While there's a sense that Moroney is well aware of her pop star status, on Cloud 9 her music soars, but her heart and her charm are as grounded and relatable as ever.

While the Morrissey comparisons are inevitable this time around, Brigitte Calls Me Baby put their own soaring, lovesick twist on influences here, resulting in a dramatic sound all their own.

The 2026 edition of Squeeze, anchored by bassist Owen Biddle (who produced the album), makes music that's rich limber, and they make the most of the ideas the group's songwriters dreamed up a few decades back.

Gary Numan is represented by both of his U.K. number one singles, and Secret Service's "Oh Susie" topped the charts in the group's native Sweden, but otherwise the set largely avoids proper hits. There are a few underground classics (Suicide's "Dream Baby Dream," Dark Day's "Hands in the Dark") as well as album cuts and B-sides from genre-defining acts like the Human League and OMD. There are also tracks that arrive at synth pop from different angles.

Certainly, these are great songs, all of them from Autechre's melodic early-'90s heyday, but Parish casts them in new light with his own artistry in a unique and unexpected collaboration.

It's their most accessible set of songs yet. Having said that, the group's whimsical practice of injecting far-flung timbres and effects into their songs, as well as a certain flat-tire wobble in their performance style are both joyously still in play.

Arranged with a sense of brevity, Ca$ino is limited to just eleven songs, making each of its entries feel both more unique unto themselves and more significant as part of a larger statement than the usual overstuffed commercial rap record.

It's admirable that Palermo doesn't want to stick to just one sound, and some of the experiments work well, it's just that, ultimately, the misfires far outweigh the moments of promise.

This is a Shabaka album; it resonates with individuality, innovation, and abundant creativity.

Morrissey’s singular personality is on full display, and just as uncompromising as ever, but sitting through an entire album of his musings and moanings circa 2026 is less than fun.

Kin is unexpectedly abrasive compared to other KMRU albums, but feels just as natural and inviting.

Deface the Currency is gloriously intense and raucous, as avant funk, explosive jazz, free improv, psychedelia, and post-punk chaos meet in hallucinatory joy.

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."

A set of delightfully askew R&B.

The Great Satan absolutely rips, with the jagged riffs, wild audio samples, and jackhammer drumming (courtesy of Ginger Fish) supporting some of Zombie's best (and most rabid) vocals in many an album.

Short and sweet, it highlights all the different styles and moods the quartet is capable of, proving they still have it and hinting at exciting directions for a future full-length.

The Apple Tree Under the Sea takes more listens to fully appreciate than the effortlessly charming "girlfriend," springs' breakout viral hit, but it's undoubtedly a magical and inspired work.

It’s a long journey through a track list that approaches two hours of music, but if time does indeed reveal it to be his final album, The Fall-Off is a worthy swan song.

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

This record, and Light Verse, show that he is still searching, still working hard, and still able to imbue his albums with the same deep feeling and unstinting beauty that he has from the beginning.

Pairing thoughtful craft with spontaneity is no easy feat, but My Days of 58's songs do it effortlessly.

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

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.

It's a well-dressed set of nine finely crafted love songs.

While Maria BC's songs can float away into the clouded ether at times (or sink into the sea), Marathon's more tactile sounds keep it loosely tethered to human interaction.

Like most remix collections, this should be approached as a bonus round for fans of the original release, but there's an abundance of worthwhile material here.

After he works his way through songs with titles like "Can I Mend It?," "Worms," and "God Knows Why," most listeners will likely be willing to give the sometimes anti-hero a second chance thanks to his deep self-awareness, charming turns of phrase, intention to do the work, and expressions of seemingly genuine affection.