Throughout Someone New, on top of its hypnotic mix of the strange and familiar, Deland's vulnerable voice helps make her self-conscious, searching commentaries all the more engrossing.

While the collaborative nature and scant length of The Makarrata Project might have some fans wishing for more of a straightforward rock album after so many years away, the band nonetheless stay true to their long-held mission with a focused, purposeful, and culturally relevant return to form.

In terms of both recording fidelity and songwriting, Monument sounds much brighter and more polished, and contains some of their most hook-filled songs to date. It's also more overtly danceable than their earlier records.

Despite subtle shifts in arrangements, the songs of Good Woman share a certain world-weariness that's balanced with a refreshing self-assurance that -- like the sisters' elegant, blended vocal harmonies -- never loses its composure.

At under 40 minutes, Liberation Time is relatively brief but free of excess. Despite employing three very different ensembles, McLaughlin delivers a focused album that is as dazzling as it is thought provoking.

Unhurried and stark without being austere, The Nearer the Fountain, More Pure the Stream Flows seems suspended from time but not place: as misty and evocative as it is, the music is grounded in a specific location, which gives this elegiac, enveloping album an emotional weight.

Aided by a wealth of musicians including drummer Wolfgang Haffner, reedist Shabaka Hutchings, and returning keyboardist Robin Taylor-Firth, Evelyn offers some of his headiest and most emotive productions.

Mature and focused, The Kick is a welcome return from Allen, a refreshing and ebullient collection that balances emotional introspection with pure physical joy.

The result of this envelope-pushing is one of their most nuanced and emotionally engaging albums in years, arriving at a different kind of immediacy than can be achieved with loud guitars and angsty hooks.

The Alchemist's instrumentals are fluid and bubbling over with unexpected sound combinations, and the inspired nature of Curren$y's performances comes through even when he's at his most laid-back.

Not unlike the late Emitt Rhodes, there's some of the cult classic singer/songwriter in Ivey's overall vibe, which seems built for a smaller but deeply devoted arena.

The sisters continue to make a serene and highly appealing kind of pop music informed by their Afro-Cuban heritage.

Mississippi Son is an unromanticized testament to living the blues and sounds like it came from the soil. As such, it's a late-period masterpiece.

I Am the Moon: I. Crescent is dazzling in concept and execution. Tedeschi Trucks Band embrace this narrative with ambition, and expose its lessons with creative imagination, emotionally intelligent songwriting, and mind-blowing musicality.

Though Pye Corner Audio didn't necessarily need make such a drastic change, Jenkins pulls it off brilliantly, and Let's Emerge! celebrates the beauty of his music like never before.

They approached the sessions with the idea of capturing the feel of "an old rock song from the '80s," specifically along the lines of Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, and Hall & Oates. Where the album really succeeds in this regard is in its strong, economical melodies and a certain warm, bittersweet depth to the songwriting.

Trios: Sacred Thread is the fitting sendoff volume for the project. Its tunes are wrought with nearly symbiotic aesthetic interplay, spiritual connection, intimacy, and even tenderness.

Heavier than ever, Oozing Wound find no resolution or peace with these songs, but continue banging their heads against the wall in beautiful fits of rage and exhilaration.

A remarkable debut album, Yian's reflections on growth cement Chua's identity as an artist capable of deeply personal, honest, and beautiful music.

Jadagu's songs are memorable, creative, and highly relatable, and Aperture is an impressive first album.

It's a well-crafted and often moving album that mixes a bit of Cat Stevens' sound with Yusuf's heart and soul, and it honors both with skill and sincerity.

Altogether, Evergreen is a masterfully executed maturation that launches Gunnulfsen forward into fresh, fearless territory.

Even amid the emerging identities of its two star players, it hangs together as a delightfully cohesive volume. It's the sound of old friends playing guitar and singing together in a good room, a vibe that never gets old.

Georgas' conscious attempts here to be more candid in her songwriting pay off on a no-filler label debut for Lucy Rose's Real Kind Records that stands as her best to this point in her career.

Maybe Hackman just needed a little break before delivering her most compelling album to date.

If you appreciate Metheny's acoustic guitar recordings, MoonDial will undoubtedly delight, and its elegance folds seamlessly into its predecessors'.

Devil Rides In is lovingly curated and offers surprises even for listeners who think they know the era's music well.

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.