The album, with its loungey, brushed shuffle grooves and sparkling guitar riffs, has its own intoxicating pull borne of the magical, decades-old chemistry between Wareham and Kramer. That's the Price of Loving Me might pull you into a golden vortex of their shared reverie, but it's a small price to pay.

The whole thing might seem too darn cheerful -- maybe to a fault to the more hard-hearted -- but the duo rescue themselves from overload thanks to the muscular energy they impart to the rhythm section, the whipping bite of Aggs' guitar lines, and the overall forward drive the duo employ on every song.

Ultimately, Belonging feels like a full-circle moment for Marsalis, bringing both his group's history and his long-gestating passion for Jarrett's music into his quartet's vibrant present.

Berenyi has been an expert at pairing delicate sonics and pointed lyrics since her Lush days, but Tripla's experimentation and revealing songwriting make it a compelling highlight within her body of work -- and a testament to her drive to keep creating, no matter what.

By giving equal time to headbanging and heartbreak, they've made an immensely satisfying album that's among their finest.

Rathlin from a Distance/The Liquid Hour is comforting, inventive, and affecting -- sometimes alternately and sometimes all at once -- and feels strangely personal considering its multifaceted approach.

Fans of contemporary punk upstarts like Lambrini Girls, Turnstile, Amyl and the Sniffers, and the Linda Lindas should find plenty to love on Are We All Angels, a refreshing dose of no-frills, youthful punk energy.

What makes Jellywish so often profound and not just sad or mindful is a combination of candid simplicity and hints of the supernatural.

The entire album is yet another exciting evolution of Barker's innovative approach to techno.

As they reclaim the sounds of their roots on Send a Prayer My Way, Baker and Torres bring out the best in each others' music.

Given Adebimpe's legacy with TV on the Radio and his lengthy break from music, expectations for his debut album were high, but Thee Black Boltz' passionate, imaginative songs more than meet them.

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.

Ken Carson makes music to be overpowered by and to lose oneself in its sheer magnitude, and More Chaos accomplishes that once again.

Smith was only getting started on Anxious, and its poignant, eloquent peek into teenage girlhood is something to be cherished.

With What Did the Blackbird Say to the Crow, Giddens and Robinson dig deep into the core Black Southern folk traditions that originally inspired them, and the joy is palpable; you can almost imagine them sitting around with Joe Thompson, smiling, and intently learning these songs.

A standout amid his own catalog, Te Whare Tīwekaweka is a unique and emotional piece of work that is quite affecting even without knowing the language.

There are bands that lavish in the fondue of modern hard rock without the cheese, but not Ghost. Ghost is fun.

The Film is a powerful work from two unstoppable creative forces on the same wavelength.

Engaging and enlightening, Noble and Godlike in Ruin is political art of the highest order -- and more proof that Deerhoof will always find something deeply felt to communicate about the state of the world.

Saying this is Viagra Boys' best album to date is as much a reflection of taste as a matter of quality, but Viagr Aboys shows they're only getting better at channeling their sonic havoc into workable form, and it's some sort of wild triumph.

Dance Music 4 Bad People stands out as one of the most joyous, accessible, and immediate entries in his bottomless discography.

There Is No Space for Us sounds more holistic than its trilogy predecessors, with leaner production, deft arrangements, and extremely inventive songwriting.

Luster is an accomplished, affecting work that finds strength and clarity through introspection and forgiveness.

With Dream into It, Idol underscores his legacy as one of the original pop-punk prophets, a kid with spiky, peroxide-blonde hair who saw the future of punk and lived to tell the tale.

The Melancholy Season confirms that was a matter of inclination rather than a lack of the needed skills: he can write, sing, and play like the seasoned veteran he is, while also sounding as if he has as many ideas as a promising new artist. He ought to consider doing this more often.

he mercurial Hex Key is compellingly weird and rhythmically and melodically catchy, with each of its fluorescent, silver-, or neon-colored tracks holding earworm potential.

Many fans and newcomers alike will have been won over by another album that disarms and charms with its flawed universe while offering just enough musical catharsis.

While this album will undoubtedly be embraced by those who have been following the L.A. group since their early days in Brooklyn, it's never too late to get on the Lucius train, and this eponymous LP is a great representative of what they do.