The album is highly focused and engrossing, and continues Hauschildt's run of nearly flawless albums.

On Deep Politics, Grails sound more like themselves than ever, while taking their music to an entirely new level.

At the surface, the temperature is icy. But like a cold lake's waters, the music of Public Strain becomes less drastic; comforting even, given time.

Splazsh and R.I.P. remain Cunningham's most novel and creative full-lengths, but this thrill-filled one, whatever it's about, is his most direct.

Equally steeped in Southern and Midwest Gothic Americana, the son of a pair of neuroscientists has crafted his most unique collection of songs to date, borrowing characters from mythology, literature, and world history and letting them run wild in the increasingly adventurous, neo-traditional folk style that his become his forte over the last decade.

Altogether, A Fever Dream is confrontational, warped, emotionally and aurally high-contrast, and full of turmoil, but reliable in its infectiousness.

Moments of unfulfilled anticipation and endless, directionless drifting might make Antidawn seem difficult compared to other Burial releases, but there's something quietly powerful in the way he's able to express the sensation of being inexplicably lost.

The sense of fun that buoyed Loner and Superstar is muted on The Art of Forgetting, but the intelligence and songwriting chops are very much there, and this music brilliantly merges form and content, an exercise in pop music as therapy that's intensely personal and easily relatable.

Some songs come across as organic as anything from Michels' past. Whatever the method employed, all the productions are worthy of the hard-boiled South Philly griot. Glorious Game does not dilute the Black Thought catalog, either. Thought switches subjects and vantage points with typical ease and is almost as piercing throughout as he was on Cheat Codes.

It's a keen and catchy, often poetic, always emotionally honest outing that raises the bar on the project's already well-established strengths.

Package it all together in an album that's sensibly sized and runs smooth as silk, and the evolving and growing Mount Kimbie remain a keeper.

It's an album filled with wonderful moments from the delicious grooves of "Evil" to "Mother Fighter's" entrancing hooks, and they only ever serve to deepen Shah's message.

While first-timers to this era would be best served listening to the parent album first, existing fans who can't get enough of that LP will find Club Future Nostalgia to be an absolute blast.

True to form, Shamir continues to push boundaries as the album comes to a close with the dramatic vocals and strings of "In This Hole." Moments like this make it clear that this album isn't a simple return to pop for Shamir; it's a wide embrace of everything he can do with his music -- at this point in his career, anyway.

Power more than lives up to the high standards Sarah Tudzin established on Let Me Do One More, and if you're in the mood for smart, insightful indie pop that's not afraid to rock, Illuminati Hotties is a band you need to hear.

Plague Vendor have captured the feeling of youthful defiance that spurred the genre's pioneers to action, and while their debut might not be long enough to be the soundtrack to your late-night antics, it's the perfect album to light the fuse on a night you probably won't remember in the morning.

Easily his richest, most complex music to date, A Western Circular is where Archer reaches the sound he's been striving towards.

Taken as a whole, Blowout is Kirby's most adventurous record as well as his most accessible, thanks to hip arrangements, imaginative compositions, and focused, expert musicianship.

Overall, Rebuilding is a winsome and rather wistful listen from a complementary pair of musicians who could certainly find their niche as occasional film composer

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.

An improvement over & the Charm, Written Into Changes demonstrates Emerson's growing prowess as a pop songwriter.

Sleaford Mods' range keeps growing along with their success. It's a slightly more disjointed experience than Spare Ribs, but Fearn and Williamson are making music for themselves first and fighting back against evil and stupidity the only way they can.

The album is densely dynamic, but never relies on loud-then-soft clichés or screaming histrionics to make any of its points.

Unity feels richly varied instead of disjointed, and it's a testament to Wood and Day's creativity that they're still finding fresh ways to express themselves this far into their career.

It's brave, smart, honest, and expressive -- an uncompromised vision from musicians with something to say and the means to say it. It's another triumph from one of the finest, most satisfying bands in the indie underground.

Should've Learned By Now makes it clear things still aren't always a breeze for them, but they've learned sometimes you just need to plug in that guitar and shake off the bad times as best you can, and they've done so like the great band they are. Put this on, turn it up, and join them in the party.

What impresses is the consistency. Acoustic Recordings 1998-2016 not only is a strong set of songs but it makes it plain that White has been mining the same territory, finding something new within it for nearly two decades.

Konoyo takes several listens to fully appreciate, as do most Hecker releases, but it's another excellent example of the distinct mixture of bleakness and majesty which he excels at creating.