River of Souls finds a way to economically say everything the artist needs to say, touching on myriad ideas and styles, wasting no words, and making it look so easy.

It's even bleaker, more industrial and decayed, than 2012's R.I.P. There are more moments of forward motion here than on that previous album. They're all captivating on some level.

While it would be a shame to let the Mendicants' future impede the progress of any new records by the group's flagship bands, this is a wonderful debut and certainly worthy of a follow-up album.

The album is like a gentle, sometimes terrifying solitary journey, a walk through foggy terrain with no absolute destination in mind, but one that takes the listener to places of new questions and different possibilities every time.

It's not common for a band to rock this hard and sound this smart at the same time, and the fact they've managed this accomplishment with a mere two people confirms Do Not Engage is both a solid dose of rock action and a model of modern efficiency.

There are several milestones in Kidjo's nearly 30-year recording career; Eve is certainly one of them.

No doubt, Lord Steppington is a niche album, but whenever a combination of 3rd Bass and Adult Swim is required, this one shows its pimp-hand with some dry, elevated humor.

The fact that they waited eight years to make this impressive album demonstrates the patience and maturity of a band whose members wanted to wait until they had something worthy to say.

While Mmoss created a small but memorable body of work, Doug Tuttle proves their former guitarist has the talent and the vision to create music just as remarkable all by himself; hopefully, he won't have to have his heart broken again in order to deliver another set of music this engaging.

In many ways, the demo sounds like a strong rough draft for the album that followed, with a bit less electric guitar punch and a shade more twang, but documenting performances that are essentially just as strong in terms of chops and commitment, while spotting the subtle differences in the arrangements, is where fans will have the most fun.

Fifth isn't much of a title, but the music is something very special, and this is one of the smartest and best-crafted pop albums of recent memory.

Come to Life is aptly titled when it comes to Aviv's talents, and even if he didn't invent cloud rap, using the genre for such positive and poignant music is previously unexplored territory.

Held in Splendor shows that Quilt are defined, but not confined, by their affinity for the sounds of the '60s. Instead, they're using it in ways that may be slightly more down to earth but also cover more ground.

Expertly arranged and produced, and written and performed with smarts and compassion, No Way There from Here demonstrates that Laura Cantrell remains one of the best and most thoughtful singer/songwriters working in roots music today.

Its freshness proves that ten years after their 2004 breakthrough, the band is as lively as ever and, in some sly subtle ways, better than ever too.

After absorbing the record, however, it's clear that the broken, disconnected flow is by design, and Guardian Alien's experiment with structure pays off with another album of mind-bending headphone candy.

Her use of country music as a way of getting these songs across is not only convincing, it's compelling.

After the Burial might have a sound that's heavier and more mechanical than their prog forefathers, but that doesn't diminish the massive amounts of technical and creative power at work on Wolves Within.

It perfectly reflects both Sunn 0)))'s impenetrably emotional dark heart and Ulver's expertly crafted senses of drama and dynamic.

With ceo he's perfecting it and this is his best work yet. Whether you're shopping, working, falling in love, or drifting along aimlessly, it's a perfect soundtrack for a warm daydream full of light and wonder.

It's an incredible feat for an artist to make something so enormous and unfolding without losing himself in the process, but McGuire has done just that, and as a result has turned in his most detailed and soul-searching work.

Because of the material's quality and the inspired collaboration between songwriter, performers, and producer, July unfolds as a near-perfect song cycle.

This music glides across the ears, never indicating how deeply its hooks are sinking in; these songs wind up growing in the subconscious, suggesting how Matthews knows precisely how his obscure art works.

There is an overall sense of it being the right album at the right time for Mandell which is something that doesn't happen very often in an artist's career.

Behemoth sound revitalized and ready to destroy everything that stands in their path, and fans should be ready to either go along for the ride or be crushed.

Even if it takes a little more effort than expected to fall under the spell he's casting, Abandoned Apartments' finest moments make it one of Jay's best blends of dreamy surrealism and crisp-edged pop in some time.

If this initial step into adulthood is any indicator of future work, it will be a pleasure to follow their progress. If not, at least we have this excellent album to look back on fondly.

Sun Structures is an impressive debut that would be legendary now if it had been released in 1967; in 2014 it's merely the best psych pop around.