Though they've branched out over the years with plenty of success, El Mirador shows their roots are as strong as ever.

Even when she's still working with high BPMs, James lets the tracks on this album breathe in a way that she doesn't on her other releases, making Whatever the Weather a standout in her rapidly growing catalog.

The sounds will be familiar (even comforting) to longtime fans, but there are so many unpredictable turns and head-scratching moments that Vile ends up taking his music somewhere new by approaching the same kind of songwriting he's been doing since he started from unlikely angles.

An impressive project that brings illuminating new perspectives to their music -- and perhaps some more artists to their listeners' attention.

Giving such acute insight into Fontaines' headspace that it borders on uncomfortable. This is what they have always been best at though, bringing the listener into their world and showing them the darkest corners alongside the rays of light.

Making a joyous noise helps ease the pain of troubled times and that's precisely what happens here: the good and the bad intermingle like the past and the present, resulting in a lively, heartfelt record.

Mahal and Cooder stay close to the originals, but whether faithfully evoking the sound and spirit of their mentors or using them as lift-off points for expansion, this glorious album honors their subjects with joy and swagger as well as devotion.

This masterful release contains some of the most immediately appealing work in Eno's discography.

Densely packed with historical references and acute lyrical imagery, Aethiopes requires numerous listens and extensive research to fully comprehend, yet even on cursory listens, the album's scope, detail, and creativity are highly impressive.

Upgrading significantly from 2018's brief and scattered-feeling Daytona, It's Almost Dry finds Pusha T in the role of the cool, collected, bulletproof rapper, and Kanye-produced tracks like "Dreamin' of the Past" and "Rock N' Roll" (both of which he contributes verses to as a featured artist) harken back to his distinctive and sample-heavy style pre-My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.

It all adds up to an album that slowly works its way into the subconsious, sounding deeper and richer with each successive play.

Though it's not much longer than some of the group's EPs, Black Pearl's sustained mood of brooding mystery sets it apart, and its darkly lustrous songs uphold 50 Foot Wave's reputation as a vital part of Hersh's music.

Bon Voyage was a kind of disjointed, disconnected masterpiece, Emotional Eternal is the flipside of the coin. Unified by acceptance and warmth, sung with wide-eyed, deep-down happiness, and played with a rich softness, it's a thing of beauty and that's forever.

At times on their first album they seemed a little like a novelty band with their note-perfect retro approach, but here they sound like a serious group, the kind that breaks hearts and changes lives.

It might scare off some of the fans drawn to the pop side of Toro, but for those who appreciate the subtle twists and turns of his early work -- and especially those who wish he had expanded on What For? -- this is Bear and band at their most exciting, most inventive. and most fun.

The resulting Blue Water Road is undeniably lighter and less fraught than the singer's previous LP -- and not without grief and tension -- and also has a continuity justifying the decision to stay on a forward course.

Less sonically aggressive than their previous album, Profound Mysteries still has something of an edge to it and its overall tone of ghostly enchantment makes for a strangely captivating listen.

Nelson's guitar and voice have intertwined and complemented each other throughout his career yet it's still a marvel to hear him find sustenance and surprises within his music, and that's what makes A Beautiful Time so rewarding: it's no small achievement that Willie Nelson is still deepening his artistry at the age of 89.

Stately and almost elegant, Zeit is a haunted, pensive work that faces life's inevitabilities with an appropriate rage, heart, and sense of humor that only Rammstein can deliver.

It's in the album's unlikely combination of weighty sentiments and cheerful (if especially diverse) sounds that Belle and Sebastian grow, offering up an honest assessment of what getting older feels like when you're one of the world's best indie pop bands.

Despite -- or perhaps because of -- the difficulties Warpaint overcame while making the album, Radiate Like This is a quiet stunner and a very welcome return.

Such an ambitious, border-crossing project can't help seeming overwhelming and messy, but the participants' glee and love of expression comes through loud and clear, and the whole experience is a rewarding one.

Endless Rooms is another strong outing from the group, definitive proof that they are still gleefully exploring their sound and are more than willing to take whatever approach is needed to put the songs across.

Van Etten isn't wallowing in melancholy, she's accepting the sadness along with the joy, using both emotions to push into a new stage of life. That sense of optimism, no matter how muted it may sometimes be, gives We've Been Going About This All Wrong an air of unguarded hope.

Not just an escapist pleasure, Wet Tennis is a lasting statement that shines with pop-savvy expertise and marks a significant step forward in Sofi Tukker's musical growth.

All these slight aural imperfections emphasize the extraordinary casualness of the gig. Young is loose but not sloppy as he plays songs largely unknown to his audience.

The sisters continue to make a serene and highly appealing kind of pop music informed by their Afro-Cuban heritage.

As the record swiftly spins through these production and melodic hooks, it gives the impression of a jukebox filled with a bunch of excavated gems, and that's not a bad comfort zone for the Black Keys at all.