a master guitarist who has taken his time to come up with a quality record.

Opus Primum [contains] striking passages of ethereal beauty.

Bassett and his fellow knuckle-dragging stargazers are having far too much fun to care about anyone else's perception.

It is certainly their most well-rounded and diverse, one that adds some pop-machine savvy without losing any of the insouciant charm they've had to spare in the past.

A thoroughly delightful album, it's hard to imagine fans of Jóhannsson and Dunckel's other projects not falling hard for Starwalker's charming galactic pop.

Richly textured yet spacious and meditative, L'Orange, L'Orange is some of Kowalsky's most rewarding work yet.

It's Pond's personality that shines brightest on Tasmania, and they've turned these songs into an off-kilter gem that's worth exploring.

Have You Lost Your Mind Yet? crackles with energy, wit, and passion, attributes that are worthwhile effective compensation for Fantastic Negrito's relatively streamlined attack here.

Dorji is simply one person making music in an isolated environment while the world is constantly in a tumultuous state, and his is simply his own feverish, spur-of-the-moment reaction to everything that's going on.

There's a Riot Going On is, in its own subtle way, Yo La Tengo at their most uncompromised; it's an album that's likely to separate their most hardcore fans from more casual admirers, though if you loved "Night Falls on Hoboken" from And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out, you'll likely savor it.

Like Torres' previous album, Silver Tongue takes some time to unfold, but it's well worth it; by fluently expressing the resilience it takes to bounce back from hard times, she comes into her own.

Following on from a much earlier collaborative single, the first full-length effort pulling together Modeselektor and Apparat--despite a name that suggests a Depeche-loving rodent--has plenty to offer without entirely being a full-on slam dunk.

With this album, Windy & Carl are more controlled, focused, and confident than ever before, offering up their best work to date in an evolution that may just prove to be without limits.

Thanks to Ex Hex's sheer commitment to their rock & roll fantasies, It's Real never feels less than genuine.

Those new to Autechre might be best off starting with their earlier material, and working their way up to this gradually--or else diving in headfirst here and preparing for a long, strange trip.

Throughout the album, Dungen try new things without getting caught up in the excitement of changing their sound, successfully evolving rather than merely throwing random ideas at the wall and seeing what sticks.

This album is one of his most classicist, not classical, pop records and in that sense, Out of the Game is definitely a winner.

The album's a wonderful step forward from an already strong foothold, theatrical without being overdone, introspective without being saccharine, and makes for an excellent piece of work.

Glaspy defies easy categorization and this solid, cleverly written debut is a testament to her sense of craft.

The Waterfall II offers no clues as to where My Morning Jacket might be headed, but as a document of what they were capable of in the studio, it's consistent, well-structured, and satisfying in a way the original was not.

While it doesn't break any new ground and remains firmly entrenched in contemporary country's geography, it evokes the riled-up, bluesy hard country rock sound of Hank Jr. enough that it separates Church from the genre's other practitioners who are attempting the same thing.

A relatively calm, collected, and breezy set of 21st century folk songs that prefers subtlety over novelty.

The unusual states of being in the band's songs are sometimes more admirable than relatable, but this isn't the case on Big Balloon's highlights.

This is Real Estate at their best, giving us the same bright and bittersweet indie perfection as always, only better with age and experience.

As with the album's first two cuts, it incorporates several movements, yet it's hip-hop much more than techno and never fades into the background like a fusty Mo' Wax scrap.

Ultimately, Beautiful Dreamers is a wonderfully balanced trio exercise.

Such of American Tragic is remarkably poppy, at times feeling like a darker response to the '80s AOR revival popularized by the likes of HAIM--or, less controversially, a continuation of Concrete Blonde's throaty, tough-but-vulnerable drama.

A set of songs that stick and hold up to repeat plays.

Released in a year of deep social unrest and political division, DiFranco's musical missives of strength and resolve are timely and welcome, although it's some of Binary's more personal and introspective tracks that really stand out emotionally.

As the band looks back upon three decades of pain and rage, Reznor and Ross leave the sonic bread crumbs and callback allusions to the first two installments, advancing with fresh and surprising new possibilities for the coming era of Nine Inch Nails.

The LP is joyously nostalgic, decked with strings, horns, and a trio of background vocalists including secret weapon Sy Smith.

Haunting and gripping, New Decade is one of Mute's most striking releases in some time, and gives Phew a bigger platform to prove what her die-hard fans already know: she's at the peak of her powers.

For fans craving more of Kylie's excellent early-2020s output, Tension II delivers, even when it pales next to more immediate cuts on Disco and the first Tension.

It's easily the least sexually charged album in his discography, ideal for those who admire him as a singer, arranger, and producer but tune out the fantastical come-ons.

Last of the Country Gentlemen is a demanding listen; its wandering pace, startling, emotionally jarring terrain of uncalculated honesty, and obsession can be uncomfortable. That said, it is a recording of surprising originality and great beauty.