The next best thing to sitting in on a Sonic Youth jam session, In/Out/In distills the band's essence so brilliantly that fans will fall in love all over again.

Motomami is as provocative and risky as it is creative. It showcases Rosalía as a master, twisting together the contradictory strands of Latin and Anglo pop with traditional and vanguard forms and fresh sounds into a gloriously articulated radical approach that makes for obsessive listening.

The Alchemist's instrumentals are fluid and bubbling over with unexpected sound combinations, and the inspired nature of Curren$y's performances comes through even when he's at his most laid-back.

Though known for her Ella Fitzgerald-esque skill at interpreting songbook standards and French chanson, Salvant has proven herself a literate and nuanced songwriter in her own right. She brings all of these aspects together yet again on Ghost Song, this time adding in more contemporary cover tunes and other folk traditions she hadn't yet explored.

Despite its generous track list, Hits to the Head never drags -- like Franz Ferdinand's music as a whole, it's very listenable and a lot of fun.

Alienating and cathartic at once, Island Family ends on the collage-like tech satire "Remote Control" for a shared cabin fever experience.

It's easy to wish all four members had been able to work together again, but having the band back in any form and operating at such a high level is a dream come true for all Boo fanatics and should be a nice discovery for younger fans looking for some classic OG dream pop.

EarthGang's rapping could often take a backseat to their grandiose production and arrangements, but Ghetto Gods balances quality vocal performances and detailed instrumentals.

2 Chainz simply doesn't sound as inspired as he normally does, as this short set lacks the madcap wit and energy that flow throughout previous albums of much longer duration. A recharge and change of direction clearly seem necessary.

Raum feels a little bit more like a transitional work than the unexpectedly solid Quantum Gate, but that album seemed like more of an overt revisit of the band's classic sound, while Raum finds them taking more chances and exploring fresh ideas.

Impera is the most unabashed exercise in exultant pop/rock sheen Ghost has issued to date; it establishes an exquisite front in their own quest for global rock domination.

On songs as different as the poignant protest song "Freedom" and the title track's winding musings on existence and creativity, it's both comforting and thrilling to hear Hval breathe life into the everyday so fully.

It makes for a fine second album from a band that could have easily been nothing more than a one-trick pony.

Allhallowtide is another fine example of how Bid and his band are experts at the form. They have been doing this for a long time, and for the past decade there are few bands who have been doing it as well.

Thankfully, all of Who Cares? sounds exactly like Rex Orange County coming into his own.

It's all in good fun, and there are some definite highlights, but Magazine 1 is more of a nostalgia exercise than a genuinely remarkable album.

"Right 2 Left" (with Melé) constructs a tribal house banger using a sample of Busta Rhymes' "Dangerous," which ends up being a good idea, although it feels somewhat unfinished at only two and a half minutes. Still, the mixture of proper hits and slight experiments makes for a well-rounded album, and Diplo contains some of the jet-setting producer's best work since the Hollertronix days.

The home-brewed spectacle of this album makes it easy to visualize CMAT tackling bigger stages in the future. It's a witty and thoroughly delightful debut.

She's added new ideas that make this music feel like a metamorphosis; transforming herself into an artist who has thrown off any generic frameworks that confined her in the past.

Easily Conway's most impressive work to date, God Don't Make Mistakes is a culmination of everything he's experienced and achieved so far, and a bridge to the next phase of his life.

Bulat's melodic, folk-leaning tendencies as a songwriter lend themselves well to this kind of makeover, one that adds a touch of elegance to nuanced vocal performances, if rarely improving upon the original recordings.

If PAINLESS is less ambitious and attention-grabbing than her debut, it sees Yanya makes strides in being more affecting.

For all of its incendiary music, furious soundscapes, and rhythmic madness, Pray for Me is beautifully produced, mischievously strategized, and expertly performed.

Stripped of some of their later sonic ambitions, Band of Horses play to their strengths here on what feels like a solid return to form.

A worthy follow-up to Ignorance and an accomplished work in its own right, How Is It That I Should Look at the Stars makes the most of Lindeman's softly insightful powers.

Perhaps cloaking her personal experiences in the guise of a fictional narrative allowed Parton to allude to her past in this fashion, but no matter the inspiration, these moments are the grace notes that help make Run, Rose, Run a satisfying listen on its own terms.

Track for track, Crown is flawless, the most consistent, musically ambitious, and satisfying album Gales has delivered in a long time, if not ever.

Strictly speaking, there are no surprises or detours within these 16 tracks, yet it's unexpected to hear Marr maintain his drive through a full double album without lagging. He sounds in full command of his craft, and that's a pleasure to hear.