For longtime fans, A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip is just another impressive notch in Sparks’ ever expanding career belt. But newcomers can come aboard here, then work themselves back through nearly five decades of similarly ecstatic, challenging and generally delightful Sparks music, most of it well worth hearing.

Seven albums on, Isbell’s achieved a rarified status, one that indulges a need for creativity as well as contemplation. Reunions reminds us that it’s the rare artist that succeeds at both.

It’s not just an impressive, even unprecedented comeback, but one that resonates with the vitality and dizzying power of X’s finest music.

Magical, mystifying and flush with finesse, it’s easily Jurado’s most enticing effort yet.

It’s not for the squeamish or those looking for concise, structured songs. But established followers will likely get on board and stay there. Others may want to dip their toes to test the temperature before they jump into Lanegan’s choppy, occasionally dissonant but revelatory waters.

Benson writes about life’s ups and downs. But musically this short (just over 30 minutes) yet taut collection delivers all the power pop goods you’ll need.

Everything about this set feels more confident, self-assured and assertive than even her impressive earlier releases. The combination of Rose’s alternately sweet and tangy vocals with her best collection of tunes yet makes this her finest overall album.

Arguably his reach sometimes exceeds his grasp. But with the captivating For Their Love he’s using all the musical and production tools in his artistic arsenal to expand his band’s approach into an album as compelling and transformational as any you’ll experience in contemporary music.

One of the most searing, potent and passionate albums you’ll hear this year.

Consistency doesn’t count for much, but that may indeed be the point. Juice is a refreshing reminder that it’s better to sound a bit unhinged than to always be so common and consistent. For their part, Born Ruffians serve up all of spontaneity their spirited style allows.

Clearly this one-off side trip is not for everyone, perhaps including The Dream Syndicate fans. But those willing to take a leap into more mysterious, experimental, unfamiliar, occasionally avant-garde waters will find enough spine-tingling moments to make this one of the more mind-expanding hours you’ll experience on any recent CD.

Tastefully arranged, fully cohesive and concise.

Hopefully this plush, beautifully arranged and produced album will get more exposure than her previous release; it would be frustrating to have to wait another eight years for its sequel.

Ellis’ first full length release taps into a discreet sense of introspection rare for any recording artist, let alone a relatively new one. It’s headphone music for lonesome, solitary Sunday mornings when the self-reflection temperature is high and the vibe is low boil.

Never Will (pre-order here) proves the tough gal persona she established on that stunning debut was no fluke or act. It shows she’s got plenty of raw talent to keep her career growing as another capable, no BS rootsy country infused woman who has charged into the charts and is likely to stay there.

Hunt is at his most exciting when he fuses the past and the present (“Let It Down” truly shines bright) into ambitious creations that hint at even greater promise ─ but his second offering is largely a mixed bag.

An album that floats and hovers with challenging lyrics and a timeless sound that’s often hypnotic in its lovely, sometimes surreal, often delightful qualities.

While the mysterious yet sumptuous vibe wears thin with tunes that start to sound similar about halfway though, Monophonics have staked out predominantly dreamy territory on the moody It’s Only Us and are intent on keeping the retro psychedelic soul flames burning.

Consistency is still key, and it’s good to know that Pearl Jam still maintains the edged angst that’s served them well from the start. Indeed, Gigaton provides a most pervasive perspective.

Fallon speaks humbly of his work, but Local Honey, containing various other themes of home and love, is his highest achievement to-date.

This more elusive, rootsy style suits Crutchfield well. It allows space to capture a clearer eyed vision of a life she’s still trying to balance, sort out and work through …just like the rest of us.

Whether or not this will be Bulat’s breakthrough record remains to be seen. The sound sustains the suspense, but rarely does it leap out at the listener. It hardly matters though. Are You In Love? answers its own question with every repeated encounter.

Beat Poetry Survivalists is a bold first step, and if some of the songs don’t quite hit the mark, it’s only because the two are intent on taking their partnership to certain extremes. And because risk sometimes leads to recklessness, a few missteps are not only inevitable but also forgivable.

He makes each of these tracks reverberate with the best aspects of the Americana genre that has clearly influenced him, while carving out his own space in it.

All in all, this album works.

Early James is a young artist infused with the ghosts of another time. His shape-shifting music is impossible to pigeonhole but after spending 35 minutes with it, you’ll understand that Auerbach has once again found a new, distinctive, impressively mature and strikingly focused talent with a bright future.

Good stuff all around from a band that makes it look easy by keeping true to what got it here in the first place.

2017’s Flicker fermented a folkier, more organic sensibility, and despite Heartbreak Weather’s soaring ambition, he roots himself to lyrics that sprout from similar emotional earth.