Give credit to the band’s founders and co-producers bassist Robert Mercurio and saxist Ben Ellman who molded this album and show that Galactic doesn’t need a stable front person, or even a singular approach, to make their dynamic music connect with playful passion and vibrant integrity.

Other than the oddball horn infused Mexican polka “Tienes Cabeza de Palo” that sounds like Tom Jones taking an excursion south of the border, Call Me Insane plays to established strengths.

Isbell revisits favorite themes with powerful results.

The Deslondes provide a thrilling, original blend of American music that can’t be found anywhere else.

As it stands, it’s another entry in Young’s bulging catalog that, like Storytone, Greendale, Le Noise and others, you might play once or twice to see what he’s up to, then return to far more listenable classics like Rust Never Sleeps.

Neither easy listening or abrasive, Simple Songs is the sound of O’Rourke spraying his idiosyncratic fairy dust over a genre he clearly appreciates, albeit through the lenses of his own somewhat eccentric vision. Once you get into his groove though, it’s easy to appreciate the artist’s tenacity and often volatile vision.

When Feels Like is at its best, it’s a reminder of how exciting it can be to plug into a distortion pedal and let it rip. In its lesser moments, that’s still more or less what it is.

With Still, Richard Thompson fans can rejoice in knowing all the aspects of his exemplary talents remain intact.

It could be all tongue in cheek--and some of it probably is--but in the end, this isn’t an Occupy rally, it’s a rock album. And it’s not a shabby one at that.

Every pretty melody, every sweet-tart lyric, every vocal and instrumental flourish... they definitely earn her--to borrow a title-song reference--a 4.0.

The album’s title implies a wider expansion of the SteelDrivers’ already elastic sound that doesn’t appear, yet the group has rarely sounded more focused or passionate. That makes The Muscle Shoals Recordings another notable entry into the group’s already distinctive catalog.

Stamey makes the most of an ordinary if engaging voice and lyrics that sometimes feel undercooked.

All Your Favorite Bands is an inspired record full of space, swagger and warm, analog glow.

It’s a perfect combination of restrained vocal phrasing with madly creative production and a certain candidate for one of the finest albums of the year.

Existing fans will be thrilled with both the material and performances that show nearly 30 years down the line, the twosome finds innovative ways to keep their music fresh while maintaining the unique qualities that made it so distinctive to begin with.

Neither has anything left to prove but the utter joy and comradery on display makes you hope this isn’t their final collaboration.

While it doesn’t come close to their best work, there is enough spunk and pluck on Mystery Glue to provide the Parker faithful with confidence that better work remains in him.

The duo has a knack for affecting turns of phrases such as that, which helps offset the lack of finite details to ground the songs on Monterey.

This rollicking outing confirms that his output and talents are just hitting their peak, with hopefully more to come.

Give ‘em credit for self-composing every track on this initial fist to the face offering even if there isn’t much originality to the sound. There is however sufficient raw blues and restraint in rugged ballads such as “No Good” and “Old Ways” to throw Joplin in as a logical touch point.

The mostly original songs capture the gospel spirit in ballads (“The Highest”), funk (“Speaking in Tongues”), New Orleans second line (“Soul Food ll”) and driving blues rock (“Play All Day”) that will satisfy existing fans of any of the participants and win over some new ones too.

This remains a moderate leap forward for them and indicates an adventurousness they will hopefully explore further on forthcoming albums.

It’s when you start listening a bit closer that the nuance of the writing, the subtlety of the arrangements, and the magical interplay of the two voices, in harmonies alternately high-spirited and heartbreaking, start to break you down and leave an indelible impression.

The sheer quality of the songwriting and performances were sharpened and refined over many months yielding a set that’s impressively catchy and immediately satisfying.

With Leave No Bridge Unburned, they successfully magnify an already impressively established sound and create one of the best and most exciting Americana albums of the year.

Everything here captures the classy, sometimes sassy and always heartfelt essence that makes Shelby Lynne one of her generation’s most passionate and determined voices.

One of the band’s finest and most alluring offerings to date.

Best Coast might not have totally shaken the frivolity on California Nights, but it’s hard to care when it sounds this good.