There's enough variety mixed in to keep the instrumentals fresh, with luxurious string passages, warm organ swells, overdriven guitar riffs, some harmonica and even a fuzzed-out synth tone.

Between their unflagging energy and brilliant execution, Inter Arma have produced a stellar album that will remain memorable.

As a whole, Food is a delight and represents adventurous R&B with bite.

Abasi's unique thump technique gives needed life to passages other technical players would simply pick their way through, as Reyes and drummer Matt Garstka lock in to drive these sputtering rhythms home with power and proficiency.

On What's Your Sign?, Oneida and Rhys Chatham show that sometimes the most obvious collaborations are the ones that end up surprising you the most.

Cruel Country also contains some of the band's most awe-inspiring music, especially in the album's middle.

While Farm to Table isn't quite the classic that he surely has in him, we should consider ourselves fortunate that Bartees is in it for the long haul.

On All at Once, Screaming Females possess an undiluted vision and seem to execute it flawlessly--and most significantly, without peer.

This beautiful collection is a fitting tribute.

This ability to stretch a unique sonic sensibility in many different emotional directions is what heightens this collection of songs so that it's an experience unto itself. It's an engaging listen that demands persistent exploration.

What Only Up suggests at its core is an opportunity to unite Toronto's hitherto fragmented music scene; rave music, hip-hop and bands can coexist, rebuild the scene anew and have a hell of a good time doing it.

While casual listeners may find this humour flippant, given the topics explored on Miami Memory, closer listens reveal a mature and surprisingly au courant album that grapples with complex social issues in a commendably fearless way.

Despite the disparate styles and messages, there's a seamlessness to the record that can only be credited to Aitchison and frequent collaborator and executive producer A.G. Cook's deft songwriting and production. They've created an Event Pop Record with purpose, pointing the way forward while positioning Aitchison as a pop artist with something to say.

Throughout Free Will, Webb sounds calm and inviting, having seemingly settled into his mid-30s. It suits him incredibly well.

There is eloquence to this anguish, and it is an awful and lovely thing.

Their sound is hypnotic and abstract, as though they're disassembling and reassembling songs and sounds as they go — and the result is a quietly, dreamily thrilling listening experience.

This oscillation between seemingly lighter fare and rich, full-bodied tracks ("Hope" and "A Thousand Skies Under Cepheus' Erudite Eyes," for example) is jarring at first, especially in lieu of any buffer or transition, but ultimately establishes itself as a winning characteristic of A Thousand Skies.

The dynamics are top notch, shifting masterfully from a melodic tone to a heavy, empowered voice.

Perhacs' stellar melodies are bolstered by excellent musicianship throughout, like Cline's watercolour-like guitar work at the end of "Winds of the Sky," and Leddie Garcia's tumbling percussion on "The Dancer."

Ultimately, Shake carves out poetic tranquility in the entropy of her messy relationship, showing her audience the art of Modus Vivendi — or the peaceful coexistence of conflicting forces.

With exciting production that features his usual cast of ATL tastemakers who are (in some cases) paired with surprising co-producers like Jake One and !llmind, Future has crafted an opus full of bangers.

Automata I cherry-picks from some of the best elements of previous Between the Buried and Me records, while injecting their masterful sense of musicianship and structure.

Anyone who can get past the timid first impression will find plenty of fascinating layers and beautiful music to love on Loom.

Credit Conway for cranking out a smartly written collection of street rap and not stretching too far out of his zone just because he's now on Eminem's label.

Restorations have left everything on the table with LP3, and the enormity of their vision as a rock band has largely been realized.

The result is one of 2014's tightest releases.

Fortitude is an album that takes a few listens to fully wrap one's head around, and there's no denying just how much there is to be heard in these 11 versatile tracks. If there was any doubt still about Gojira's potential, Fortitude proves unequivocally that the band are MVPs of modern metal.

Moving forward from that meandering pace [on 2016's Thought Rock Fish Scale], I'm Bad Now finds Nap Eyes picking up their feet a bit, without sacrificing the subtle psychedelia that makes their songs so enticing.

The eight-part suite greatly expands on Thug Entrancer's previous efforts, yet still finds the producer relying solely on analog synthesizers and drum machines

There will no doubt be some making the age-old "less is more" argument that comes with any double LP, but that shouldn't overshadow the fact that DIIV have returned with a powerful, immersive sophomore album.

This is the band's best yet.

No Joy sounds far more artful and ambitious than anyone would have expected from this band a few years ago.

Although Apparat has expanded his sound with help from his friends, LP5 stands as a singular achievement.

Strange Ranger's music rambles along in sync with our inner thoughts — joyful and cheery, but at times full of doubt and overthinking. There are no definitive conclusions on Remembering the Rockets, but instead an analysis of friendships, relationships and everything in between, letting it all spill out in an extensive afterthought.

What makes C'est ça such a triumphant return for the band lies in just how damn listenable Fly Pan Am make it all come off, giving fans something much more adventurous and challenging than simple nostalgia would ever allow.

The result is remarkable consistency across 19 tracks. Indeed, Yes Lawd! is an album best appreciated with complete play-through.

Let's Cry and Do Pushups at the Same Time seems to be Wyatt's way of reconciling his vast repertoire of influences and his many interests into one concise package, and on that idea alone, the album is a success.

Mid Air champions feeling and shared connection. You'll remember it for a long while.

They're firing on all cylinders on Whiteout Conditions, working as one to deliver their most cohesive--and one of their best--albums to date.

That image of her — other people's perceptions — have always haunted her work, but near the end of Bloodless, on "Proof," Samia takes control of the narrative. As she confronts being loved "like a child's toy or cigarette" atop the descent of a warm yet aloof finger-plucked acoustic guitar line, she's at her most powerfully direct and poetically impact.

The Place I Left Behind is another wholly satisfying album that builds upon past successes and carries the band forward as one of the country's finest roots acts.

Pharmakon's devouring is whole and ugly, but it carries a rewarding narrative about the importance of suffering — we're eating ourselves alive, but we're also becoming stronger for it, each act of self-cannibalization and each listen to this album more like a single coil in an upward spiral of transcendence than a snake eating its own tail.

Castle is the lone musician on Monarch Season, playing guitar, piano and harmonica, and the songs thrive in this quiet.

On TYRON, slowthai sounds more together and present than ever.

It's a leap of faith, a self-assured reinvention, and a testament to Parks' chameleonic staying power.

It's obvious for his fans he's making the music he's set out to create and when he's taken strategic measures to please the mainstream. But luckily for his avid listeners, K.R.I.T. almost entirely does the former here, upholding the funky, southern-psychedelic rap that his fans turn to him for.

Fans will be deeply impressed with the improvement of their songwriting and the record's cohesion, while totally satisfied with the energy and muscle they employed to execute their vision.

A veritable three-course meal, Knight's refined palate and keen attention to detail make Each Other a well-paced, flavourful experience that ends too soon, but lingers long afterward.

Swear I'm Good at This is an assured debut with a unique voice, one that finds humour in catharsis and catharsis in humour.

Unpatterns straight-up works.

Baby Grand is a wide-screen, psych-pop gem that continues to realize his potential in rewarding ways.

On their return, they sound wiser and refreshed.

With Blackstar, Bowie has made a record that fits comfortably within that legacy while reasserting himself as an artist that continuously makes challenging and rewarding music.

Vampire Weekend have never taken themselves too seriously (they've had plenty of critics to do so instead), and now that they're mostly unburdened from the narratives of their past, Father of the Bride finds them at their most relaxed, jovial and inviting.

What makes Hundreds of Days such a engrossing listen lies in the way Mary Lattimore flawlessly combines both mood and mode.

Taking all of 99.9% into account, it's really no wonder that Kaytranada has become one of the most sought-after producers these days. This will surely mark yet another, even weightier, launchpad for Kaytranada to head skyward, out towards that much-fabled 100%.

On Strangers, Nadler seems to have her perfected her craft, adding even more confidence to keep her winning streak alive and well.

The result, while a bit surprising, is entirely satisfying.

Welch's powerful vocals shine on this record through anthemic synthpop, baroque pop and folk balladry, as the band experiment with new textures, aligning with the inspiration drawn from the Pre-Raphaelite tradition of embracing contrast within art.

Fantasize Your Ghost encapsulates the thrilling and sometimes terrifying joy of moving forward and finding the confidence within yourself to be exactly who you are — an album with enough depth and passion to fill a room, something you can listen to on a loop and never get bored.

Even though their singer will soon be pushing 60, it's clear these guys haven't run out of things to say. Or shout.

This loose, spilling energy does not translate to a lack of moment-to-moment intensity. On "Cop Dream / Black Eye (True Story)," Spider Bags let loose with a thrashing blaze, guaranteed to conjure up mosh pits wherever it's played. The record also features some of the band's most indelible imagery.

This is no B.S. heavy metal and it makes you feel good, which is way more than many were expecting. And, no, the bass isn't embarrassingly loud in the mix.

While they don't break a ton of new ground with this record or introduce any drastic new elements, Only Ghosts is still a great new addition to their canon.

With its comparatively morose yet still lively sound, Animator is just as instrumentally adventurous and aurally beautiful as the Luyas' enchanting debut.

Dream Police take an expert background in far noisier music and strip it down to its bones, offering something that is simultaneously intense and easy on the ears.

While the album doesn't have the same immediate impact as ULTRAPOP (everything they release henceforth will inevitably be compared to that titanic slab of a record), Perfect Saviours will undoubtedly cement the Armed as one of the best, most exciting rock/punk/hardcore/experimental/whatever-you-want-to-call-them bands making music today.

Because the Internet is a vast improvement over his debut effort, showcasing an artist who has confidently found a way to coalesce his love for music and films into one hybrid effort.

There are few artists who are as artistically uncompromising, and while EarthEE may not garner the duo many new fans, its quality will ensure it outlives the kind of transient hype they might have shot for.

She's surprised everyone yet again by turning her sultry voice and razor sharp intuition in a whole new direction, building Kidsticks off beats and keyboard loops she created in a Californian backyard with Fuck Buttons' Andrew Hung.

Harmonicraft is filled with catchy hooks and pop melodies, as well as progressive, atmospheric rhythms.

The album is a tad long, but the diversity in sounds and use of ambient noise make it clear this is to be listened to from beginning to end. There are plenty of single-worthy songs for casual listeners, while offering dedicated fans a more fulfilling experience by pacing the record's heavy moments.

The one flaw is that at times Frahm allows the songs to continue for too long, losing the flow of the album--particularly between tracks 9 through 11, but later as well--but that's a small concern. Otherwise, Frahm's Late Night Tales curation is a blissful, satisfying experience.

You Want It Darker is a strong record, with an even stronger message.

The amount of technical and emotional ground that YOB are able to carry across these four tracks is phenomenal, and makes Clearing the Path to Ascend the album that marks the band's return to the height of their power.

The pair are making strummable instruments sound new again, and it sounds like redemption. Proceed frantically and without caution.

There's Always More at the Store is a solid addition to Holland's discography, and hopefully there is indeed more where this came from.

Put succinctly, awE NaturalE leaves listeners wanting more.

Not every moment is seamless, but the results are fascinating and, more importantly, enthralling from beginning to end.

Generous helpings of angst and spice on Hot Between Worlds make for a raw listening experience, one which does not offer resolution or understanding, but rather a ding-dong-ditch challenge to psychic fisticuffs in the middle of the street.

Clever turns of phrase and quirky observations still permeate Barnett's writing, and there are still jangly, toe-tapping jams like "Need a Little Time" and "City Looks Pretty," but there are also darker forces at work.

Despite clocking in at a whopping 70 minutes, Car Seat Headrest pack enough hooks in to avoid lagging, thanks to Toledo's practice with his lengthy yet phenomenal earlier albums Twin Fantasy and How to Leave Town.

Lenker's writing in general is vivid, and bursts with the kind of verve its subject matter demands.

With smartly layered melodies and excellent vocalists, the band really isn't that far off from a parallel universe Lamb of God (if they were raised on Aborted), at least in theory. This is a huge compliment.

Every song manages to fit very well together without sounding too similar.

Sumney approaches the complexities of relationships, power structures and an inability to experience romantic love with a quiet, powerful confidence.

This is a perfect match of old school talent and righteous inspiration.

Although it may not be essential listening for Mogwai fans, A Wrenched Virile Lore's recontextualized tracks certainly allow for greater appreciation of one of the band's best albums in years.

Everybody Works suffers when it loses this eloquence. ... But the stunning closer, "For Light," more than redeems any shortcomings, pairing weary lyrics with mournful acoustic guitar and cementing Duterte's talents both as a songwriter and a producer.

Whether that is especially important to Calder is another thing entirely, but regardless, Strange Dreams is an enviable platform for any musician to vault from.

At first glance, the record may read as a scattered amalgamation of journalled revelations, but measured by the careful consolidation of its many tiny details, it may be Woods's most intentional, fleshed-out project to date.

This album is an advancement rather than a return to form. Despite their previous effort struggling against the weight of the band's dormancy, this album is a moving experience that brings with it a sense of fading youth.

While not flawlessly executed, Common arguably regains some of the relevance he may have lost from his last couple of albums with the focus of Nobody's Smiling.

Artificial Dance is an extended glance at one side of Leimer's oblique sonic outlook, one which is as wonderful as it is weird.

With its melodic focus on the bass and heady lyrical vision expressed through quirky pop-tinged aesthetics, the album is full of moments that feel effortless while being thoughtful.

Though he enthusiastically pushes the boundaries of his sound and image on his most eclectic album yet, Miguel also takes care to make each of its tracks insatiably catchy and breezily fun.

Seven albums and 16 years into her music career, Williams seems more confident than ever in doing as she pleases instead of pleasing others.

This record is both a rocket and a time machine, fusing influences so thoroughly that the sum of their parts are barely discernible, and offering both comfort in the familiar and an escape from our current time it hurtles you into orbit.