Dispossession works as a whole, rather than a collection of songs.

Every cut shines with Ndgeocello's brilliantly creative spirit.

Night Fiction is beautifully played, full of the clean, lovely sounds that can be made on traditional rock instruments, but it’s not very memorable.

This is pure, un-concentrated psychedelic boogie rock rooted in West Coast mysticism, Stax R&B and Memphis blues without pretext or pretense.

With consistently strong songwriting and an intrepid grasp on its own talent, the Joy Formidable has in Wolf's Law a near-perfect follow-up record: it moves the band forward while staying true to what made it appealing and exciting in the first place.

Revelation continues to tow that tradition, with every song providing different twists at every juncture.

In the grand scheme of things this is not epochal work. In the world of rock ‘n’ roll this is to the Rolling Stones or Bruce Springsteen as Chausson or Bridge were to Wagner or Mahler. But those lighter composers had their charms and pleasures, and with Herein Wild so does Frankie Rose.

Robert Earl Keen is a master storyteller who blends acoustic, nylon and steel guitar with solid percussion and his pure, distinct voice into the finest Americana has to offer.

Steve Earle and Shawn Colvin sound remarkable together, sharing vocals and guitars on all 10 tracks.

Love Is Love isn’t clear cut, reading at times like the various stages of grief.

Sit back, dig The Cambodian Space Project, and be prepared to be impressed. Very impressed.

Bennett harbors a magic about him that inspires you to become caught up in the beauty of his performance prowess regardless of what artist is playing second banana to him on the microphone.

This is quite overtly a party record.

It has the breadth, intelligence, mystery and ambitious arrangements of a major work. With 19 songs, it's maybe a touch too long, but almost every song is vivid in its poetry and instrumental coloration.

Pop elements ensure that Musostics works pleasantly enough as background music, but it is also complicated enough to reward more concentrated listening.

They eventually return to their swampy shuffles and bottleneck guitars but not before establishing themselves as revisionists and revivalists equally content to also mine their own muse.

It's nearly impossible for Hiatt to put out a bad record. You may not love every song, but there's bound to be a few on there to make the album well worth the price you paid.

Flowers is his third solo record and, unsurprisingly, it’s a collection of lush, textured compositions that, intentionally or not, accurately depict the graceful, exciting and endless landscapes that Iceland is so famed for.

Overflowing with strong writing and excellent playing, City Forgiveness earns every minute of its two-CD sprawl.

Ledges may be a quiet album but it resonates with strong emotions in its own low-key way.

It’s a fierce, fun and unforgettable album that would be an achievement for a singer/songwriter of any age, but particularly for one on the far side of 60.

Future Standards feels a little too respectful, well-done but static and without much animating fire.

There are a few more hooks on this latest release and the production is clearer, but it certainly doesn’t water down the sentiment.

Fantastic Plastic might just be their finest effort. This is the music that stirs your loins and flies in your face like the sweet bird of youth come home to roost. Fingers crossed that this isn’t their Final Vinyl.

Still Living has its share of baroque pop moments, but its strongest songs are the ones that rock the hardest.

More Is Than Isn’t balances vocals with lyricless tracks but at the heart of it all is RJD2’s strength in producing impressive music.

"Det Hester!" and "Dresinen" vary the formula a bit with, respectively, squelchy synth-bass and fuzzy electric guitar, while the album-closing "Aldri Ska Me Ha Det Goy" is a oozing slo-mo ballad that layers Endresen's vocals to suggest The Four Seasons Sing Pet Sounds.

Voyageur resonates with the kind of drama and daring that Edwards has been perfecting all along.