From its weighty subject matter to its incredibly nuanced production, The Colour in Anything is not only Blake at his best, but also his most personal. Blake's expanded his both his heart and his process here, making music with others outside of his laptop to demonstrate the growth that had led to this brilliant, fulfilling work.

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

That lack of tension and urgency throughout stops A Moon Shaped Pool from being a classic on par with Radiohead's best work, but then, perhaps that's the wrong standard to reasonably hold an album that trades the band's trademark anxiety for acceptance, their experimentalism for elegance.

Kacy & Clayton craft timeless and detailed folk songs on Strange Country, an album that more than promises the duo's staying power.

White Lung sound both heavier and more accessible on Paradise, once again proving that there's far more to this band than meets the eye.

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%.

Will is a beautifully written work of art that finds Barwick reaching out to a larger audience, but completely on her own terms.

Hopelessness is her first album under her new name, and with that comes a new clarity and purpose to her songwriting, an ownership and authority over her artistic voice that we've not yet seen before.

It's a slow album, but through multiple listens, we're treated to the same complexities, but personal and musical, that have made him such a fascinating figure throughout the past decade.

For years, Aesop Rock has been beloved for his ambitious, loquacious lyricism, but on The Impossible Kid, he's reached new artistic heights by using that elaborate wordplay to offer us a simple yet powerful glimpse at his scarred psyche.

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

Overall, Vol.1 is a satisfying snapshot of a label that does a very specific sound very, very well.

The good easily outweighs the bad on Advancement, and at its best, it's excellent. The pair have a knack for dynamism that keeps things interesting, and their production style has a compelling crunchiness to it that manages to sound modern without laying on the sheen.

The result is a most welcome and simply terrific record from a perennially underrated band.

Domo's Genesis is a step in the right direction, but he's walking to his destination, and not anywhere near where he needs to be just yet.

The result is an album in which millions will find their own struggles reflected back to them, as therapeutic as it is utterly dazzling. If you've ever been handed lemons, you need Lemonade.

This record is less about individual musical performances and more about big, uncluttered sound.

As a standalone collection of songs, the Aladdin LP doesn't reach the heights of his recent recorded output, but it's an interesting companion piece that will please the Green faithful and fans of the film

On Sept. 5, dvsn establish themselves as the cutting edge of post-millennial soul music, electrifying, absorbing and, at their best, downright mind-blowing.

They might be picking at low-hanging fruit, but by tapping into the aesthetic vocabularies of higher king loners like Dinosaur Jr., Pity Sex have created a document that's a better reminder of how timeless incompatibility is than a hard sell on a specific lifestyle.

Nonagon Infinity is a definite mind-melt (see how many times you can loop it without losing it), and impressively keeps up with its initial premise.

Much of Waltzed in From the Rumbling's success lies in Plants and Animals' ability to look both inside and outside of their musical sphere, incorporating strings, choir vocals and found sounds while possessing the insight and musical acuity to make it all feel organic.

With the help of his band, he's recorded some of the most pristine, beautiful, exciting and fluid playing and singing I've heard in a long time.

Everybody's Heart Is Broken Now is a satisfying, long-awaited return for Niki and the Dove.

There's nothing too farfetched or strikingly new here, but Still Life of Citrus and Slime is without a doubt a pure example of rock'n'roll.

Layers is a great step forward, a glowing promise on his next album, his ambitions will be fully realized.

This Connecticut group's latest recording, the four-song, unplugged effort It Kindly Stopped for Me, makes for a less instantly gratifying record that may take a certain kind of hurt to really understand.

Too Many Voices is a breath of fresh air for anyone who found Faith overwhelmingly claustrophobic.

Much of Please Be Honest is filled with mid-tempo material, but unlike his recent work, Pollard seems obsessed with guitar textures and vocal effects here, making Please Be Honest an intriguing success.

Outer Heaven is consistently enjoyable, but never too comfortable.

This recording is a great addition to his musical catalogue, and a fine way to fall in love with Shakespeare all over again, to boot.

Ultimately, it isn't the lyrics that stand out but Hamilton's deliberate endeavour to craft intricate compositions that hold the attention of the listener. T R O U B L E is worthy of a second listen, and not only to pick up on the subtleties you missed the first time

PersonA is proof of the exemplary musicianship of Magnetic Zeros, and their ability to forge songs as rich lyrically as they are musically.

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.

Experimental, textured, destructive, booming, progressive and at times disturbing, Hold/Still finds the tense, perfect middle between darkness and light, cold but burning hot with desire.

Sturgill Simpson has been running in a different direction for a while, and with A Sailor's Guide To Earth, he's finally arrived in another world.

Overall, fans of John Carpenter's work will find lots to love in Lost Themes II, and aspiring filmmakers could definitely take inspiration from it.

The Hope Six Demolition Project implicates all of the Western world's complacency, making for a complex and challenging, though gorgeous, listen.

The problem isn't just that the result feels more like a collection of demos than a complete record; it's that the songs themselves are generally uninspired, and often feel unfinished despite being co-written, almost all of them, with top-notch songwriters.

On Felder, St. Werner is coming closer to melding his two personalities, allowing his Type A to influence his Type B.

This is not just a comeback; it's All Saints' best work yet.

Continuing to age gracefully, Deftones deliver an emotionally divided release with Gore, one that will continue to endear and swing with your own mood--however you're feeling.

There is an invigorating energy that shines through the lyrics and tempo of this album, so although lyrics about the finer things of California living aren't necessarily profound or entirely relatable, on Man About Town, Hawthorne's buoyant optimism for beginning anew in 2016 is utterly contagious.

Those familiar with Silver's work know he is fond of smaller-scale thematic/stylistic exercises like this, and on these grounds On Vacation succeeds nicely, but those looking for a bolder artistic statement may be disappointed by its conventionality.

Although Slay-Z's flat lyrics might be a little uninspiring for the sober listener, its vigorous beats and dizzying pace are perfect for settings that require more moving and less thinking.

With Human Performance, Parquet Courts have managed to cram in a lot. Lesser bands might have made a mess attempting a project like this, but what separates Parquet Courts is their adaptability and understanding of the subject matter.

With Junk, Gonzalez has taken M83 into a whole new galaxy that is just as ambitious and starry-eyed as everything that came before it.

This LP is pure Dandy Warhols, saturated with Courtney Taylor-Taylor's moody, drawled vocals, wailing guitars and introspective, oddball lyricism.

Hecker stretches to greater heights. If Ravedeath, 1972 and Virgins were pinnacles for the producer, Love Streams leaps into orbit, beaming elegiac streams of sound to the heavens and beyond.

What's impressive is how well integrated these Agee-inspired tunes are with their more modern cousins.

The duo's 13th studio album, Super, will appeal to the cult following that's stuck with them over the years while reaffirming their continued relevance and influence.

One hopes that once this space opera is complete Haley will allow himself to broaden his horizons a bit more. In the meantime, Silicon Tare is worth a listen.

Though not their best record, IV is nevertheless an excellent addition to the group's staggeringly consistent discography.

Atomic perfectly captures the band's recent progressions, ornate (the strings-centered "Are You a Dancer?" and horn-heavy opening track "Ether") or otherwise, and is undoubtedly one of the most consistent albums front-to-back from Mogwai's two-decade-long career.

Packed with tight hooks, this record adds plenty of new songs to Operators' repertoire that are sure to keep the crowds dancing late into the night.

Next Thing is more likeable than moving, neither as intimate as her strongest bedroom recordings nor as revelatory as Zentropy.

Their latest offering confirms the act have found footing with their sound, as III revels in minimal electro glitch while an orchestral current weaves beautifully throughout, Ring's vocals lending soulful, poignant reflection not often found in contemporary electronic music.

Are You Serious is a mature and confident record that finds Andrew Bird exploring myriad new sounds while remaining instantly recognizable.

Bradley effectively draws you in with his voice and leaves you deep in thought with Changes, all the while grooving back and forth.

The Last Shadow Puppets excel when they craft attention-grabbing pop with lush arrangements and unique lyrics, and they mostly do just that on Everything You've Come to Expect.

There's something pure about Tacocat, which comes across throughout Lost Time. The band describe themselves as being best friends, and this sense of joy and excitement is palpable throughout.

This record would be great background music for a party or movie scene, but it does little to hold the listener's attention on its own.

Every song justifies its spot: the Allen Ritter-produced "Drippin'" serves as a standout, exhibiting a staccato delivery and manic yelling, both of which are new to his already vast sonic vocabulary.

The band have never been run of the mill, and their latest is no exception--it's definitely interesting. And really, that's Pussy's Dead's greatest strength: a fearless sense that evolution always trumps repeating yourself.

I AKA I is a shedding of the shackles, a great example of what can happen when someone jettisons rigid structure for boundless creativity. This, above all else, makes Ash Koosha one of 2016's most important players and solidifies I AKA I as one of the most unique records to come out in years.

It's a potent celebration of their past work and a capable endnote to the band's career, whether it truly is the their final release or not.

Occasionally, Willner's penchant for repetition is taken a little far here, but in most cases, it serves to heighten the drama of changes when they do come.

On the whole, the album suffers from a bout of dullness, with the majority of tracks mingling in a grey area, struggling to push through their apparent amalgamation and stand on their own.

For the most part, these ten tracks are a welcome throwback to the summery fun of The Blue Album and The Green Album.

Though wholly pleasant to listen to, The Wilderness occasionally dips into background music territory. And while it features some of Explosions' most exploratory music to date, the record is dragged down by passages that, despite the astro-nautical theme of the track titles, occasionally fail to reach the stratospheric heights Explosions are known for.

Hella is an easy LP to get drawn into and (just like all of his other releases) it's also a joyous adventure to get lost in.

As a standalone product, Vroom Vroom only offers a scattershot glimpse at what these two might be able to accomplish.

This is a more fully realized and textured vision of what the band offered on their debut.

While longtime fans might be a bit thrown off by some of the more melodic traditional metal elements throughout Jomsviking, the music is well suited to both the concept's narrative and a natural evolution of Amon Amarth's more well known style.

In some ways, it works; the songs on Mind of Mine certainly skew towards more mature content and a sleeker, less bubblegum-y pop sound that's implemented expertly by producer Malay on silky smooth PBR&B-lite ballads like "It's You." It works less well on cuts like Kehlani collaboration "Wrong," which is gratingly heavy-handed with the Auto Tune--a problem that again rears its whiny head on "Fool for You."

Unfortunately, Drink More Water 6--the latest iteration of a mixtape series started in 2012--shows little evolution in Makonnen's style, and hints that he may have exhausted the esoteric sound that he pioneered.

Tracks like "Your Nostalgic Heart and Lung" and "PF, Day One" find RJD2 exploring the depths of his own synth work, without a sample in sight. Granted, they are actually some of the weaker tracks on the album, but it's a step towards a more mature sound that has room to grow.

Midwest Farmer's Daughter will almost certainly stand among the best country records of 2016.

The record is, unfortunately and overwhelmingly, a bland release from a band that feels like they're stuck going through the motions.

Whether you're aware of the conceptual backstory behind Potential or come into the project blind, Hinton makes the album just as conceptually moody as it is conceptually aural.

Visions of Us on the Land combines made-for-TV sci-fi soundscapes, Americana, pop, rock and indie-folk with thundering percussion, psychedelic synth, gospel choir and distorted guitar in a sonic palette that charms and mystifies.

Her smooth, rich voice dances gracefully over the rougher guitar riffs and drums found all over No Burden, her extremely confident first full-length.

Unlike some of Will Oldham's previous collaborative albums, this one really works.

Full Circle as a whole feels anti-climactic. It's a rough start for Haelos, aren't exactly short on potential--here's hoping they branch out and find themselves on future releases.

On The Narrows, Phillips hasn't so much reinvented his craft, he just reinvented his perspective.

While the second half of the album almost makes up for its flaws, it doesn't quite manage to make Compassion a memorable whole.

If there's one thing that Aa demonstrates in spades, it's growth. The record not only shows a wide array of styles, but lays a solid foundation for Baauer to build on in the future.

No matter how harrowing King's cries become, how punitive the increasingly industrial percussion grows, or how profound the agony of the textured sound becomes, it's these little moments of silvery beauty that make No One Deserves Happiness transcendent and unbearable. Settle in and endure.

It's an uneven effort by a band that specializes in doing whatever the hell feels right.

As per usual, every song Homme touches ends up being undeniably sexy, but it's unlikely you'll want to take it off and get it on, listening to it. Post Pop Depression isn't the sound of an acclaimed artist seamlessly slipping away, but a wild animal screaming with all his might into the night.

Petrol mixes ambient and free jazz with satisfyingly cohesive results.

Weiss long ago found his own voice, and on Standards he finally captures it on tape for the world to see and hear.

Luneworks is not a lulling listen; rather, the album seems to turn restlessly with sonic insomnia, the songs tracing the arc of some sleepless passage like a night plagued by intense longing.

All told, Painkillers does many things well and few things poorly. It's not a Gaslight record, but it's one that fans will find familiar.

When Collegrove is good, it's very good. Unfortunately, it's tough to hear this project as anything but a crude marketing move to keep both rappers relevant until their next solo projects.

All said, untitled unmastered. is a brilliant mini-album that stands well on its own, but it works even better as a fascinating To Pimp a Butterfly appendix, expanding on and balancing the themes of that album both sonically and lyrically.

The highs aren't quite as high as they might have been ten years ago, but Nada Surf are dependable purveyors of indie rock, and on YKWYA, they are as solid as ever.

Each of the 11 here tracks deliver much the same mood however, and if one were to quibble, it might be to suggest that Moomin's beats strive so hard to be tasteful and inoffensive that they sometimes verge on blandness. That being said, if you love your house sepia-toned with plenty of TR808, Moomin's latest is for you.