harmony. Sundur's delicate poignancy is certainly darker than on prior albums ("Nothing ever stays the same"), but it's just as fascinating, and has the potential to be deeply affecting.

While some of those who got on board Team Temple with Good Mood Fool may be put off by the more rustic turn, many longtime fans will find A Hand Through the Cellar Door to be his most mesmerizing yet.

Wasteland is another example of Uncle Acid's genius, and more evidence that they are the best metal band (apart from Black Sabbath) of the early '70s.

For the most part, it forgoes the gentle, acoustic side of his approach in favor of the kind of blown-out power pop he made his name on. ... Add in a couple very short acoustic interludes, and SONGS FROM SAN MATEO COUNTY gives an almost full account of Molina's particular and impressive talents.

As with her two previous records, Cobb's production is warm and sympathetic with arrangements robust enough to add some weight without getting in the way of another reliably strong collection.

It's an absolute must for fans, but also a great starting point for anyone who's a little more than just a casual listener, but not quite ready to venture too deep into the vaults.

Oyster Cuts is a softly triumphant album, one that replaces the noncommittal vagueness that plagues so much indie rock with songs that tackle difficult feelings directly. It's a sound as beautiful as it is weary, and one that gets better the more involved you become with it.

The youthful presence of Romany's (as well as his son Gabriel's) vocals are a boon, lending to the largely collaborative feel. Still, it's undeniably a Gilmour album, woven through with the elegant, lyrical guitar playing and haunted vocals that are his signature.

The invigorated No Obligation is a breath of fresh air, a reminder that punk can be fun and pure without losing its impact or message. The Linda Lindas give us all hope that the kids will be alright.

They may be leaving their early twenties behind, but with Maybe Not Tonight, they arrive as a musical force to be reckoned with.

Cut during the same sessions as Trust in the Lifeforce of the Deep Mystery, it's not a collection of outtakes or even a sequel, but a holistic mirror image that comes from the same sphere of aesthetic investigation and font of inspiration.

He's in a league of his own when it comes to making the most of music's time-traveling, spell-casting powers, and like Drift Code before it, Clockdust proves that Rustin Man's music has only grown richer and more rewarding over the years.

The album also delivers on vulnerable, rock-solid songs, a juxtaposition the Beths continue to master.

While some fans may prefer the more escapist dancefloor jams that introduced them, Regresa showcases Buscabulla as a band who can work in virtually any situation and deliver a truly original sound that inspires the listener. We need more records like this.

Jazz Codes is one of Ayewa's most ambitious works yet.

Wistful R&B vocal samples and elements of woozy hip-hop became more present in later releases like 2022's Cash Romantic, and Good Lies continues in this sort of melancholic pop-influenced direction, while also including several surefire floor-fillers.

Black Noise can't help but feel ever so slightly like a letdown after the consistently mesmerizing rapture of its predecessor. But make no mistake: Weber is still making some of the most enchanting electronica out there, and if this album brings him the increased exposure for which he seems well-poised, there are few producers more deserving.

You Could Have It So Much Better probably would've been better if Franz Ferdinand had waited until they had a batch of songs as consistent as their first album, but as it stands, it's still pretty good.

This blend of driving riffage and suffocating relentlessness allows the band to strike a fine balance between freewheeling guitar worship and oppressive gloom.

The 14 songs of Under Color of Official Right see an already incredible band moving even further forward in their development, approaching the same instant classic standards of their best contemporaries and turning in their most intricate work so far.

The group's first two post-reunion albums were fine and deeply satisfying, but The Universe Inside goes someplace most fans would never have expected. It's bold, challenging, and dreamlike stuff that stakes out new territory for the band and unexpectedly succeeds on the level of their best work.

In all, My Morning Jacket may be a journey through the past, but it's also a solid step into something rock & roll has been missing for an awfully long time in the mainstream arena: melody, extremely catchy and well-written songs that aren't afraid of the mainstream, and a love of the great pop continuum that translates into something new.

Those who possess inside-out knowledge of the Prince and Jam & Lewis songbooks should be thrilled with it.

It ends School of Seven Bells in moving form and suggests a new and vital start for Deheza.

Electric Messiah proves that High on Fire can still blow the unholy horn of plenty, and while fans will know just what to expect when dropping the stylus, that knowledge takes nothing away from the Epicurean pleasure of sidling up to a favorite feast.

Bold production choices gel with this collaborative energy for an album that's inspired, driven, and sounds moved by the hand of unseen powers.

Visiter's experimental pop is so joyous and liberated-sounding that it's difficult not to get swept along in its wake.

While this set is saturated with hunger and ambition, it's also confident and sophisticated--the album sounds as if they meant every word but had a great time making it.