Human Question is the work of a powerfully good trio who've made it clear they are no ordinary roots rock outfit.

As Dreaming in the Dark's songs confront pain and choose love in empowering--and sometimes uncomfortable--ways, they reveal Tamaryn as a mature, fully formed artist.

Her weightier songwriting and expansive production make A New Illusion the match of Stellular and something more rewarding on an emotional level.

For fans this is the holy grail, but it's also an excellent introduction for the uninitiated. Not to be greedy, but let's hope this is not a one-off. We can never have too much J.J. Cale.

It can feel as if she's whispering secrets, but just when that gentleness threatens to get lulling, she scales great heights with elegance. These cannily deployed skills give The Front Porch the faintest hit of grit yet there's also a sense of fragility to the record; it's music that treasures the bittersweet melancholy of a moment that seems gone even as it's being lived.

Undress sounds and feels like the Felice Brothers, capturing their loosely tight charm in a manner that honors both sides of the equation, and is certainly an above-average release in their canon.

A more-than-promising debut, Useless Coordinates makes good on the potential of Drahla's previous work and suggests they're not done evolving.

Both celebratory and melancholy, this is an exceptionally strong album which effortlessly compels repeated listens.

Lofgren's originals may not carry the same swagger, but when they're surrounded by these Reed co-writes, they're given a slight lift: the whole affair simultaneously feels like an affectionate tribute to a departed friend and a resuscitation of Nils's gut-level rock & roll.

Graffin remains a potent evangelist of the punk idiom, and while there's nothing on Age of Unreason that would sound out of place on anything that came before it, the band's commitment to keeping the genre vital, both musically and lyrically, feels as necessary as it does timely.

While it's doubtful anyone is looking to Giuda for their depth of content, there is a bit of déjà vu to these ten songs which, thematic setting aside, sound very much like the band's first three albums.

Scatter the Rats is a triumphant return packed with odd comforts and familiar memories. Two decades later, L7 have aged quite gracefully, no matter how unfitting that word may be when describing this ever-raucous crew.

Emerald Valley isn't the slam dunk that Invitation was, but it's more than good enough to suggest this project has legs, and here's hoping the participants find time to cut a third album sooner than later.

Father of the Bride finds Vampire Weekend embracing change and delivering some of their most mature and satisfying music in the process.

By initially connecting at this gut emotional level, There Is No Other invites the repeated listens required to discover all of its mysteries but Giddens and Turrisi are by no means offering solutions: the more There Is No Other reveals, the more it becomes apparent that its depths are fathomless.

One might not have expected the Coathangers to still be making interesting music 12 years after their debut album hit the streets in 2007, but The Devil You Know reveals growing up doesn't have to be a bad thing after all.

Good at Falling is an extremely impressive debut LP from a songwriter who's more than proved that she's unafraid to delve into the melancholy parts of her past and wrap them up in dreamlike, atmospheric songs which are accessible for various kinds of music fans without ever sounding too saccharine.

Rap or Go to the League is a step forward in 2 Chainz's artistry, and reveals sides of his personality that were previously harder to see in the shadow of his enormous persona.

As the first offering of a new stage in her career, Love + Fear not only reveals its creator as newly hopeful, but it also gives hope that future efforts might be carved in a similar fashion. Marina's Electra heart still beats, it's just pumping smoother and with a confidence born from a renewed and mature perspective.

At 40 minutes, this is easily Q's leanest LP. It would be meaner with the removal of the inane Travis Scott collaboration "CHopstix," the uncharacteristic single.

The album is a treat to the ears. It's unmistakably in the tradition of soul and funk older than the artist himself, but could not have been made any earlier than the late 2010s.

Ultimately, Drastic Measures is more distinctive and memorable for its unique textures than things like melodies and grooves, although its more organized songs forms give them something tangible to adhere to.

It's bleak and brutal, but it's never suffocating, and it encourages reaction and resistance. There's even some light shining through during "Post-Scarcity Anarchism," when a much brighter, more hopeful melody emerges through the frazzled synths and piercing noise flares. A few ambient interludes somewhat dull the album's impact, but relentless, abrasive pounders like "Futures Betrayed" and "Quantum Unfolding" provide the bulk of the program.

There's plenty to dissect on Run Fast Sleep Naked, with subsequent listens revealing new layers and surprises. With this deliberate rebranding to a more authentic self, Murphy delivers a more genuine vision that is satisfying and brimming with imagination.

A foray into artful album rock for the band, U.F.O.F.'s shifts in presentation are subtle and seem wholly organic throughout. It's a record deserving of such an evocative title, which captures its dreamily impressionistic yet unsettling nature.

Her strengths as a storyteller play out over 11 well-crafted songs that alternately explore her own personal introspections or the twisting paths of those around her.

The only way that Lowly lives up to their name is their humility to push themselves to give more to their listeners--something they do exceptionally well on Hifalutin.

It's easily his best, most enjoyable work.