With EVERYONE'S A STAR!, they look back at their early years with an artful honesty, crafting a post-modern boyband album that's as sonically and thematically ambitious as it is fun.

The two lengthy "Sparrow" pieces in the middle of the album are patient meditations that break away from the busier pace of the "Evensong"s. .... The fourth and final part of "Evensong" is earthy and joyous, sounding like a roomful of musicians dancing together and celebrating life, though it appears to be created by a multi-tracked Ellis alone. Ellis' work is perpetually filled with hope, always finding a way through.

Chin Up Buttercup's opening trio of songs is as powerful as anything Austra has released.

Their entire January 31 performance at hometown club First Avenue makes up half the collection, the rest is a grab bag of recordings made during the rest of the year. The former caught them on a good night for sure, it's hard to imagine another band of the time sounding as revolutionary and alive as the guys do here.

The shared lightness of touch among the producers suits Walker's uncommonly exquisite and authoritative voice. While she's still going through it, her artistic power remains undiminished.

The added brightness and clarity given to the songs is a nice upgrade, so is the more compact packaging. Is that enough to justify a repurchase? maybe. It definitely will appeal to Beatles fans who don't have the original versions and that seems like a very good reason for this set to exist.

This juxtaposition of soft-spoken self-examination and cathartic grunge is remarkably effective throughout the album.

Even grappling with mortality, De La Soul retain their eternal warmth and optimism on Cabin in the Sky, crafting a fun, jubilant set of tracks as they process deeper shades of reflection, thoughtfulness, and ultimately, acceptance.

It's defiantly a new kind of experience for the band, one that might surprise fans looking to this revival for kicks, but also one that will thrill anyone looking for a record that sounds like the most contrary, uncompromising, and flat-out punk thing possible in 2025.

It's a fantastic reminder of the side of GbV that's been underrepresented on some of their 2010s/2020s records: their ability to make fun, rambunctious rockers that are easy to sing along to.

Imaginational Anthem XIV: Ireland is yet another indispensible, high quality, revelatory missive from Ireland's bountiful guitar tradition.

Throughout, Spíra's soft, intricate arrangements, earnest vocals, and frequent minor modes give it a quality that's exquisite and haunting at once, making it an excellent entry point to an artist due for rediscovery.

Antibalas have an innate chemistry and musical shorthand that sounds effortless. The heavy parts always hit hard, but the intricacies of their arrangements are what make them consistently interesting.

Long March Through the Jazz Age is a wonderful final statement for Bailey and the Saints: it's reminiscent of their best post-punk work and serves as a reminder for all who may have forgotten that Bailey's skills as a writer and singer were immense.

Memento Mori: Mexico City is one of the stronger live sets in their discography since Devotional, buffered by the strength of the songs on the tour's parent album and the choice to include so many beloved crowd pleasers.

Holo Boy may not be as much of a statement as Box for Buddy, Box for Star, but its charms are undeniable.

The trailblazing Gothic doom group's 17th long-player, Ascension, builds on the gloomy architecture of 2020’s Obsidian, delivering muscular, melancholic melodeath-doom infused with subtle electronic flourishes and lyrics rooted in the cold certainty of mortality.

A stellar effort from both producers, Implosion pushes ambient dub to the limit.

The hollow-eyed confessions of childhood trauma on "Gina" and empty consumption on "The Unwrap" make it clear Sleaford Mods are still masters of bleakness, but it feels less like Fearn and Williamson are fighting their battles alone. They broaden their horizons on "Flood the Zone," joining forces with Liam Bailey.

Courtney Marie Andrews is a first-rate talent, and Valentine shows us she can move in a number of different directions and still deliver something remarkable.

The weird detours and stylistic wanderlust result in an album that somehow makes a lot of sense as a larger statement, with all the dissimilar sounds contributing to a listening experience that demands attention and doesn’t let go once it takes hold.

If you're a fan of Williams, there are no surprises here, just ten more great songs to add to a catalog that might one day get the credit it's due for the pop star's contribution to, what else, Brit-pop.

World's Gone Wrong is an album of its moment that addresses issues that have been with us for centuries, and like a good blues song, they never stop being timely – and worth singing loud and clear, which is just what Williams does here.

A sizeable shift in tone and emotion from 2022's excellent Faith in the Future, this equally-enjoyable release finds Tomlinson on a winning 2020s streak.

By prizing nuance, PVA take a decisive step forward; like the bare, imprinted flesh on its cover, No More Like This leaves a subtle yet lingering mark.

Wounded and graceful, both in its music and messaging, the writer's eponymous album is one for headphones and private moments.

While it's not exactly equal to any of his catalog classics (i.e. everything up to Yeezus or Pablo, depending on where you draw the line), that old Kanye -- the masterful producer with revolutionary ideas and endlessly quotable bars -- is still in there, somewhere. .... Objectively, Bully could be considered a great late-era Kanye West album.

By the time the 12-song set closes on the lively, horns-injected "Waiting So Long," it's clear that Ballgame's got the goods and the charisma, and that he found an ideal crew (or they found him) to put his music in its best incandescent light.

Ultimately, Can I Get a Pack of Camel Lights? represents a deepening of Geologist’s already unique musical language. He uses the hurdy gurdy as an entry point for many of the songs, but always proceeds to strange, new places from there.

It's ["Vacancy"] an ace slow jam, as are many of the equally flavorful and coquettish songs that surround it -- the slinking "Mobbin in DC," the doo-wop-tinged "Under the Moon," the weightless "Dreaming," and so forth.

Few bands conjure the heady, dream-like atmosphere of '60s psychedelic rock as believably and with as much passion as England's Kula Shaker. It's sentiment they underscore on 2026's incense-soaked Wormslayer.

A thrilling showcase of Daniel’s compositional abilities, Can Such Delightful Times Go On Forever? makes a compelling case that beauty and expression are essential tools for much more than mere survival.

LAROI reveals a growing maturity and surprising pathos on Before I Forget. He brings you into his heartbreak and holds you there.

While the album covers a wide range of heavy sounds, Blackwater Holylight designed the album so some of these intensities bleed into each others while some intentionally upset the balance. It’s a perfectly architected expression of uncertainty and stress, one that only occasionally offers a reminder of hope somewhere in the distance.

Despite its multi-purpose recording approach, widely varying tempos, and ever-changing moods, it's Ratboys' most cohesive album yet and one that will likely connect with those fruitlessly seeking closure.

Selenites, Selenites! offers the creative vision and fortitude to celebrate community and the human spirit.

There’s a stillness throughout Laughter in the Summer, a mood that can sometimes read as somber. The overarching feeling in these songs, however, is one of beaming gratitude, and that keeps the album feeling less like an expression of mourning and more a slow-moving outpouring of joy and acceptance.

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.

The remastering is bright and crisp, and it stands the test of time. .... The songs intended for 15 Big Ones are a bit of a mixed bag, with covers of songs like "Mony Mony" and "Running Bear" falling flat, due to the band's basic disinterest in what they were doing. On the other hand, the cover of the Righteous Brothers' "Just Once in My Life" is quite beautiful. .... Another reason to get excited about the collection is that tracks from the banished Adult/Child get a proper airing here.

Refreshingly introspective, stylish, and transparent.

Her most purposeful album since The Teaches of Peaches, No Lube So Rude is a sexy, witty, and urgent statement that reaffirms she's still a trailblazer.

A really strong album, one that finds the band circling back to the reasons they started the group while also exploring new, very interesting territory.

Pairing thoughtful craft with spontaneity is no easy feat, but My Days of 58's songs do it effortlessly.

This record, and Light Verse, show that he is still searching, still working hard, and still able to imbue his albums with the same deep feeling and unstinting beauty that he has from the beginning.

Despite being only six songs, Days of Ash packs quite the punch and reminds listeners how good U2 can be when they have something to say.

It's a well-dressed set of nine finely crafted love songs.

Arranged with a sense of brevity, Ca$ino is limited to just eleven songs, making each of its entries feel both more unique unto themselves and more significant as part of a larger statement than the usual overstuffed commercial rap record.

After he works his way through songs with titles like "Can I Mend It?," "Worms," and "God Knows Why," most listeners will likely be willing to give the sometimes anti-hero a second chance thanks to his deep self-awareness, charming turns of phrase, intention to do the work, and expressions of seemingly genuine affection.

Short and sweet, it highlights all the different styles and moods the quartet is capable of, proving they still have it and hinting at exciting directions for a future full-length.

The Great Satan absolutely rips, with the jagged riffs, wild audio samples, and jackhammer drumming (courtesy of Ginger Fish) supporting some of Zombie's best (and most rabid) vocals in many an album.

Refreshing, comforting, and accessible, Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally. is a fine transition album that points to even bigger and better things for the pop star.

A set of delightfully askew R&B.

It's fiery and unflinching, but fun, a reflection of Johnny Blue Skies' outlook over the sometimes more dour Simpson.

Deface the Currency is gloriously intense and raucous, as avant funk, explosive jazz, free improv, psychedelia, and post-punk chaos meet in hallucinatory joy.

Kin is unexpectedly abrasive compared to other KMRU albums, but feels just as natural and inviting.

This is a Shabaka album; it resonates with individuality, innovation, and abundant creativity.

Help(2) is a fantastic collection of artists contributing album-worthy tracks to a very deserving effort. It's just a pity that it's even needed in the first place.

We Are Together Again ultimately takes its place as another beautiful entry in Bonnie “Prince” Billy’s everchanging, ever-engrossing discography.

It's their most accessible set of songs yet. Having said that, the group's whimsical practice of injecting far-flung timbres and effects into their songs, as well as a certain flat-tire wobble in their performance style are both joyously still in play.

Certainly, these are great songs, all of them from Autechre's melodic early-'90s heyday, but Parish casts them in new light with his own artistry in a unique and unexpected collaboration.

Gary Numan is represented by both of his U.K. number one singles, and Secret Service's "Oh Susie" topped the charts in the group's native Sweden, but otherwise the set largely avoids proper hits. There are a few underground classics (Suicide's "Dream Baby Dream," Dark Day's "Hands in the Dark") as well as album cuts and B-sides from genre-defining acts like the Human League and OMD. There are also tracks that arrive at synth pop from different angles.

Add it all together and A Pound of Feathers is not only reaffirmation of their comeback, but the kind of daring and defiant record that it's a miracle that a band this far into their career could still make.

Trying Times continues a trend of the abstract and foggy elements of Blake's artistry falling away, and he manages to make this transition without fully shedding the mystery that made his earlier sound so intriguing.

While the Morrissey comparisons are inevitable this time around, Brigitte Calls Me Baby put their own soaring, lovesick twist on influences here, resulting in a dramatic sound all their own.

While there's a sense that Moroney is well aware of her pop star status, on Cloud 9 her music soars, but her heart and her charm are as grounded and relatable as ever.

A mercurial debut album that's also quite theatrical -- think Kurt Weill and rock opera -- it indulges in multiple genre send-ups during its alt-rocky journey through the head of a frankly loathsome narrator.

Easily Taylor's best solo album, Paris in the Spring is a moving, playful, and accomplished statement that'll strike a chord with anyone weathering a crisis.

Sometimes all you need to make a great album is a batch of fine songs, a handful of sympathetic musicians, and a bit of kismet. Transmitter has all those things, and it's a quietly excellent album that favors Max Clarke's talents in all the best ways.

Vibrant, unapologetic and expertly crafted, Sexistential may not be a stunning leap forward like Honey, but when Robyn sings "I'm still having fun," her joy is contagious.

Raye affirms that she's a virtuosic vocal dynamo, belting, crooning, and providing spoken exposition, and even her lowest moments of self-abasement are related with clever wordplay showcasing her flexibility. For all the bereft emoting and chemical self-medication that occurs throughout the sequence, Raye's desire to soothe, heal, and instill hope in broken-hearted listeners is apparent.

Understated as they are, his songs are also not without weight and his fifth album, Against the Dying of the Light, is his heaviest to date.

Slayyyter certainly cribs from many of her dance influences on WOR$T GIRL IN AMERICA, she never fails to make them her own.

Hurts Like Hell is a lovely, poignant record that may not be explicitly about motherhood but is ready to take it on.

Despite the anxiety and global tumult that inspired his more introspective tone, it's a style that suits him well. If this is indeed the end of Coin Collection, it will be interesting to hear Cullum's next evolution.

The band leans into their music's humanity with a strong folk influence that feels cozy and encouraging, whether on the lonely campfire songs "Projectors" or the lullaby-like cover of Neil Young's "Red Sun" that showcases Markus Acher's yearning vocals.

"Butterfly Lands on a Flower," the soft, synthy final piece, sounds appropriately delicate and graceful, making a gentle comedown for an album that sometimes lays its emotions bare.

Mosquito ends up falling just a little short -- by inches, even -- of the very high set by Sincere, but there's no shame in that. It's still a brilliantly played and sung record that will wash over the listener in a vigorously restrained flood of emotion, sounding like just about the best indie rock one could hope for in 2026.

While this isn't unexplored territory for the duo, there's none who do it better than Sunn O))) or Earth.

He's still finding joy inside the pain, supplying the high notes with that ethereal contratenor and the low end with those sinuous basslines.

Hornsby may be taking stock on Indigo Park, but he does so in a profound creative present loaded with possibility.

This is a collection of songs that focus on his introspective side, and he can ponder a dark night of the soul or the mistakes he made long enough ago to make the failings obvious with a literacy and unflinching honesty that makes this one of the most affecting albums of his career.

Birding delivers listeners back to populated, earthbound spaces with the warm piano and wind chimes of its instrumental title track. It makes for an exquisite and fitting debut for the Bella Union label.

With New German Cinema, Weiss expresses her angst and existential dread in terms more vivid than she did even with the brooding pop of Fear of Men, crafting a debut that bears all the heavy, understated power of the Fassbinder films and personal experiences that inspired it.

It's a holistic, warm, and beautifully executed record melding blues, R&B, guitar rock, and Americana in an integrated vision that revels in tradition while offering a new, roots-rich vision of popular music.

House on Fire is Billy Childish's show, the latest volume in a long and utterly uncompromised run, and it's the work of a man whose art still matters and never gets stale. He means all of this, every word, silly or vengeful, and we should be glad he sees no reason to stop.

It might take a few listens or views to wrap one's head around what Angine de Poitrine are doing, but their music is actually a lot more accessible than it may seem at first, and their second effort is an incredibly fun record.

Personal, endlessly catchy, and a mature step for the new father, this consistent effort might not shake anything up in the zeitgeist, but it's one that was made for his own personal and artistic growth.

There's no creative burn-out on Boycott Heaven as Ruess and Means offer an inspired third album that feels like two old friends reconnecting and finding that they have even more in common than before.

Vulnerable but full of punk-rock spirit and lessons hard-won, No Need to Be Lonely is also consistently hooky, with singalong choruses that often double as calls to action.

Even if it is an acquired taste, Kammerkonzert is still a fascinating release and a remarkable achievement.

Even with a few bangers, Evaporator is far from a club-centric album, however, as the tracks seem to be much more focused on capturing the moments when feelings and sensations emerge.

They may be leaving their early twenties behind, but with Maybe Not Tonight, they arrive as a musical force to be reckoned with.

Dandelion functions as both a sequel and an appealing fresh start.

Not many musical acts reach their 40th anniversaries and fewer still make music worthy of their legacies, but with The World Is to Dig, They Might Be Giants remain wonderfully different.

This is not a novelty or a throwaway, and even though there's technically no "new" music, Nine Inch Noize goes beyond the idea of a "remix," carrying over three decades of material into the future with the help of an unlikely creative muse.

Cuts like "Possession," "Grudges," and "The Last Two People on Earth" have a cavernous, late-'80s and early-'90s alt-rock majesty, as Martinez frames her cracked porcelain vocals in shimmering, reverb-heavy guitars and synths, broken-glass percussion, and orchestral strings.

If "back-to-basics" sounds like your ideal Foo Fighters mode, then Your Favorite Toy is one of their best to date.

If there's a gripe to be had about the record, it's that it isn't longer than nine tracks, although there's something to be said for mirroring the debut in leaving us wanting more.