For those familiar with Chadwick's previous work, in addition to the lyrics' especially low lows, noteworthy is the album's tunefulness, especially in the case of the soaring piano pop entry "Please Daddy" and reflective "Make Hey." Though there are plenty of her trademark semi-melodic, improvised-sounding tirades as well.

The album's a comeback that once again makes Tame Impala an artistic force equal to their commercial appeal.

While fans will be glad to know that Through Water generally adheres to the well-embraced, cushiony indie electronica of Long Way Home, its "2.0" quality makes it an even better entry point for the uninitiated.

Exhilarating and unpredictable from start to finish, The Upward Spiral is a fresh, fearless perspective on techno.

Even though Kirk used a restrained setup of vintage equipment to make Shadow of Fear, his vibrant energy and "don't look back" attitude keep the album sounding fresh and forward-thinking.

Future Times is a meditation on an uncertain era, and while it gets uneasy at spots, it takes solace in the healing powers of nature and remains optimistic that goodness will prevail.

Each one is more exploratory and/or less commercial than any of its counterparts. This is evidenced most strongly by the bleak post-punk electronics of Perfect Mother, whose "Dark Disco -- Da-Da-Da-Da-Run" convulses like an outgrowth of Throbbing Gristle or Cabaret Voltaire (and was previously excavated by the Minimal Wave label). Starker still and more alien is an alternately thudding and twinkling cut from R.N.A.-Organism.

It's exceedingly rare for a band to come back after decades away and make something that measures up to what they were doing when they left off. Scientists have done that on Negativity, and that's something to celebrate.

Garbology isn't nearly as complex or conceptually driven as 2020's Spirit World Field Guide, but it still contains an abundance of memorable lyrics, and demonstrates Aesop's talent for spinning fantastic stories out of nothing.

Everything Was Forever not only shows they're still in strong form, it's as bold and inspired as their best work.

Sad Cities is the best kind of comeback album; one that has just the right amount of nostalgia baked into the grooves, but also adds in new sounds and approaches. Shapiro and Agebjörn certainly do that and the album is a reminder of just how good heartbreak disco can sound when delivered by people who understand it so well.

His usage of stringed instruments, whether plucked or bowed, particularly gives the music a sense of intimacy as well as its distinctive character, to the point of establishing a signature sound. Much of the album is instrumental, with a few guest vocalists providing additional perspectives.

Stars like Chris Brown, Shenseea, and Asake join him here and there, but for the most part, the collaborations are underplayed, leaving the spotlight where it belongs: on DML's silky vocals and mellow grooves.

It plays to her strengths with an ideal balance of solid craft and relatable humanity, and it's a more than welcome return from a singer and songwriter whose every release feels like a gift.

September November is a collection of songs that says, "We're Still Here!" a subtle but vitally important difference, and the Long Ryders make us glad that they were alt-country before there was alt-country and haven't thrown in the towel.

Crystal Vision is a spirited set of tracks that gleefully switch between genres and evoke the producer's varied inspirations.

They may or may not ever release anything as genre defining as ...And Out Come the Wolves or as hell-bent on destruction as that afore-mentioned 2000 album, but as far as punk in 2023 goes there aren't many bands making music as convincing or powerful as Rancid do here.

Days in the Desert is a spiraling, hallucinatory experience, blurring the boundaries between studio-crafted ambient soundscapes and an engaging live jam.

Selvutsletter is some of the duo's most expressive and widest-ranging work -- and given how committed Volden and Hval are to experimentation, that's saying something.

Ducks Ltd. come fully into their own with a combination of heightened production values, arrangements that lean into discrete synthesizers and vocal layers, and sneakily depressive lyrics hidden in songs overflowing with brisk pop charm.

Hawkwind still sound like themselves and nobody else on Stories from Time and Space, and if it doesn't break new ground, it's the work of a band with interesting ideas and the talent and imagination to make something of them, which not many groups can manage, let alone one that's been doing this for more than half a century.

The album carries a lightness that's emphasized by its brisk running time. That might mean The Border, unlike A Beautiful Time, doesn't quite feel like a final chapter but rather a welcome coda restating Nelson's strengths with casual ease.

Alvin and Gilmore are two great tastes who taste great together, with Alvin's salt and Gilmore's sweetness accenting one another very well indeed, and Texicali is strong enough to suggest this collaboration should have gas in the tank for at least one more album.

As a whole, only one of the 18 tracks here crosses the four-minute mark, so A Study of Losses' hour-long playing time seems to go by quickly, and its unceasing sweetness and longing linger after Condon is "Left to be/A sea of tranquility" ("Mare Tranquillitatis") to close a lovely theater project.

Albums by crossover stars like Rae are often dubious affairs, less than inspired productions that can feel like an attempt to package someone to fit a preconceived image, rather than showcase actual talent. Thankfully, she impressively side-steps any such pitfalls.

Morrison's been rambling in strange territory for the last five years, but this is proof that the restless wandering spirit didn't forget his Muse, or who he is.

Snooper might not be having fun on Worldwide, but they make alienation served with an absurdist wink sound more entertaining than it has in some time.

Songbird doesn't tell us much new about Waylon Jennings, but it reaffirms that he was one of the strongest and most compelling country singers of his generation, and this is a welcome gift for fans who wish there was another fine 1970s Waylon Jennings album they'd never heard.