It is too early to call this the band's best work, as there is so much more to come from this band going forward. For a heavy album full of unexpected surprises, We Are Always Alone is an ideal second full-length from an up-and-coming band.

Many avant-garde instrumental albums exist to strictly craft a mood, and Tom Rogerson and Brian Eno somehow seem to merge these moods, sounds and themes together effortlessly and radiantly on Finding Shore.

Harlecore is '90s rave held up for review, assessment and full enjoyment, and if there isn't a ton of depth here, the breadth (with Harle essentially exploring four different sub-styles through his various personas) is more than impressive enough to make up for it. It's all pulled off with such glee and energy, that in terms of pure enjoyment, it's very difficult to fault Harlecore.

She's produced an inspired disc that never lets up.

Summerlong showcases Johnson's prowess as a songwriter, as effortlessly as the sun shines on a clear summer day.

While King Tuff has skilfully honed his '70s shtick here, Black Moon's appeal reaches deeper, transcending the novelty with well-written tunes that are fun even for those impartial to the decade.

With the band's integrity, commitment to their craft and immunity to the passing of time, they're sure to make their patient fans happy with Duster.

Flying Microtonal Banana is another wonderful release by King Gizzard.

Welcome 2 America is an incredible listen and an album that proves that even when Prince had reached his lowest point, he was still capable of creating magic. It's a tight, concise body of work that is a few missteps short of perfection but is still far and away his best release since 1987's Sign o' the Times.

It's business as usual for the Wedding Present, but in the best possible way.

You Are Eternity is a remarkable accomplishment in sound design.

In nearly every case, the remix version does justice to the original while taking the track to a completely different place sonically.

Rawlings' and Welch's music always feels like a return visit, and Poor David's Almanack in particular seems perfectly suited to tack up on your wall and consult at home.

Corpse Flower has a dynamic sound that is interesting for anyone. The record is another example of the masterful musicianship of Patton and showcases Vannier's capabilities in crafting perfectly balanced pieces of music.

One True Pairing is not an easy listening record, despite its pop structures. Fleming is stark in his observations, yet he has woven hope in amongst the despair, creating a body of work that serves as a way through difficult and tumultuous emotions.

The variety of doors presented in the album's quest for answers, or more questions, present a challenge for those who prefer a more cohesive experience. For the adventurous though, the doors crack open onto a wide variety of styles and time frames.

Despite their sonic similarities, Deacon's fourth full-length has struck an amicable balance between the hyperactive energies and extravagant compositional ideas prevalent in his earlier work.

It may not be the triumphant return fans had hoped for, but it's not a desperate gasp for one last breath either. It's somewhere in between — a bittersweet last hurrah. Demanufacture from 1995 will always be the rusted jewel in Fear Factory's scrap metal crown, but Aggression Continuum is a worthy final program before an inevitable systems reboot.

Musically, Guilt Mirrors is all over the map in the best possible way.

It's not your typical upbeat pop album — instead, it's more reflective and subdued. Through it all, it stays true to the young artist that took over pop music in only a few short years.

Mixed Emotions is just the painstakingly crafted, mood-driven long-player we've been waiting for from this immensely talented duo.

This album, Segall's 13th, is a sonic buffet that will likely have you reaching for a second helping. If this is your first foray into the dense world of Segall, you're in for a mouthful with First Taste.

The pair have fully blossomed from their early DIY start, showcasing an incredible range of indie pop craftsmanship and a grounded centredness built on empathy and understanding.

Fujita is a rare talent and Book of Life should announce him to a much wider audience as a vital composer with a unique voice, one I hope and expect we'll hear grow and evolve for many years to come.

As their 2015 album relied on a pair on vocalists, Mutado Pintado and Paris Brightledge, sophomore full-length PL utilizes a whole stable of collaborators to create a pleasingly wobbly and splintered set of songs.

2015's Peripheral Vision was indeed more dynamic and, for that reason, might remain their strongest effort for the time being. But let yourself sink into Good Nature, and you'll find yourself in a place of idyllic beauty.

The album is all the more impressive because her words and music are meticulously calculated, expertly arranged and still filled with feeling.

With Dark Superstition, Gatecreeper have cemented their place as one of modern metal's most visceral, exciting and endlessly-listenable bands, and the album is a more than worthy addition to their already-accomplished catalogue.

At its best (the haunting "Ashes," the provocative "I Ain't The Girl," the killer cover of "To Love Somebody" and the title track), Faded Gloryville is a tour de force. Too bad the two weakest songs ("Run A Muck" and "Rundown Neighborhood") appear back-to-back, temporarily breaking the spell at the midway point.

Accentuated by the pair's newly honed synchronicity and Carlile's expert production, the Secret Sisters' lofty ambitions for this record ring out clear and true.

Providence finds Fake reinvigorated, having worked through writer's block to find inspiration in a virtual analog synth from the mid '90s, the Korg Prophecy. He mined all the gold he could from that Korg to make Providence.

This album demonstrates that Yukon Blonde can transition and adapt to a change in sound efficiently and damn well.

Nothing Is Still is an excellent demonstration of what Leon Vynehall is capable of when he emerges from the confines of club music.

Cronin offers new experiments on MCII, but errs just enough on the side of caution to create a fantastic pop record.

Listening to Hiss Spun is a punishing affair, but it's a rewarding one too. It's the sound of an artist not afraid to dig deep emotionally, and that challenges the listener to do so as well.

Something to Lose is evidence of Better Person committing further to terrain covered on his earlier EP, mining often overlooked musical traditions with obvious enthusiasm and yearning credibility, an effect that is elevated when paired with Goldwasser's expertise.

Providing a counterpoint to the dark rumble of the remainder of the release, dBridge has crafted a record that traverses the emotional spectrum in its three tracks better than any other drum & bass release has in the last few years.

Topped off with exhaustive liner notes with essays and photos, Masculin Féminin is specifically designed for completists, providing superfans a satisfying wealth of unreleased material.

Bed & Bugs finds one of America's mightiest, smartest rock bands playing at peak power, challenging themselves and conveying the ragged glory of camaraderie.

for fans that have been waiting for a new chapter in the sound of the Flatliners, look no further than Dead Language; it speaks much louder than anything they've done previously.

There's a little less bravado for its own sake; instead, we are offered reflections on the differences in the man's life since his last release from jail. He's married, off of drugs and, as the album's cover shows, ripped now.

While Sings Christmas Carols could provide any miserable person some relief at Christmastime, it also works nicely for anyone who loves these songs to hear someone other than Michael Bublé or Justin Bieber sing them.

Birthmarks might throw off some, maybe even lose them, but the gamble has paid off, and will undoubtedly result in producing more new fans, as well as reassuring old ones.

Godless Prophets & the Migrant Flora is the best Darkest Hour since those two albums, and positions the band well to lead the melodeath-inflected metalcore rebirth that, if the revival of its more chaotic precursor is any indication, might be just around the corner.

Dream Theater are by no means breaking any new ground on Distance Over Time. The album pulls from the same bag of tricks as the rest of their discography. What Distance Over Time does offer, however, is that "it" factor you can't quite put your finger on. Many lifelong fans claim the band lost their mojo the day founding member Mike Portnoy left the band. If that's the case, they seem to have found it on this release.

The subject matter is profoundly dark, but the songs somehow come across as lithe and inviting.

Zeus avoid indulgent jamming, filler material or ill-advised experiments. Just 14 blissful tunes, rich with influences.

You can tick off a number of dream-pop heavyweights as influences here: Lush and Cocteau Twins, whose Robin Guthrie remixed "Sure," immediately come to mind. But Pillbeam makes the sound her own, putting heavy emphasis on the pop side of things via a brilliant synth sheen. Yet it's her ability to wring emotional drama out of rote subject matter that makes these songs so special.

III's hazy, after-hours vibe is infectious, and these songs reveal fresh nuance with repeat listens.

On Letter to You, Springsteen is at his rawest and most reflective. ... Letter to You may well be Springsteen addressing his most significant bandmates and his audience with love, but it may as well be something he wrote and sent ahead to 2020.

Despite occasionally overlong runtimes, Rainbow Mirror is an album that encourages introspection and submerging oneself in their unconscious. It's a monument that both inspires and terrifies.

This group of songs are vivid in colour, creating a warmth, unlike their contemporaries who cling to the depressing melodrama of these decades. By keeping it light, listeners will might find a second listen through all the more appealing.

There's always more to Marling than the uninitiated might hear at first, and Semper Femina is yet another astounding testament to her talent and the multitudes therein.

There's so much more to Good Souls than that aforementioned fiery fare. She and her band make "Bad News Blues" more than live up to its title, both in tone and lyrics. ... Many of those tracks suit the despair, rage and hope of the moment, while also speaking to enough big truths to be timeless.

Tracyanne & Danny is a deftly-produced, heartfelt album, highlighting both Campbell and Coughlan's best qualities, setting the bar high.

Though he tackles politics ("White Man's World," "Hope the High Road"), mental health ("Anxiety" and "Chaos and Clothes") and other highly present concerns, the overall effect is slightly more timely than timeless. Perhaps it's unfair, though, to hold Isbell to his own lofty standards. Compared to those of his contemporaries, these songs are still miles ahead.

By daring to show a bit of personality, the Thermals continue to prove themselves in today's musical landscape.

It's the driving, rock-based tracks like "Recoil" and "Just Dust" that give Life Somewhere Else its energy, as Kilbey matches Cain's chugging-but-ringing guitars with a lust-for-life delivery.

Her songwriting and lyrics are truthfully captivating and fascinatingly realistic.

It takes a few spins for the subtle charms of Life Is Fine to fully kick in, but it rewards patience. It may not quite match the sustained brilliance of seminal '80s albums Gossip and Under the Sun, but this is another fine effort.

The narrative of Dance on the Blacktop is a hard-to-swallow reality check, but flourishes in the closing "(Hope) Is Just Another Word with a Hole In It." Nearing six minutes, the song is ambitious and rewarding. When Palermo's vocals and piano come to fruition in the mix, there is a sense of optimism, as though he might be smirking at his demons.

Unlike those of many of their contemporaries, this album isn't offering much faux hard-won wisdom, and there's no late-night barstool proselytizing to speak of. Instead, Start Here channels the naïve wonder, genuine openness, and hopeful abandon of post-adolescence.

[An] energized album, full of unexpected twists and forked, enchanting melodies.

The whole album is chock full of songs that scream road trips and beach days, pulling from a grungier vision of Sheryl Crow and latter-day Liz Phair's fun-loving pop rock, shot through with a synthesised yet vulnerable twinge that was already apparent on Lahey's first two albums.

Repave is an album that crackles, sparkles and swoons in all the right places.

With The Caretaker, Rose is finding strength in self-discovery and returning to the present with delicate repose.

The 67-minute album features 25 remarkably accessible tracks.

Down to Believing can unquestionably be described as Moorer's breakup album, but this would sell short its intensely personal complexity.

While the record may not have been what she was expecting to create, it illuminates immense growth and versatility in Margaret's strength as a songwriter and as a producer.

Shame is not only hard to listen to, but also hard to swallow and hard to digest. It thought-provoking music which is guaranteed to make listeners feel uncomfortable in their own skin; what more could you want from a new Uniform album?

One of the very few bands that can combine melody with hardcore and make it pack a huge punch, BoySetsFire have crafted another excellent release.

Unlike the conceptual rock opera project that was Nostradamus, Redeemer of Souls is pure metal joy, full of surging anthems, martial stomps, unbridled passion and huge, crunchy production values.

93696 is an ongoing, turbulent act of engagement — its surging power will throttle you, blow you over with fury and ecstasy. But it will also pull you in for an embrace, to quell and allow for the chance to breathe and reflect.

By opening up their sonic palette, Third Eye Blind has highlighted their sheer strength as a songwriting unit and demonstrated that any path they take, they'll throw themselves into fully and unreservedly. Sounding both fresh and classic, Screamer is a great place for new fans to jump on, or for previously jaded listeners to give one of rock's most underrated groups a fresh shot.

Empress Of takes listeners into a rich sonic environment on Us, while placing careful emphasis on the emotional territory she ventures into. The universality Rodriguez has sought to embody the record with is present, yet the vulnerability she is known for remains.

Doubtless, the boy from Troy, NY has given his audience a lot to chew on with Madman; some of it folk, some of it rock, all of it good.

The London Sessions has a swanky premise, and finds Blige in an artistically intrepid mode. It's also one of her best efforts in recent years.

The Revenant OST is the duo’s fifth collaboration and moves like a symphonic version of their minimalist album Vrioon. To an already austere approach, Sakamoto seems to have added the resolve of a true survivor.

Exquisitely recorded (Segall might have picked up a few more tricks for his already considerable bag from Steve Albini, who had produced recent efforts) and inviting while still being mysterious, Ty Segall has another excellent stripped-down "folk" record to add to his (extremely) extensive discography.

It's the samples in particular, though, that give Reset a sort of whimsical timelessness. ... Like much of Panda Bear and Sonic Boom's best work, Reset is disorienting — an album of songs that feels cyclical and never-ending.

It's a dynamic album, one so vibrant that listeners can easily envision themselves at the Barbican witnessing all the musicians mesh in the creation of something grand.

Smart, funny, empathetic and wise, Musgraves is one of the best in the business right now--even when it seems she might be treading water.

Smart, forceful writing continues throughout as Benny's deliberate delivery slices through the horns of "Throwy's Revenge" and the frenetic synths of "Guerrero." Usual suspects Boldy James, Conway the Machine, 38 Spesh and Westside Gunn drop by, adding welcome vocal texture to Benny's predictably clear and metronome-like cadence.

Spaces is in turn haunting, energizing and overwhelmingly emotive, and a must-have for fans of the young German pianist, whether or not they've caught him live yet.

Sure, there are slight variations on the formula and some additional instrumentation (namely strings and harpsichord), but this is still Thee Oh Sees being the very best Thee Oh Sees they can be.

While it might be daunting to have close to 20 duets of mixed genres all on one album, it works for Crow and her crew. These collaborations show flair and offer a little bit of something for everyone, making Threads that much more appealing.

Those who actually contemplate this album and its live counterpart on their artistic merits might well recognize them, as equal to anything else in his stirring, outspoken back catalogue.

Had the album dropped in May, it could have complemented the season beautifully. Now, it'll have to settle for cushioning the winter months with its unabashed, bubbly vibes.

Saputjiji is not an easy listen; at times, it's downright ugly. But as the empire's war machine kicks back into high gear, Tagaq's courageous offering is a much-needed wake-up call.

Disarming listeners with a palette of sounds that merge laidback rock landscapes with grungy grit, Madeline Link's lyrics are jagged and abrupt, with abstract lines fused together by vividly visceral imagery. Deciphering deeper meanings may prove difficult (particularly as filtered through her languid drawl), but the endlessly listenable, breezy rock tunes encourage plenty of exploration, and any efforts will be handsomely rewarded.

From start to finish, GREY Area reveals a young rapper who has seen success in her career, but is still sorting herself out in her real life.

The album is emotionally mature beyond his years, and like 1999, it is a gateway to hip-hop sounds of the past while looking to the future, making for a project that shouldn't be skipped this year.

With a sound as good as this, it's clear Xerxes aren't simply riding the wave, but making some of their own.

Though it's no surprise that Cole's consciousness leads the album, his unabashed statements regarding the direction of rap music and its current megastars are gutsy.

[Percussionist Joshua Van Tassel] and master bassist Bret Higgins give all these songs organic, unfussy rhythms that dig in like the deepest of tree roots and guide this Forest of Arms.

Starter Home is a mostly quiet album despite its many players.

The slow roll-out of singles over the past few months leading up to its release makes Product hard to consider as a singular cohesive package, but as a primer on SOPHIE, it's as good as it gets, a snapshot of an exciting artist whose tightrope walk between sweet and scary, pop and avant-garde, has yielded some of the best singles of the past few years.