It would be disingenuous to say the Besnards had been on a downswing prior to this, but in wrestling with mortality they tap into a well of vital energy that makes the group appear revitalized and full of vigor.

Both nervier and more confident than their debut, On All Fours is a huge step forward from a band that's well-equipped to bring post-punk's legacy into the future.

Chaotic roll-out notwithstanding, the album is sure-footed and attests to the artist's high standing among the crowd mining pre-disco R&B, jazz, and pop. Celeste and her fellow songwriters and producers -- led by main collaborators Jamie Hartman and Josh Crocker -- have all the knowing, tasteful moves down pat and exhibit some tricks of their own.

By the time Vertigo Days comes full circle with "Into Love Again," he and the rest of the Notwist have taken their audience on a wild and wise journey of the heart.

If you want to hear Lucero kick out the jams, When You Found Me will not be your cup of poison, but if you want to hear a great American band bear their souls with fearless grace, this is a must.

Arriving at a time when so many artists are inspired by his music, Lost Themes III: Alive After Death proves Carpenter is still one of a kind.

With In Praise of Shadows, Puma Blue has crafted a deliberate slow burn of a debut album you'll enjoy taking your time with.

Largely acoustic with a limited amount of overdubs, Flowers feels somewhat more minimalist than the aesthetically varied Petals -- which isn't to say it's any less impressive. There is a sense that Williams is celebrating her influences.

I Told You So is grittier, edgier, more confident, and focused on staying in the moment; it's kinetic in its adventurous chance-taking yet surrenders none of the good-time feel, groove consciousness, or energy. Hands down, it's their best outing yet.

Tasjan Tasjan Tasjan is an album that invites -- and benefits from -- full immersion, as it has its own odd, alluring flow. The nods to the past only serve to indicate how thoroughly Tasjan has absorbed Petty and Lynne, finding a way to spin universal pop into something personal and poignant.

While slowthai has always been praised for his honesty, he reveals more of himself on Tyron than before, and it's equally as compelling as the sharp social commentary of his debut.

While one can certainly hear touchstones echoed throughout New Fragility, it has the singularity and focus of one artistic voice.

These nine songs are some of the most neatly rendered of the band's post-2010 output, but lose none of their mind-bending effect in the production upgrade. If anything, the album finds the Telescopes delivering their messages of self-discovery and cosmic love louder than ever.

This unrepentantly unsettled, searching feel makes private LIFE a little less immediate than Ecstatic Arrow, but as they lean into the more experimental side of their music, Virginia Wing share a rich inner life that reveals more with each listen.

By focusing on bringing light and shade into the margins, the Hold Steady wound up with an album that feels vivid and alive; it's as if the songs themselves have a life outside of the recording.

Throughout, the star of the debut remains Kirby's inviting voice and hummable melodies, and, at less than 30 minutes, Cool Dry Place will leave many fans of the singer/songwriter tradition eager for more.

It's a powerful, evocative work that speaks to the time that created it as well as the continued creative growth of a unique and gifted group of artists.

For Neale, the grainy imperfections and surreal experiments of Acquainted with Night open her songs up to an unforeseen world of solitary beauty and personality, where the clean, professional sound of earlier work rendered them a little bit anonymous.

It's the work of two collaborative artists who are in the midst of a later-period renaissance that has spawned powerful, evocative music that speaks to its time without being confined to the crises that sparked its creation.

Way Down in the Rust Bucket isn't one of the more revelatory items to emerge from Neil Young's archives since he began major excavation in the mid-2000s. However, for those who consider the joyous stomp of Neil Young & Crazy Horse rock & roll comfort food at its best, this is a feast to savor, a long and rollicking celebration of the pleasures of turning up the amps and inviting in the spirit.

Maxïmo Park remain unabashedly heartfelt, and by staying true to this on Nature Always Wins, they deliver some of their finest songs in a while.

In its amorphous flow and stately pace, In Ferneaux is a little less immediate than some of Blanck Mass' previous music, but its fully realized, cathartic musical journey is just as powerful.

The music easily stands out on its own, even without the choreography and high-res video projections.

All the songs carry the weight of themes already present in the improvisations, however, making for an even more poignant second album by a project that continues to stand out from the melancholy indie crowd.

Willie sounds younger here than he has in years. He seems to be singing with a smile, as buoyed by his band as he is by these standards, a quality that gives That's Life an endearing kick.

This is not a straight-up electronic record, nor does it resemble the polyrhythmic Afro-pop confections the Atlas Mountains have become known for. Instead, Marry has crafted a more personal and cohesive pop album with an engagingly homespun feel that is quite refreshing to listen to.

It's not just a follow-up to their first mildly disappointing venture, it's a bracing reminder of just how thrilling King Gizzard can be at their peak.

Even without the conceptual framework, Harlecore is a briskly entertaining look back -- and forward -- at some of EDM's fizziest, gaudiest sounds.