One reason that High on Fire don't get accused of resting on their laurels is that they always come out hungry, anxious to refine their sound and remove anything that is not absolutely essential to their purposes. Luminiferous accomplishes that as well.

Victor Axelrod's production is clear, dry, and accurate, and the final product is a superb example of a new band building something powerful from the sounds of the past. Dan Klein's passing means we may never get another Frightnrs album, and certainly not one with this lineup. But this is music about life, and the passion and gritty joy of Nothing More to Say are what make it essential listening, regardless of the fate of the lead vocalist.

Steffi excels as both a curator and mixer, crafting an extraordinary mix which feels like one whole composition rather than several pieces stitched together.

Southern Blood is almost perfect; there isn't a better final album Allman could have made. It belongs on the shelf between 1973's Laid Back and the mysteriously withdrawn but amazing One More Try: An Anthology.

Collapse ends up being one of Aphex's stronger post-2000 releases.

We're Your Friends, Man proves that they (he?) haven't lost a bit of their vision and skill, and while it's hard to say where one should start investigating the Bevis Frond's massive body of work, this will give you the lay of the land just as well as most of their albums.

Uniform and the Body are both fascinating and terrifying on their own, and their creative superpowers only multiply when they're together.

These are the elements of White Noise/White Lines that make this feel like the arrival of a major singer/songwriter.

Pirog's imagination is just as strong as his technique; whether he's tossing out a flurry of notes at light speed or inviting the spirit in using a more languid structure, the music feels great throughout. Anthropocosmic Nest is a must for anyone with a taste for music that's smart, challenging, and exciting, and it's a step up from their impressive first effort.

Alcest don't pursue darkness or dwell in it; they understand it as a part of the unbearable light that holds everything in its embrace. The end of the journey on Spiritual Instinct, while deeply satisfying, signals yet another beginning.

With Sad Happy, Circa Waves capture the broken dreams of youth and turn them into songs meant to be played at full volume before leaving you wrecked on the floor.

Since the beginning, Bo Ningen have been dedicated to experimentation, and Sudden Fictions' previously unimaginable sounds prove their edge hasn't dulled a bit.

The Making of You is a marvel of skillful songwriting, savvy use of the studio, and talent that can find new magic in old voices, and it's recommended for folk-rock enthusiasts past and present.

The few songs where Oldham and Sweeney strike up the band -- guest shredding and revved-up rhythms by Tuareg guitarist Mdou Moctar and his band on "Hall of Death" or the tense brooding of album closer "Not Fooling" -- are lively fun, but much like Superwolf many years before it, Superwolves is at its most powerful in its calmest, most clearly articulated moments.

With Memoryland, CFCF looks back on a time when the future seemed limitless, reflecting on the promise of youth and how it's panned out so far.

Staples goes even deeper into memory and self-reflection on Ramona Park Broke My Heart, presenting his pain, glory, and contradictory emotions in sharper definition while turning in some of his most engaging music to date.

'Flicted is bright and lively in its form and rhythms, its electronic beats and processed voices percolating cheerfully and impishly, his pianos interweaving with spectral voices to create shimmering waves of melody.

Where she used to dwell in the shadows, on Something More Than Love she's basking in daylight. Within that brightness, she finds plenty of different textures and sounds, creating music that's every bit as atmospheric as her earlier records but carrying an appealingly lighter vibe.

The cooperative spirit, the canny interplay, the imaginative, boundary-less compositions and solos, and the dedication and sophistication to make music -- no matter how difficult or wide-ranging -- make The Bad Plus at once compelling and compulsively listenable.

On their debut album, Miss Grit questions norms more artfully than ever.

There's an intimacy to the interaction between Lund and the Hurtin' Albertans that gives El Viejo a warm, weathered vibe that's every bit as appealing as the songs themselves.

While Echo Dancing is uneven, the hits outnumber the misses by a margin that qualifies this as a successful experiment.

Though much tighter and more adventurous musically, the unified approach on Pull the Rope recalls the ambitious scope of Ibibio's eponymous debut while their songwriting expresses pain, hope, joy, desire, and struggle with sophistication and verve.

With Find El Dorado, Weller celebrates the passion for finding a good tune and the feeling of having discovered a lost treasure when you do.

One jaunt through the bracing and surprisingly sweet at times Ty Segall is proof enough that he's run out of neither [gas and/or ideas], and it doesn't seem like he will anytime soon.

As it stands, Allo Darlin' are as serious as it gets, and despite the lightness and sweetness, they are sophisticated pop music at its finest.

It's a stellar record, one that captivates both the heart and the imagination with an almost imperceptible grip, clutching the listener's attention with its painstakingly beautiful construction and a sadness that is all-consuming but somehow warm and comforting.

"Protest with Love" sounds like his attempt at a radio-ready R&B song, as he sings a simple message of love and perseverance over a sensuous groove. He sings of making the world a better place and turning nothing into something on "The Burden," and he praises the uplifting powers of music on "Strength of a Song." Still, there are moments of harshness.