While a bit mercurial in nature, by its overall impression, How Many Times Have You Driven By is a grooving, otherworldly standout that establishes Vu as one to watch.

Semblance isn't Forma's most consistent album, but their approach to rhythm is more innovative here than it was on their past releases, and their continued progression remains exciting to witness.

In hindsight, it's possible to hear some of the profound loneliness of Liars' next album TFCF and the disorienting washes of Hemphill's subsequent work as Nonpareils in this score, and for that reason alone, 1/1 is more than just a commissioned work--as much as any one release from this band could, it sums up their approach and points the way forward.

The best songs on Back Roads and Abandoned Motels are a lovely reminder of what the Jayhawks have been doing so well for over 30 years, and if this album might make one wonder if Gary Louris is running low on songwriting ideas, he still leads a band to be reckoned with.

Powell tends to overwhelm on the suite of Ziggy Stardust numbers, painting everything with swathes of synths--but the performance is invigorating even with its flaws.

While DJ-Kicks doesn't quite have as much personality as those prior releases, particularly Time Spent Away from U, the mix proves that Seinfeld isn't interested in being pegged as a one-trick pony, and that his scope is rapidly expanding.

Four albums in and Halestorm appear to have officially hit their stride.

More a gentle expansion than a reformulation, The Mighty Thread should appeal to established fans and other daydreamers.

it's a record that reflects how James always swing for the fences. As such, the album can be a little exhausting for those who aren't true believers--there is plenty going on in the songs and productions but no direct way inside--but can prove to be fascinating for the dedicated sort who choose immersion over skimming.

Swimming is ample evidence that Miller can pick up the pieces and continue evolving, his grasp on thoughtful, introspective hip-hop getting stronger by the album.

For fans of this particular era, ShadowParty's debut offers welcome satisfaction, breathing new life into the familiar with fresh ideas and a freedom unhindered by the burden of the beloved acts from which they originated.

Even the hazier songs have a melodic and harmonic allure, though, a trait that bodes well for any band. With ten tracks coming in at under 25 minutes, Bell House almost goes by too fast for its richness, like sample-sized bakery treats that deserve a full course.

High Water I will satisfy those fans who have been missing music that sounds like the Crowes--it's much bolder and simpler than Rich Robinson's appealingly rambling Flux, for instance--but it's also true that the Magpie Salute doesn't attempt to do much here but hit their mark with precision.

Baby Grand is as ambitious as we've come to expect from the Love Language, and as successful in its grasp of thoughtful, artfully crafted pop music.

As befits a self-titled album, all the moves Shears makes--both familiar and new--feel true to him. Funny, flashy, and not so secretly recovering from heartbreak, Jake Shears is one of the tightest sets of music he's made.

This results in an album where the melancholy is bittersweet, not all consuming, which means Thank You For Today is softly reassuring even when its intent is lightly barbed.

Some of Still Corners' most intimate-sounding music, Slow Air's finest moments feel less like they're adopting the customs of a new land and more like they're adapting them to what they do best--capturing moods beautifully.

It's not a showy record and it's not going to bowl anyone over, but it is sneaky good and shows that Primo are definitely on the path to doing something really special.

To some ears, this album might sound like demos or unfinished sketches, but its simplicity seems to be Pajo's way of saying that sometimes it's best to appreciate things for what they are, and just be happy you're alive. He seems to be at peace, and that carries a great amount of significance.

Like any visual album, the floating sounds here are probably best experienced in conjunction with the visuals they were created for, but even on their own, there's a calm power that grows as the various passages of Tangerine Reef fade in and out of one another.

The Diet isn't a quantum leap over New Misery, but it certainly represents a step forward for Cullen Omori, both as a songwriter and a performer, and as long as his love life remains problematic, he should have a great future ahead of him.

Balancing restraint with a keen ear for pop-friendly hooks inspired by Jack Antonoff, Dizzy manage to make quite the opening statement with Baby Teeth.

His voice shrouded in distortion, sometimes to the song's detriment, Powers' ability to go from vulnerable to feral in the blink of an eye keeps the listener on the edge of their seat, as does the occasional jarring shift from ambient vista to chemical grade electro-mayhem.

While simple and often musically somnolent, its heart-wrenching effect is ultimately hard to shake.

Berdan deals with organized religion and his personal conflict of identifying as a Catholic but being repulsed by the bigotry, repression, and hateful acts committed in the name of religion. It isn't quite clear if he comes to a resolution, or if that's even possible. Regardless, The Long Walk is some of Uniform's most challenging, disrupting work yet.

Lemon Twigs commit wholeheartedly to the bizarre narrative that Go to School is built on. Leaving no ridiculous tangent or exaggerated flourish unexplored, the result is a larger-than-life spectacle grown from strange but excellent songwriting.

With Deportation Blues, Brian Christinzio has created his own Big Star 3rd, less druggy but just as much a musical voyage through one man's psyche that travels through darkness while searching for some gleam of healing light. Let's hope he finds it before he makes his next album.

A celebration of the duo's music, Woman Worldwide rewards fans who want to delve into its musical connections as well as those who want to get lost in its momentum.