Unfortunately, the Oranges Band can't sustain their head of steam during All Around's second half.

Whole New You may not contain a song that will spark sales and awards the way "Sunny Came Home" did, but anyone who, like the artist herself, has come to the safe harbor of family life (even with its many challenges) after a long, uncertain voyage through personal relationships and life experiences will appreciate Colvin's ruminations on the subject.

Their loudest, noisiest, most immediate album yet -- and it's one of their best.

Far more than someone like Beth Orton -- who seems positively conventional in comparison -- she's creating a new paradigm for singer/songwriters, with electronics an integral part of her sound, rather than an afterthought.

Definitely the sound of a band indie lovers need to check out immediately.

Those who think the late 2000s are devoid of bands that know how to rock should devote three seconds to this album — they will instantly see the folly of their ways.

To Realize is an album that will certainly reward those willing to give in to the band's grand design.

Jones' story is compelling listening, but more than that, it's a backbone-slipping monster of a dance record.

Below the Pink Pony doesn't always carve out a signature sound for the Fauntleroys, but there's a whole lot of talent in this band and they know how to make room for one another; hopefully there will be a full-length Fauntleroys album that will allow them to build on the impressive work they put in on this quick, dirty, and rewarding debut.

As usual, Vaughan completely ignores modern electric blues trends. On this excellent slab of grease, grit, and soul, past is present is future, thank goodness.

Earth Man Blues stands out slightly from the several records that came before it, for both its abundance of hooks and its tendency to take the songs even further off the deep end. As with most GbV albums, it's a wonderfully bizarre and occasionally disarming ride through warped thoughts and cracked beauty.

It's not a buried gem or a return to form but a snapshot of an excellent musician having a pretty good run in the studio.

This is also a fine example of the philosophy of "If it ain't broke, don't fix it," and Get Fucked shows the Chats know what they do best and are here to deliver good obnoxious fun.

These songs are so fun, so triumphant, so full of life that it's easy to feel reassured by them, even when they investigate difficult realities.

In James Bond terms, Sour Soul is the almost addendum-ish Quantum of Solace as it offers adventurous fans the same opportunities for a quick fix while sacrificing a bit of weight. In Toronto jazz terms, it's verygoodgoodnotbad.

Street Songs of Love is the most raucous, rawest, and finest album Escovedo's yet released.

Introspective in personal as well as universal ways, Bring on the Sun is an excellent sampler of Laraaji's many strengths.

Taken as a whole--SR3MM is nearly two hours long--the album is a serious time investment. However, broken up into three parts as intended, it provides a trio of easily digestible bites that gives Swae Lee and Slim Jxmmi freedom to indulge their own artistry while maintaining their bond as a duo.

Aiko can be maddeningly platitudinal and singsongy, but her one dimension is a specific balmy backdrop provided by no one else.

Again produced by vocalist Nick Thorburn and bassist Evan Gordon, the album nods to Islands' past but remains firmly planted in the time of its release, not only in production quality but also in focus. The hooks dig in deeper and the melodies hit harder, maturing their sound.

Light Falls retains the epic nature of Wrekmeister Harmonies' earlier offerings, but the scope is much more intimate, direct, and accessible. As a result, it may resonate with some as even more powerful.

A stately and soulful set of songs rooted in the bittersweetness of nostalgia and adulthood.

By the time the 12-song set closes on the lively, horns-injected "Waiting So Long," it's clear that Ballgame's got the goods and the charisma, and that he found an ideal crew (or they found him) to put his music in its best incandescent light.

Music is, by and large, entertainment and escapism, so regardless of whether Young Knives intend to add enlightenment to that formula, their hooks and their ideas--their entire musical package--are too intriguing and exciting to provoke the usual worries about agit-pop.

It's the type of album that can be enjoyed on the surface, as pleasant background listening, or as a deeply immersive experience.

More than its tunes or even its sound design, Boman's wispy voice and heavy-hearted pensiveness are likely to stick with listeners after the album ends.

All the shifting sounds and emotions lend Blood an uneasy undercurrent that counters the immediacy of her melodies, but this tension isn't merely provocative, it's nourishing. Few pop records have captured the agitation of the early 2020s as well as this homespun project, which feels a bit like a beacon in the darkness.

Wide-ranging yet cohesive, crafted yet genuine, Homo Anxietatem is an expansive, satisfying standout within his body of work.