While Rich's hyperconfident personality is in full focus, The World Is Yours 2 is elevated to a higher plane by its smart production and who's-who of guest rappers.

What's It Like Over There? sounds like Circa Waves are testing their longevity and aiming for a wider audience, and that's not a bad thing.

In League with Dragons is a quietly brilliant album that gets stronger with each spin, and the fact the Mountain Goats can generally crank out something this good every 24 to 36 months suggests Darnielle may be one of America's more important natural resources.

Life Metal is the dawning of a new phase for Sunn 0))), one that resonates with more power and complexity than anything in their catalog.

After a pair of impressively strong solo releases, Craig Finn has made it a hat trick with I Need a New War, and the passion and superb craft of these songs make this a must for anyone who cares about American songwriting.

Guest spots by Young Thug and the Weeknd inject some much-needed personality into Bad Habits, but it's not enough to save the album from its own blandness.

Despite the group's experimental inclinations, there are still plenty of hooky moments here.

Once again, King Gizzard deliver a record that lives up to their high standard even though it (mostly) is free from ambition and drama.

Mettavolution is the R&G record where all of their gifts are on display and in sync; it sends listeners on a holistic journey of musical discovery and emotional resonance.

It's fun to hear them spend time with the psych-pop of "She's a Rainbow" and get into the murk with "Dancing with Mr. D"--but it's not quite enough to justify a purchase for fans who already have these hits elsewhere. But for those who somehow don't have this music or are looking for a basic overview of the Stones' reign on album rock, MTV and beyond, this does the job.

While some songs might feel like B-sides and incomplete visions, the band works around these precious vocal fragments so well that listeners might not notice or even care.

A singular talent, Harding seems to have hit her stride on album number three, and while the darkness of previous efforts is still pervasive, Designer feels like a summer record, though it's probably best suited for dusk.

It all adds up to an album that cleverly feels stylish and fashionable without abandoning the emotional gravity P!nk has accumulated over the years.

Oh My God struggles to balance the austere with the earthly and would have been a better record with about four or five fewer songs. Still, though, it comes close to its ambitious goals of double-album greatness and the highlights represent some of Morby's most focused and wizened work yet.

Though France warded off rumors of a band breakup prior to the album's release, it's clear that Foxygen is moving on from the past in dramatic fashion with an album that's part formal complaint and part kiss-off.

They don't expand their horizons, preferring to stick to the hyper-charged British indie they minted with their 2014 debut, The Balcony.

With its mix of catchy and moving songs, an artful structure, and a way with words, Grim Town delivers a piece of Zeitgeist as well as a solid set of tunes.

Ambitious in a different way than the producer's earlier releases, Song Feel is every bit as close to the heart.

As far as concert albums go, Homecoming is a master class in technical prowess, crowd pleasing, and soulful substance. Channeling the spirit of African queen Nefertiti (whose image she adopted for this show), Beyoncé proved to be a ruler in her own right, lording over Coachella for two career-defining nights.

Considering the combination of such talents, it's a wonder that LSD is so good and so fun. While it might be too relentless for some, it's an experience to embrace and enjoy.

Saying Happy Now is the best album to bear the Gang of Four banner since 1995's Shrinkwrapped may sound like a dubious compliment, given how tepid much of their output has been, but this is taut, effective music that honors Gang of Four's heritage but succeeds on its own terms. Global crisis is good for something after all.

Despite its overall dreamy, soft-spoken approach, Invitation is often weighty, full of thought and longing as well as moments of wonder. It's an affecting mix, one that lingers and withstands repeat listens.

There's not a weak song or wasted moment to be found; the trio write with a lovely economy of emotion and have sharpened their hook-making skills to a very fine point.

No Wahala is an essential addition to any collection of continental African music in general and Nigerian music in particular.

In all, this is a solid debut full of well-written songs and plenty of attitude that delivers on the promise of her early singles.

The band show significant growth here on what is easily their most accomplished effort to date.

Fulfills all the promise of the debut and more.

It's the final nail in the coffin for their garage roots, but they sound rejuvenated and excited in their unbridled exploration of new sounds.