Monsters Exist retains several hallmarks of the classic Orbital sound, but it isn't an album for '90s rave nostalgia purists pining for another "Belfast" or "Halcyon." Instead, it continues their tradition of making forward-thinking albums which reflect the present but glance excitedly, cautiously, and fearlessly into the future.

Kravitz knows how to sculpt not just sounds but a cohesive LP, and that kind of pro assurance when combined with his earnest hippie beliefs, make Raise Vibration a sunny, affirming listen.

The thing that Kurstin brings to the table is a refinement, letting Paul's ideas shine incandescently while also revealing that a record this clever isn't tossed off, it's crafted in every respect.

The album's glitchy title track is sparse yet acutely detailed, and sinister without seeming too evil-minded. Like the rest of the album, it seems curious about the dark side rather than fully possessed.

A relentless return to form, This Behavior finds Adult. at their most forceful and consistent as they enter their third decade.

The Bones do let loose on songs like the disco jam "Got It Bad" and "LivWithOutU," a grooving, straightforward love song. Taken as a whole, though, Young Sick Camellia feels almost like a concept album, one framed by and rooted in a confrontational contemporary reality.

Unrelentingly harsh and moving deliberately away from previously charted territory, Head Cage might disappoint fans looking for a rehash of former styles and statements, but those excited by Pig Destroyer's journey through new forms of despair and hostility will enjoy hearing their hybrid sound continue to mutate.

A clutch of unapologetically hedonistic singles in 2017 kept the Bomptown rapper visible and also pointed toward the approach taken with his third proper album.

Overall, Joy as an Act of Resistance manages to plumb new depths for Idles -- that they've achieved another record in such a short space of time is admirable, let alone one that shines head and shoulders over the majority of their peers -- and it certainly upholds their status as one of the U.K.'s most exciting new acts.

Menace Beach have shown a lot of creative growth in their relatively short existence, constantly homing in on their essential elements and discarding the rest with each new release.

Sometimes it's hard to tell if Love, Loss, and Auto-Tune is meant to be some sort of parody of current R&B production techniques, or a conscious effort to upturn Swamp Dogg's music and send it someplace no one would expect to find it. Either way, it's obvious that Swamp Dogg still knows how to write a song, and even at the age of 76, he's still vital, passionate, and eager to throw a curveball at the expectations of anyone and everyone. Talk about Total Destruction to Your Mind.

The overall effect is warm, unsettling, and artful, but most of all catchy, up to and including the intimate closer, "Moon Like Sour Candy," which ends with a mandate to try.

Deaths is a seriously fiery album that pushes the temperature right to the point of flammability and further cements the band's place as one of the best noise bands of their era.

Lacking the intensity of her main catalog, Great Thunder plays out more like an addendum that an essential Waxahatchee recording, but the songs are still worth discovery.

Everything on In the Blue Light is deliberate, gentle, and subtle, placing as much emphasis on the words and melody as the instrumentation, which isn't necessarily the case with the dense original albums.

As sheer performance, Eminem's vocals remain a thing of wonder, which is why it's so dispiriting to hear him circling the drain, relying on old tricks instead of expanding his worldview. He has the musical skills to mature; he's just refusing to let himself act his age.

Bodied is a few tracks longer than necessary, but its best moments are bewildering, and display Ital Tek's continued evolution as a sound designer.

It's a challenging album, especially at close to an hour in length. Its one that holds its share of fascination, however, with its alternately biting and poetic lyrics, persistent ache, and unpredictable patterns that are still discernable if often transient.

It's a powerful chapter in Bachmann's expansive discography, and while it might require a closer listen than some of his earlier material, the rewards are as fulfilling and slow burning as the songs themselves.

A major step up from their earlier material, Kingdoms in Colour is where Maribou State truly come into their own.

In full, And Nothing Hurt stands alongside the very best outings on the Spiritualized shelf. Its finest moments are consequently its most tender, revealing how much Pierce has grown as a writer. If he continues to record, this will be the album that opens a vibrant new chapter in the saga of Spiritualized.

No previous knowledge of his catalog is necessary to get happily lost in the blissful layers of 2012/2017.

While SOPHIE's music has never been simple, Oil of Every Pearl's Un-Insides' complexities and transformations make it a remarkable debut album that reveals more with each listen.

With Animals is the work of two men with great talent embracing what they do best, and with their skills elevating their work to a new level; this is collaboration between musical peers at its best.

Remain in Light comes bursting out of the gates in a rollicking, irresistible wave of musical joy that only stops when the album is over, leaving the listener in a state of blessed disbelief.

All in all, Mass Gothic have made an album of serviceable, if not shinning, indie pop. That said, it is a step forward from their debut and an overall solid effort from which it's possible to glean some truly compelling moments.

The amplification of their strengths as a group and the new avenues they travel make this the TERRY album that rewards a deep listen most.

Sultana could stand to edit herself a bit better, but Flow State is unquestionably the work of a first-rate talent with potential, and if anyone is going to teach young women about the innate coolness of the guitar, she seems like just the person to do it.