Wreckless Eric has rescued a handful of first-rate songs from their initial second-rate presentation, and his belief in this material pays handsome dividends here, ranking with his best work of the 21st century.

Though colored by tragedy, on Lightning Might Strike Hatfield's songs are as ringingly melodic as ever; a sound that's only grown more indelible.

Dry Cleaning sound more expansive and present than ever on Secret Love, transcending their role as sprechgesang post-punk standard-bearers to become innovators whose surreal, poetic expressions of emotion reveal hearts as open as their eyes.

Simply put, Tragic Magic is an affecting, powerfully gentle testament to the alchemy that comes from sharing the burdens -- and opportunities -- of hard times with love and creativity.

On Off the Fence, Hunter's crew display their richest stylistic and rhythmic varieties to date in songs that stimulate the body and resonate in the heart.

With its highly developed songwriting, excellent vocal performances, and rootsy production style that support and showcase both albums, Can't Take My Story Away is a career-defining album.

There are no weak tracks on the entire compilation, making it essential for anyone who's into jungle in its purest, uncut form.

On One Mississippi, the songs, production, and inspired performances offer honest emotions and direct messages, elevating this record above his other recordings, and most 21st century albums in the genre.

As a culmination of everything she's been building toward in the years since I Disagree, Empty Hands is a towering success, priming Poppy for the arena big leagues with her twisted and wildly engrossing style.

The emotional backbone of The Mountain, however, pushes that expert musicianship beyond the typically reliable Gorillaz sound and into new territory, adding more heart and humanity than this cartoon crew has ever mustered.

Nothing's About to Happen to Me may be the Mitski-est Mitski album yet, despite its character-driven nature and partly because, at least on some level, it captures the anxiety of the Zeitgeist of its time.

With In My Dreams, Frisell pulls you into his western reverie, a wagon train journey into his soul.

Heavenly have done a fine job of delivering what their fans might expect -- indie pop at its finest -- with enough curveballs, gentle bite, and brilliant songs to make it sound 100% brand new, exciting, and impossible to write off as just another nostalgia trip.

The wait was worth it: Side-Eye III+ is the most holistic, tender, and joyful recording from the guitarist in more than a decade.

This blend of great tracks by well-known bands (add to the list of already mentioned groups a few more like the Three O'Clock, Green on Red, Redd Kross, Cynics, and Long Ryders), strong picks by the really good bands who filled out the ranks, and the occasional left-field surprise (looking at you, Camper Van Beethoven) makes for a collection that serves as a reminder of just how thrilling an age it was to be an open-eared and broad-minded fan of psychedelic and garage music.

Normal Isn't is focused and polished, going for the jugular on every single track -- both musically and lyrically -- leaving no room for ambiguity. They're pissed and anxious, with a fear that's turned to desperation on lyrical highlights such as "The Quiet Parts," "Thrust," and "A Public Stoning."

If The Collective was punishing in its density, Play Me is its equal and opposite: leaner and more melodic without sacrificing invention. It's an album that reaffirms Gordon still knows how, and why, to push forward.

The band deserve all kinds of praise for pulling off the somewhat rare feat of being both musically adventurous and emotionally gripping on Only You Left; it feels like the destination to which all their previous excursions were leading and is a fine example of indie rock at its all-around best.

Arirang not only stakes a solid claim for the group's place in the cultural heritage that helped inspire it, it's also a triumphant statement that cements the BTS legacy beyond the bounds of K-pop and Korea's borders.

Attempted Martyr is a brilliantly brutal debut, one that leaves listeners nearly exhausted when it ends, only because of its nonstop outpouring of magnificent noise.

It's the Long Goodbye is a fiercely beautiful tribute to a life and the love left behind. Like Mount Eerie’s A Crow Looked at Me, it tells the entire story of loss with exceptional honesty.

MEMORIALS have upped their game in a massive way on All Clouds Bring Not Rain, building on their already impressive skills as crafters of sound by adding truckloads of drama, plumbing some deep emotional depths, and stretching their arrangements in fascinating and very satisfying ways.

Hitting on the familiars and blanketing the listener with worthy obscurities is a one-way ticket to compilation glory, and CBGB: A New York City Soundtrack 1975-1986 is a triumph of sound and education that brings an important moment in time fully to life.

Fidelity is of a piece with Do It Afraid and caps a three-album/three-year streak for the ages.

Everything -- from the vocals to the production -- is top-notch, and the record is a glittering late-career triumph.

The vital In Times of Dragons whisks Amos back to hallowed days, penetrating the soul and shaking foundations in a manner that hasn't been heard since Pele, Choirgirl, Scarlet, or Posse.

While the production still has bite and the danger of unpredictable straight-to-tape recording, the songcraft is completely in focus. It's where the long-germinating seeds of White Fence's psychedelic excellence finally bloom into their full glory, and these songs are among the best the group has ever put to tape.

They’ve been honing something so unique for so long that the new material emphasizes how timeless the older material is, and how it’s all been part of the same strange and beautiful continuum.