The Switch, in its entirety, is full of beautiful resonances.

On Magic Mirror, Charles may be self-doubting and even gloomy at times, but she never loses her glowing spirit and hope for the many more adventures her life will lead her on.

Russian Circles' fifth studio album has a bolder, more polarizing sound than previous efforts.

On their debut, they don't seek to out-pummel other contemporary hashers with speed or heaviness; rather it's on the golden fields of mood and groove where they excel.

With this hugely energetic disc, consisting of eight tunes in 32 minutes, Early Graves have proven that they can survive a horrible catastrophe and continue to make great music.

While it would be difficult to top their classic releases, it stands nonetheless as an achievement that Obituary could create such a vibrant and energetic album this far into their career.

While more uptempo than his fans may have been comfortable with in the past, the project has a noticeable sense of growth and maturity about it. Coupled with incredible production, The Wild reaffirms why Raekwon's been so revered all these years.

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs are back, better than ever and ready to "suck your blood."

It's a feat of musical arrangement and of lyricism, sure, but in essence, it's the songwriting on MCIII that really makes it such an achievement.

There's an overwhelming lightness to Concrete Vision, even when the lyrics veer into darker territory on tracks like the rippled ballad "True Love" or the title track. The comforting timbre of Kramer's voice keeps the vibe mellow and even-keeled, a lifeline throughout the record's changing synth textures.

At only 22 minutes, Cut Your Teeth is a head-spinning rip made for repeated plays. Listeners are guaranteed to rage and laugh at the same time, every time.

Bring Me the Head of Kyle Bobby Dunn is Dunn's best work to date, consisting of a solid two hours of minimal, emotive, ambient drone that should appeal to fans of Stars of the Lid and Brian Eno.

Its production quality is equal to Two/Three, but it contains few surprises for older fans. As such, it isn't much of a progression, but it does feel greatly satisfying, and not only for the comfort of finally completing the trilogy.

Despite being on the shorter side for an album release, Juice is carefully composed; it might not necessarily be a groundbreaking new release on the part of Born Ruffians, but speaks volumes in its playfulness nonetheless.

The Chicks have always had strong backbones, and Gaslighter shows that their conviction hasn't faded in their time away – if anything, they've only become more indignant, more willing to explore, more ready to speak. It's an inspiring, swift-footed return.

A meticulous songwriter and producer, Jordan Rakei has opened up his sound with Origin, extending an invitation into a highly creative mind eager to deepen the bonds created with his listeners.

As an album, >> is twice as great as its predecessor.

Blissfucker is not quite as perfectly crafted as Darker Handcraft, trading control for the broken and the strange, but though the results are less even, the finest work on the record still finds Trap Them at their very best.

With Physicalist, Forma have issued a gorgeous statement that extends beyond being a culmination of their previous work. This LP is an example of a collective approaching its zenith.

Clearly he is awash with new inspiration, and has absorbed it successfully, because it's hard to recall an artist in recent memory who has revamped their sound so boldly and successfully as City and Colour has on If I Should Go Before You.

Rose Mountain could be the album that finally brings these hardworking punkers to a wider audience after nearly a decade of existence, and it would be well deserved.

The first two-thirds of this album are nearly flawless.... There are a couple of stumbles down the backstretch, though.

The constant vitriol is made scarier by his choice to rap in a stuporous, incantatory monotone. The music here--forbidding snares, honking staccato keyboards--is same-y but effective.

Cellar Door seems to have given the Underachievers space to breathe, think and spit the transcendental lyricism that set them apart in the first place.

Joe, Joell, Crooked I and Royce trade quality rhymes over a varied catalogue of original productions that allow the four-piece ample room to spit their different brands of venom.

Grandiose in its bite, depth and soul, Champion lives up to its name.

A dose of psychedelic pop, captivating hooks, and guitar trembles enhance the listening experience. Exploring the themes of new opportunities, growth, disconnection and hope, listeners can feel frontman Jack Steadman's raw emotions.

Bringing a higher degree of polish to the table than past bedroom recordings, the duo also show off an impressive palette of sounds on their dozen beats.

Not only is Steppington the first must-own rap record of 2014, but it represents freedom for its makers.

The Best of Luck Club may lack some of the whimsy that got her noticed, but with this more mature turn, Lahey has expressed some lyrical depth that wasn't quite there the first time around.

Lee Ranaldo/Jim Jarmusch/ Marc Urselli/ Balázs Pándi is an egoless collection of ideas from four musicians who sound like they've been working together for an eternity.

Seamlessly weaving complexity into internal rhymes in verses and the overall thematic premise, PTSD excels at both micro and macro levels.

This is Colourgrade's magic ⎯ it captures the quiet humdrum of life at its most unreal, blearing domestic love and childrearing and sleep and exhaustion into something suddenly, amazingly unfamiliar.

Ego Death frees the Internet from Odd Future connotations and R&B norms; it's their best work yet.

Her ability to turn raw emotion into compelling and riveting music carries Exile in the Outer Ring, and the result is some of the best material we've heard from her yet.

2 Chainz's debut album is a triumph on so many levels.

Know-It-All is clearly the end result of Cara's vision by way of major label collaboration. So while it's a tad formulaic, it's terrifically executed and solidly produced.

The results show the oft-dramatic vocalist crafting some of his most meditative and emotional songs to date, as the high drama is cleverly delivered through pained phrasings and gently cinematic instrumentation.

Temple Beautiful is the sound of a mature rock'n'roller continuing to reach for new heights.

On We Got Love, his sophomore LP, the Irish knobturner has managed to produce a coherent album brimming with ideas, styles and guest musicians.

The sonic clarity is improved somewhat, but it's still messy as hell, meaning that Say Yes to Love sounds more like another demo than a proper album.

Give this one time, and it reveals itself.

Wait to Pleasure is a marked improvement on their debut that demonstrates No Joy's capacity as sonic adventurists capitalizing on the advantages of a studio environment.

Hypnophobia is a beautiful, and sometimes tragic, look into the mind of a talented and tortured artist.

Bright Side of Down is everything a folk recording should be, with thoughtful lyrics nestled into well-crafted songs and simple arrangements that put the song first.

Radio Silence is a jazzy, soulful call to action, a think-piece and a middle-finger to the trolls who claim he fell off; you can still find his name "in the middle of equality."

Yet despite sounding like an album that could have just as easily come out in 2009 as 2019, it's a testament to the timelessness of Power Chords' sound rather than an indication of its tedium.

After an extended break, Teengirl Fantasy return wiser and sounding somehow more like themselves.

It's apparent that Zeffira possesses a terrific balance of style and substance on The Deserters.

For an album comprised entirely of outtakes, Oddments of the Gamble sounds surprisingly realized and complete.

One of the best things about the Album Leaf is the mental imagery that comes naturally with the music, and Between Waves provides a fresh canvas.

Mac DeMarco may assume a trashy façade, but beneath that lies a genuinely talented songwriter who writes what he knows and keeps us entertained while he does it.

As the Love Continues is one of them. Already an enduring album, it will surely solidify Mogwai's venerated status as shamans of our collective consciousness.

This Working Girl's Guitar is in top form here.

If you're a long-time listener, or someone that was tuned in to AM, you might be prepared to change the dial. But before you write this off as exhausting or pretentious self-indulgence, give it a listen or two. Peruse the lyrics, dissect them and have a laugh. Commitment isn't as scary as you think.

At the end of the day, this project shows Megan Thee Stallion in her most refined element--confident, powerful and never submissive.

Cult Following manages to be danceable, fun and impactful, all in a tight 45 minutes.

Rae feels light here, no longer weighed down by her past and suddenly able to address pain with emotional wisdom. The Heart Speaks in Whispers is a summer record that reveals the warmth in silver linings.

Despite a three-year hiatus, Claro Intelecto continues to generate quality, masterful releases.

It's a joy to bask in the glow of one of the world's best producers leaning into his strengths.

"pamplemousse" and "which way" serve as the purest evidence of the freedom achieved on this mixtape. These experimental sketches are delightful in their rejection of seriousness.

Thirty years deep into their career, Superchunk throw yet another left turn into a career full of them, offering up a protest record about the people for the people. What a time to be alive, indeed.

Time & Space is Turnstile taking what worked from their prior material and seasoning it with a modern, diverse zest.

Unique and dynamic, this is what Clutch do--and do best.

The record is comfortably balanced between different periods of Shepherd's work, derailing expectation surrounding followups, all while still obfuscating the line between analog and digital. For Floating Points, it's business as usual.

Shore finds them exploring vaster range than before. No longer do they sound burdened by the need to commit to a particular mood; Pecknold sounds freer than ever to be himself.

In the Lonely Hour is a mostly fantastic debut that is more than deserving of a double dip.

He's as strong a songwriter as always, but it feels like there's a deeper sense of purpose this time around, and it makes for a beautifully gratifying experience.

As a third album, it's an interesting station on the way to potential greatness, and it will definitively put the group on more than a few radars. Above all, on this album TOY makes us feel really excited about Brit-pop again, which itself is no small feat.

At only eight tracks, it's the shortest Smashing Pumpkins full-length and it feels less grandiose than most of their work simply due to that brevity, which makes it harder to measure against their other LPs--although it easily blows the last album out of the water and is more immediately catchy than Zeitgeist.

With 12 tracks and a runtime of barely more than half an hour, any flaws are minor and the album breezes by. The arrangements may be ambitious, but there's very little pomp or grandeur here; this is just another low-stakes success in a long and varied career.

Spiritualized have delivered yet another great project with Everything Is Beautiful, an incredible mix of genres bringing forth truly impressive instrumentals with compelling lyrics.

It's clear from listening to and watching Way Down in the Rust Bucket that this was a truly special occasion that now lives on, in this remarkable new document of Crazy Horse in all its (ragged) glory.

With Moths, Chairlift make a strong claim to being one of pop music's best songwriting teams, with the production and vocal chops to bring their compositions fully and vibrantly to life.

The Private World of Paradise is certain to earn Wake Owl a legion of devotees among the late-night headphones crowd.

It's a meeting of musical minds, and the resulting electro-traditional dialogue is fascinating.

Drake aims to come out stronger, more focused and more righteous than ever. ... He goes hard at addressing his industry ops on Side A, and it's full of the effortlessly cut-throat Drake we've come to love. ... Drake gets all the way into his feelings on the second half of Scorpion.

Where All Mirrors pushed at the sky, Whole New Mess explores the vastness of the mind and peculiarities of the heart. It may take repeat listens to hear these roughly hewn songs as more than demos for their gilded twins, but once you've waded deep enough into the record's shifting, disintegrating twilight, it becomes something wholly new.

The result is an absolutely vicious, fearless record.

Between her typically deft hooks, the thematic cohesion and the efficiency of it all (five songs, 20 minutes), Love is Free marks another gem in Robyn's recent, diamond-studded catalogue.

Granted, the guitar and sax rocker "Sed Knife" stands out for the wrong reasons — it's maybe a little too clean and straightforward given the context--but after years of flirting with the fringes, Half Free hits the art-pop bullseye.

Although a bit more subtle than her 2012 masterpiece Seeds, Overload still ranks among Muldrow's finest efforts.

Although "My Last Nerve" also falls victim to mid-tempo meandering, the remainder of the album serves as some of the best thrash from thrash's best band, who sound like they play their music with a shit-eating grin and a machete hidden behind their backs.

Rambunctious and irreverent, Oxymoron blasts bullet holes in the theory that gangsta rap can't sound fresh for 2014.

Airy, vaguely psychedelic and meaningful, Beyond the Times is a gorgeous exhibition from a thoughtful, voracious artist relishing a whole new outlet.

Wrapping The Practice of Love in avant-pop instrumentation, Hval nimbly threads complex sentiments through its prismatic shades of sound.

Haiku From Zero is another strong effort by a band that continue to celebrate the power of dance music, but as closer "Tied to the Weather" demonstrates, they aren't opposed to feeling the comedown effects, either.

Alpha is the brighter and longer disc of the two, varied in its execution by walking a line between challenging, progressive moments and more accessible fare.

Lovers Rock reflects the Dears' identity as a band, illustrating their development, both lyrically and musically, by intertwining a sense of being down in the dumps with intricate, euphonious melodies.

Aureate Gloom is the point where grief becomes a search for light in creation, adventure and musical experimentation, making even Barnes' more experimental sonic forays sound urgent.

There's a striking sense of command and confidence evident on this EP.

Braindrops is a tumultuous and compelling listen.

Realized with the help of Bird's fabulous backing band, the Hands of Glory, the arrangements on Things Are Really Great Here, Sort Of… are ornate and thoughtful, highlighting both the brilliant Americana song writing of the originals and the sweetly soulful execution of Bird and his band.

There's nothing groundbreaking or surprising about this last record--it's classic Gregg Allman--which is exactly why it's a sweet, solid note to go out on. I'd say we're mighty lucky he gave it one more kick at the can.

Natural Brown Prom Queen is somewhat overstuffed with both tracks and ideas, and the album's chaotic, sometimes hurried nature doesn't always work to its advantage. But even if censoring herself a bit more would've made for a more concise project, the album is nonetheless a captivating glimpse into Sudan Archives' artistic palette.

Cancer Bats' most experimental album might also be their catchiest.

Intentionally or not, Hynes has surreptitiously convinced listeners to deeply engage with his art; we're digging for the grooves, searching out the hooks while questioning our own habits and assumptions, as we look for our own meaning in the music. And there's plenty in Negro Swan.

Life is Good is a well-crafted entry from a seasoned veteran that displays his vitality and vintage flow 20-plus years into his career in a genre where many MCs don't age gracefully.