It can all be a bit much at times, but this all-in approach to creativity has been VanGaalen's M.O. from the start and his talent remains something to behold.

More rankled moments include the circular anthem "I Don't Care" ("I gotta do what I want to"), but these are outweighed by hard-won gratitude and affection on a set that above all delivers on big hooks.

The upshot is that Justice is one of Bieber's steadiest releases, among the easiest to play from start to finish. The only overdone aspect is the low self-esteem and unworthiness the lyrics either suggest or flatly express in almost every song.

While the materialism and egocentrism in some of the tracks no doubt clash with the film, matters such as survival, self-defense, and power are more frequently raised. Critiques of issues related to white supremacy, from police brutality to voter suppression, aren't far behind.

On the whole, Green to Gold reshapes the Antlers' once somber and brooding chamber pop into something bright and smiling. The songs strip away the sharpness and volatility the band reveled in on earlier albums to reveal a pleasant glow that was all too often hidden in the shadows.

Notes with Attachments is a strange record, but it is also welcoming thanks to an unhurried pace, colorful yet economical production, and restrained dynamics, all carried by the canny, warmly humorous musical instincts of its creators.

The trip is well worth completing despite Sanders' early exit.

Collected, the songs are simultaneously familiar and surprising -- a blend that always was among the chief attractions in Cornell's work -- and while there are echoes of the original recordings here, he shapes each tune to fit his voice and contemplative bent. The inherent power in Cornell's voice can still be heard, but what lasts is the passion and intelligence, emotions that make this a bracing if bittersweet experience.

The soft focus of Under the Pepper Tree is alluring, even soothing -- a record that could calm the nerves of frazzled parents as they put their child to sleep at the end of a long day.

This is more modest than monumental, and that small scale is appealing in its own right.

For anyone who hasn't explored the music Joe Strummer made after the Clash, Assembly works well as a compact introduction.

Many of the EP's six songs began as ideas while the band was recording The Main Thing, but instead of the crisp production and defined hooks of that album, Half a Human harkens back to the hazy dreaminess of the band's earliest days.

This is entertaining from front to back, if not quite as much of a thrill as Waterhouse's previous studio LP.

SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE make willfully unorthodox music and seem to dare listeners to keep up with them and make sense of their art, but those who make the effort are rewarded by the band's unbridled creativity and warped yet radiant sense of optimism and excitement.

Clamm's storm of cathartic energy disguises how intricately constructed the songs are and makes Beseech Me both exhilarating and engaging.

Offering a newly recorded version of Epic by a bunch of different artists turns out to not only be a clever idea, but it also shows how versatile and strong Van Etten's writing is.

Easily his most introspective project.

Easily as good as the music that he released when it was recorded, Mutator is an enticing first dive into the Vega vault that will whet fans' appetites for more.

Fire It Up showcases Cropper's joyous brand of grit & groove with swagger and attitude.

There Is No End delivers more evidence of that. Taeger and Taurelle fully comprehended Allen's musicality and embraced its kaleidoscopic dimensions. As such, it is rendered free of the misdirected, sometimes jagged and piecemeal conceits that litter other artists' posthumous offerings.

Ultimately, this record is a triumph for the band, born out of strange times, and although it may not be their best, their blend of bitter and sweet still rings true.

Based on the profundity of its content and the jagged beauty in its execution, Now belongs in the pantheon of culturally important works that include We Insist! Max Roach's Freedom Now Suite, Eddie Gale's Black Rhythm Happening, and Sun Ra's Nuclear War.

Laconic and acidly textured, Delta Kream is a perfect balance of the Black Keys' lo-fi swagger and keen ear for the Mississippi blues traditions that inspired it.

Four years later, the follow-up, Monsters, picks up where that album left off, submitting an unpredictable sequence of 13 tracks injected with elements of cabaret, hip-hop, indie electronic, modern pop, and more.

In looking to creation itself for comfort, she has tapped into a deep well of creativity, and as much as Mercy must have been painful to unearth, it has the kind of authoritative and transformative power that can only come from reaching the final stage of grief.

This album is a project of love and admiration for Tony Joe White, and Smoke from the Chimney honors his legacy while reminding us that the tunes he left on the shelf are more effective and compelling than the emphasis cuts on most other songwriters' albums.

These songs stand on their own and bode well for the second album.

Even though this shouldn't be confused for a proper DOOM album, two of the three tracks without him are clearly low points. ... Despite these missteps, Super What? is another worthwhile issue of the Czarface saga, and a fond farewell to DOOM.