The dovetailing of a traditional Indian melody deftly arranged by Khan and Yorkston overlaying Thorne's reading of Roger Eno's drolly English "You're Just a Bloke" is the kind of offering that makes this collaboration so unique.

Hopeless Romantic has an appealingly cool veneer in addition to a sturdy structure of songs. It comes on so smoothly, it's easy to overlook how the songs quickly sink into the subconscious.

They're demonstrating they can write and play as well as anyone in pop and country in 2017, and the album is a rich, thoroughly satisfying delight.

Loaded with vocal hooks, sassy, R&B-infused performances, and textured, groove-powered tunes, it's a hypnotic set that's definitely got its own thing going on.

Song of the Rose won't do much for your next dance party, but if you're looking for music that's intelligent and introspective but still revels in the beauty of the world around us, then Arbouretum have made an album you need to hear.

As always, Ghersi pushes his boundaries on Arca, and the vulnerability he displays makes it some of his most exciting and moving music yet.

All-Amerikkkan Bada$$ is the sound of a young rapper finding a voice and higher purpose, an exciting and powerfully insightful statement.

This is Guided by Voices sounding free and wild, and it's ultimately more satisfying than any of the "classic lineup" GbV reunion efforts that appeared between 2012 and 2014.

It's compelling stuff, and Combs imbues all of his characters, no matter how lost they may be, with humanity and humor, and it's that knowing nod to vagabond life that makes Canyons of My Mind so easy to get lost in.

The album sounds huge and intimate at the same time.

An impressive debut from a very promising songwriter, hopefully with more to come.

Through musical discipline, a poetic sense of self-expression, emotional honesty, and rigorous intellectual curiosity, Ulver reveal not only what remains possible in synth pop creatively, but the aesthetic abundance that was there all along.

Ultimately, there's nothing careless about Careless People, and Charlotte OC has crafted a smartly paced album that builds slowly and holds out some of its best moments for the latter half.

With a full set that rivals their best songs to date without significant reinvention, it's a must for fans and great place to start for the uninitiated.

Belong manages to strike a nice balance between San Fermin's musical theater/experimental rock predilections and their emerging pop ambitions, and while there's still a lot to chew on, the taste has grown significantly sweeter.

They take a decidedly psychedelic approach on songs like "Through Windows" and the impenetrable "The C Is A B A G" ("and the sky has a film"), but a knack for sunny tunes and an off-kilter delivery keep everything sounding like themselves.

Toxic City Music is a truly daring, captivating release, and possibly Caminiti's best solo work yet.

Death Peak reaffirms that Clark's music isn't constrained by clearly defined concepts; if anything, he's liberated by them, and this is some of his finest, widest-ranging music yet.

Tthis is a surprisingly listenable and emotive album, layering a wall of guitars, pounding drums, atmospheric textures, and a decent mix of bloody screaming and gang choruses.

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.

It's a remarkably coherent and listenable album that goes down very smooth, but not without the occasional moment of real emotion or foot-tapping fun.

The juxtaposition of pretty janglers, moodily melancholy ballads, and tough rockers makes the album the richest Cairo Gang record to date. Credit to Segall for helping out, but Untouchable is Kelly's show and while it won't make anyone forget the Byrds or Love, any song from the album would sound pitch-perfect on a playlist next to either band's best work, and that's really saying something.

IV is strong stuff, but if you wonder if Part Chimp have lost their touch after half-a-decade out of the game, this music provides a conclusive answer: not even a tiny bit.

With one quick spin, it's clear that it was a move he needed to make and he did it with all the flair and style of a true sonic wizard. It was always a known factor that Lerche could write songs that could break a heart--and suddenly he can wrap them in sounds that will thrill and amaze.

Fully maintaining the trademark Gas sound while adding new dimensions, Narkopop couldn't be a more welcome return.

A worthy update of 7AM's tone poems, 8AM proves that seven years can feel like only an hour later when the music is this transporting.

Whether the duo plan to work this way in the future or not, 2016 Atomized documents a year when they successfully rebooted their sound and opened up their future to all kinds of possibilities.

A splendid work from a wildly underrated artist, Tara Jane O'Neil is an ideal album for the end of the day, or anytime you need to immerse yourself in something that's clear and beautiful.