The band touch on virtually every stylistic and production nuance they've explored over 30 years in a startlingly focused collection.

Lust for Life is weirdly joyous and joyously weird, and it's marvelously entertaining either way; it's the band's strongest and most cohesive work yet.

It’s been said that one can’t go back home again, but as the return of the Loft and this excellent debut album prove, sometimes a trip back to an adjacent neighborhood can be nearly as fulfilling.

Whatever the Weather clearly feels more "outdoors" than the music James makes under her own name, but it's just as introspective and personal, and the project's second album is another powerfully expressive work.

Bursting with ideas and near symbiotic ensemble play, Cline's Consentrik Quartet is a bracing statement by this wonderful group and a future-forward approach to jazz.

Her most fully realized album yet and a highlight in a career dotted with really good pop records.

There isn't much on is that My Morning Jacket couldn't have done on their own, but having a neutral observer on board certainly appears to have helped them up their game as a recording act, and it's one of the most purely satisfying albums they've delivered since they changed their game with Z.

Lewis remains a vividly funny observer and masterful storyteller, and his work remains relatable and relevant.

Though most of the album doesn't feature the manipulated field recordings and found sounds often used in both artists' music, it still feels very localized and personal, as if they're interpreting various environments and locations through their instruments rather than direct sampling.

There is a certain haunting quality of moving into a transitional space from this music. However, there is also a sense of hearing musical traditions combined in a way unique to a single performer, and this is indeed something well worth experiencing.

The album as a whole is tender and affectionate, seeming to accept and appreciate even the awkward and unrequited as part of her embrace of complexity and queerness.

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.

Arcadia is a long-awaited return for Krauss and Union Station; here they reframe American traditional music in a context informed by modern production aesthetics, yet still sound kinetic and completely organic.

Portrait of My Heart is Spellling's most accessible work, but it's still unconventional and unpredictable, reflecting her uniquely magical vision.

Hard Times Furious Dancing is as much a mission statement here as an album title, and the band deliver unfiltered reports on the challenges of the modern world, as well as an invitation to the dancefloor as a place to shake loose some of the stress of those challenges.

In addition to Earthstar Mountain's consistently warm soundscape, Cohen is at her most accomplished yet songwriting-wise, even offering up an ode to a "Rag" that strips things down to notice the small comforts all around.

The album, with its loungey, brushed shuffle grooves and sparkling guitar riffs, has its own intoxicating pull borne of the magical, decades-old chemistry between Wareham and Kramer. That's the Price of Loving Me might pull you into a golden vortex of their shared reverie, but it's a small price to pay.

The whole thing might seem too darn cheerful -- maybe to a fault to the more hard-hearted -- but the duo rescue themselves from overload thanks to the muscular energy they impart to the rhythm section, the whipping bite of Aggs' guitar lines, and the overall forward drive the duo employ on every song.

Ultimately, Belonging feels like a full-circle moment for Marsalis, bringing both his group's history and his long-gestating passion for Jarrett's music into his quartet's vibrant present.

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.

By giving equal time to headbanging and heartbreak, they've made an immensely satisfying album that's among their finest.

Rathlin from a Distance/The Liquid Hour is comforting, inventive, and affecting -- sometimes alternately and sometimes all at once -- and feels strangely personal considering its multifaceted approach.

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.

What makes Jellywish so often profound and not just sad or mindful is a combination of candid simplicity and hints of the supernatural.

The entire album is yet another exciting evolution of Barker's innovative approach to techno.

As they reclaim the sounds of their roots on Send a Prayer My Way, Baker and Torres bring out the best in each others' music.

Given Adebimpe's legacy with TV on the Radio and his lengthy break from music, expectations for his debut album were high, but Thee Black Boltz' passionate, imaginative songs more than meet them.

As a whole, only one of the 18 tracks here crosses the four-minute mark, so A Study of Losses' hour-long playing time seems to go by quickly, and its unceasing sweetness and longing linger after Condon is "Left to be/A sea of tranquility" ("Mare Tranquillitatis") to close a lovely theater project.

Ken Carson makes music to be overpowered by and to lose oneself in its sheer magnitude, and More Chaos accomplishes that once again.

Smith was only getting started on Anxious, and its poignant, eloquent peek into teenage girlhood is something to be cherished.

With What Did the Blackbird Say to the Crow, Giddens and Robinson dig deep into the core Black Southern folk traditions that originally inspired them, and the joy is palpable; you can almost imagine them sitting around with Joe Thompson, smiling, and intently learning these songs.

A standout amid his own catalog, Te Whare Tīwekaweka is a unique and emotional piece of work that is quite affecting even without knowing the language.

There are bands that lavish in the fondue of modern hard rock without the cheese, but not Ghost. Ghost is fun.

The Film is a powerful work from two unstoppable creative forces on the same wavelength.

Engaging and enlightening, Noble and Godlike in Ruin is political art of the highest order -- and more proof that Deerhoof will always find something deeply felt to communicate about the state of the world.

Saying this is Viagra Boys' best album to date is as much a reflection of taste as a matter of quality, but Viagr Aboys shows they're only getting better at channeling their sonic havoc into workable form, and it's some sort of wild triumph.

Dance Music 4 Bad People stands out as one of the most joyous, accessible, and immediate entries in his bottomless discography.

There Is No Space for Us sounds more holistic than its trilogy predecessors, with leaner production, deft arrangements, and extremely inventive songwriting.

Luster is an accomplished, affecting work that finds strength and clarity through introspection and forgiveness.

With Dream into It, Idol underscores his legacy as one of the original pop-punk prophets, a kid with spiky, peroxide-blonde hair who saw the future of punk and lived to tell the tale.

The Melancholy Season confirms that was a matter of inclination rather than a lack of the needed skills: he can write, sing, and play like the seasoned veteran he is, while also sounding as if he has as many ideas as a promising new artist. He ought to consider doing this more often.

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.

Many fans and newcomers alike will have been won over by another album that disarms and charms with its flawed universe while offering just enough musical catharsis.

While this album will undoubtedly be embraced by those who have been following the L.A. group since their early days in Brooklyn, it's never too late to get on the Lucius train, and this eponymous LP is a great representative of what they do.

Alluring and thought-provoking, Iris Silver Mist plays the heart notes expertly.

On Face Down in the Garden, they have reached peak vibe, and if it is their last album, as they have said, they exit at the top of their very specific, very Tennis game.

PUP have made albums a lot more fun than this, but for sheer impact and focus, this feels like their best work to date, even if the recently dumped might find it a bit too relatable for comfort.

His brand of wistfulness is appealing, never cloying, with just the right amount of windswept drama and to tickle the heartstrings.

Confrontational in ways quiet and loud, Abyss is a testament to Anika's fierce artistic independence and gift for haunting moods.

Two of the more transfixing songs feature Yorke using his lower register. On the torpid ballad "The White Cliffs," he duets with himself, switching from nightmarish visions recounted in falsetto to stern if soft baritone responses like "This is your punishment" and "Everything is out of our hands." Yorke's lead voice thrums throughout "The Men Who Dance in Stag's Heads," a highlight.

Even more so than woods' other albums, GOLLIWOG is a challenging work dealing with grim yet truthful subject matter, but it's fascinating and enjoyable due to the rapper's brilliant writing and focused delivery, as well as innovative production from his collaborators.

Finely nuanced shades of gray are all he needs on Lake Fire, a formidable, beautiful return to Loscil's fundamentals.

Fancy That is some of Pink's most carefree work, but it's still highly emotional, and its songs are as well-crafted, catchy, and creative as anything else she's done.

Sincerely is best experienced from front to back. After the first seven songs lightly splash and bob while Uchis sings of gratitude, devotion, and self-doubt, song eight, "Fall Apart," delivers a knockout blow of heavy psychedelic soul.

It's a major work composed of gritty beauty, intention, realization, and hope; it belongs on the shelf next to albums by Virginia Astley, Marianne Faithfull, and Patti Smith.

As on Sketchy.'s finest tracks, Brenner and Garbus deliver emotionally direct, musically cohesive songs that don't sacrifice any of their time-tested creativity or intellect.

["The Moon Explodes" is] a perfect example of the witty resilience that makes Metalhorse inspiring and often brilliant.

Full of memorably wistful melodies as well as potentially relatable struggles, Hers feels like an instant classic, if one that's also outside of time.

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.

Room on the Porch is a beautifully produced, modern, deep blues and roots album drenched in an all-inclusive Americana, generosity, and good vibes.

Let All That We Imagine Be the Light is another fantastic 2020s offering from this masterful quartet, further solidifying their place as alt-rock royalty.

Cyrus' restless creativity and expert craft is a formidable combination, and at its best, Something Beautiful has a fearlessness and sensuality that could be the beginning of something exciting for her music.

Berninger's incisive turns of phrase and refusal to isolate the bitter and sweet are the governing forces throughout the record, even on songs like the jaunty "Junk," a defeated love song that imagines flowers sprouting through his own grave in Indiana.

A deceptively artful examination of, and expression of, depression.

In some ways, Evangelic Girl Is a Gun doesn't feel quite as personal as yeule's previous albums -- the lyrics don't always delve into specific subjects such as dissatisfaction with their own body -- and its sound feels a bit more comfortably retro compared to the dystopian future shock of the previous two albums. That said, it's easily some of their most accessible work, and one of the most potent distillations of their chaotic yet introspective songwriting style.

Black Hole Superette is yet another successful Aesop Rock record which artfully details and comments on the remarkable aspects of everyday life.

On Lotus, the exceptionally gifted rapper is more vulnerable than ever, yet this only pushes her to be at her most self-empowering.

Essentially, it's not that far off from The Glowing Man, which means that it's familiar territory for anyone who has spent time with the band's albums or experienced their concerts, but it's still an incredibly powerful record.

Ready for Heaven is easily her best record to date; it brings all her talents together in one shimmering, emotionally charged, and musically impressive package.

"While My Machines Gently Weep" brings to mind the trippy, shoegaze-influenced techno of Daniel Avery, while others are closer to the stark, dub-informed tracks by Surgeon and the Sandwell District collective. "Roseville" is percolating electro-techno with snapping beats, and "Hazel" is akin to a bullet-train head rush.

Albums by crossover stars like Rae are often dubious affairs, less than inspired productions that can feel like an attempt to package someone to fit a preconceived image, rather than showcase actual talent. Thankfully, she impressively side-steps any such pitfalls.

The only thing holding Happy Birthday back from being classic is its brevity and maybe lack of ambition; other than that, the quality of the songs, the impact of the vocals, the excellent production, and his ability to reference the past without aping it combine to make it a superb start for a promising solo career.

While relentlessly hooky and cathartic in addition to noisy, the album is submerged in a lo-fi murk deemed imperative by the songs themselves. In other words, after hearing it, it’s hard to imagine or want this album any other way -- and that’s a sign of something special.

It's another quiet gem from an artist in the full bloom of his talents.

Morrison's been rambling in strange territory for the last five years, but this is proof that the restless wandering spirit didn't forget his Muse, or who he is.

About Ghosts offers more proof that Halvorson's Amaryllis are among the most inventive, articulate, and creatively forward-thinking ensembles playing jazz right now.

Together, they dig even deeper into the woozy funk rhythms and fuzz-tone electric guitar psychedelia of the band's '70s recordings. It's a vibe they bring to full fruition on "Queenless King," a kinetic, Afro-beat-infused anthem that sounds like it is pumping out of the speakers of a vintage 1970s van.

It's much more daunting to continue making records that forge a new creative path or write songs that explore new territory. Strawberries does both of those things and proves that Robert Forster is no nostalgia act -- he's still creating records as intense, meaningful, and dangerous as anything he's done in the past.

Despite the weight of its materials and themes, Metallic Life Review often feels lighter and more delicate than some of Matmos’ previous work. Nevertheless, casting their lives in bronze, aluminum, nickel, and steel lends a personal dimension to their music that's especially appealing.

Oar On, Penelope! is the sort of spontaneously joyous record that reminds us it's a great thing he's still with us and making music. He more than gets by with a little help from his friends.

If you've been wanting to hear a band make a bunch of fractured noise and love every moment of it, UNIVERSITY is here for you and McCartney, It'll Be OK is their gift to the noise lovers of the world.

A tight 17-track, 38-minute album that should be welcomed by all fans but especially by millennials (and elder zoomers) aging alongside the beloved songwriter.

Nothing is overly ornate. For the most part, it's a lowrider delight, all the way down to the weeping "Rust and Steel," where Jones compares the end of a relationship to a vehicular breakdown.

A Sober Conversation is that rarity, a top-shelf pop album that also has something important to tell us.

It’s that excitement and the sincerity of Wauters’ creative mission that gives MVD LUV its inherent sweetness and makes it more than just another album of happy-go-lucky folk-pop numbers.

A more challenging work than RPG, This Material Moment is distinctive, deeply felt music from an artist committed to discovering new ways of looking at -- and listening to -- the world.

Five albums into an already sterling career, Tempest has made no real missteps, keeping his catalog consistently interesting, emotionally engaging, and, above all, incisive.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.