Not everything works, and some might bristle at the somewhat inconsistent recording quality that hearkens back to Leo's earliest work, but even though he turned to his fans for funding, these feel like songs that Leo needed to write for himself.

Emerald Forest and the Blackbird is far and away Swallow the Sun's most theatrical release.

It's more of a steady refinement than a great leap forward. The wait may have been long, but the results are mature and compassionate enough to justify it.

Those willing to get past their preconceived notions may be surprised to find that Lo-Fantasy is perhaps the most dynamic recording of Roberts career.

Although it lacks any true standout tracks, it makes up for it with Watson's most adventurous production to date and a clear desire to walk on new paths, which bodes well for any future releases.

Indigo pleasantly recreates the sounds of 80s synth-pop, making for another winning chapter in their discography.

These experiments help keep the record sounding fresh, but the best moments come when Case stays within her wheelhouse and swings away.

This far into their career, you don't need a They Might Be Giants album to be classic — you just need it to be a reminder of how great they are, and have been since before you were born, probably.

Dictator is a strong release that touches on a lot of the elements of System of A Down's final albums without too many of the quirky moments from those records. Still, it comes across as the comeback record that could have been huge but never happened.

The Oakland, CA singer's most sonically eclectic collection to date, the record bounces from club tracks to acoustic ballads and her personal brand of R&B that's been the backbone of their career.

Time will tell if A Million Dollars to Kill Me can match its predecessor--it hasn't quite for me--but its certainly another singular release in a career that's defined by them.

While Buckner's songs can be awe-inspiring (just ask Bon Iver's Justin Vernon), Surrounded, like its most recent predecessors, requires closer attention in order to fully appreciate.

Their no-frills approach to doom is dark and incredibly heavy, but deliciously uncompromising. While it takes a few tracks for the band to shine through, it is worth the wait.

Thunderstorm Warnings takes everything the Besnard Lakes have ever done well and provides it in abundance. There's nothing here that they haven't done before, but no one else has ever come close to encroaching on the band's niche of colliding intrepid Rush and King Crimson-style prog with the atmosphere of Montreal's storied post-rock scene, so why change now?

Fiddle, accordion and plenty of steel guitar frame her pure voice, while the fact that this was recorded over just two days helps account for the freshness of the sound.

Desolation's Flower is a good record that flirts with greatness. It's unlikely to convert any non-believers, awash in great swells of feeling and excellent songs that, admittedly, are sometimes constricted by a lack of space and breathing room. But the good that is there, roiling and thrashing in the depths, is well worth seeking.

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

Where Black Is the Color was a debut of haunting folk-noir, Deluxe Hotel Room is a collection of emotive ballads that reveal an artist on the go who isn't afraid to make space for herself.

They're still channelling the same types of youthful emotions that drove their best work, just with the experience and conviction to mould them into more compelling shapes.

As a whole, the 16-track project is reverent, and pays respect to the musical icon. Whether this is an essential album is up for debate, but it's worth checking out for the heavy hitters that are on board.

A big, bold sound isn't a bad thing, but the fact that this album is a little less engrossing than the band's past efforts shows that the most interesting thing about the War on Drugs' music isn't the way they channel their rock influences, but the way they subvert them.

While Dope Don't Sell Itself does not inspire immediate playback like Chainz's last outing, So Help Me God!, and doesn't contain the breakout hits of 2017's acclaimed Pretty Girls Like Trap Music, it is a testament to the rapper's longevity and his vital role in ATL's shifting scene as a gravitational figure for all to aspire to become.

The showmanship and pomp of The Silver Gymnasium render youthful curiosity and naivety with dazzling honesty.

Dulli has spent his whole career as a shape-shifting storyteller and Random Desire sees this continue. While most of his remaining '90s contemporaries have become self-parodies, Dulli continually finds ways to explore the hidden pain of the human experience.

There's literally no other band that could handle this heady material with such confidence and ease, and Rhyton sound like they love every second of it.

The Districts leave their comfort zone on You Know I'm Not Going Anywhere but yield results that are almost always fun and engaging. As a project with transition and discovery at its core, You Know I'm Not Going Anywhere nonetheless feels rooted in authenticity.

Paradise Gardens digresses ever so slightly from this aesthetic, at least initially, resulting in a slight identity crisis resolved by the strength of her newfound pop leanings.

For Now I Am Winter is a record of intimate beauty and Arnór Dan's R&B-inspired vocals, which bear at least a passing resemblance to Ango or How To Dress Well, work surprisingly well in these sparse yet complex and layered compositions.

Satisfying as both a sophomore effort and streamlined pop album, I'm All Ears establishes Let's Eat Grandma as a band that need to be heard.

While there isn't much on display that will impress those with little desire for more of the same, genre buffs or fans of Counterparts' first two full-lengths will find the absence of filler and spirited momentum more than agreeable.

On Life, Dan Friel's beats and rhythms come off less stingy and cloaked, allowing the noise to finally meet the listener (almost) halfway.

The mix is so unique that it, plus the running time, might drive casual listeners away. But if you're that sort of person who likes Mayhem and Mavis Staples, this is for you.

Sincerely, Future Pollution is Timber Timbre's most confident record. The lyrics remain obtuse, but even if it's not clear that Kirk knows what he wants to say, he surely knows how he wants it to sound.

While Gardner's music isn't exactly anything new or groundbreaking, it serves as an appropriately nostalgic reminder of a time when it would have been.

Invisible Life is a great electronic pop record that sees Lange meld the experimental and pop threads of his music seamlessly.

Although there are moments that show cracks, such as the uneasy, meandering riffs on "Born in a Rut" and the ridiculous chorus of "Canna Business," the majority of the straightforward thrash songs here demonstrate that Testament's magic has yet to fade.

B7 is meticulous in its references to pop and R&B history, of which Brandy's own career is such an important facet.

They're disorienting, at times disturbing and very abstract, which basically makes it the perfect visual representation of the album. The record feels like it's falling apart at times, but there's beauty in its disarray--like its accompanying videos, it's hard to look away.

We can't help but hope that after eight years, he may have tried something a little more off the beaten path. That being said, fans will surely enjoy more Torske in their lives, and Byen is Bjørn Torske at his most idyllic.

Neō Wax Bloom is a fantastical cartoon that's crash-landed in reality, and it begs your attention.

Every bit as accomplished and rewarding as Simian Mobile Disco's recent work, Swisher is electronic music for the connoisseur.

Though it does eventually get bogged down under its own excess, considering the weight Slipknot had to shoulder to even get this album out, it's a considerable accomplishment and a lovely eulogy to their fallen comrade.

Alex G is one of the most distinctive characters working in indie rock today, and despite some of its shortcomings, the songs on Headlights still prove that. But rather than being a victory lap, Alex G's first major label record feels self-destructive. Maybe he's not quite ready for the burden of prosperity.

Something Like a War feels ambitious and searching, navigating the complex experiences of Bainbridge and their collaborators.

Full Closure and No Details feels more like a journey to the closure Cohen seeks through her songwriting than an answer itself — and what an important and journey it is.

It makes for immersive listening, even when tracks fail to sustain themselves. ... Despite its digressions, Have We Met is rich and varied enough to offer more than just throwback thrills.

It's a sweet musical reprieve from radio presenters with beaming suicide smiles gracing subway posters with snappy catchphrases.

Panic Blooms is a shadowy, leaking sibling, licking its wounds and pulling back from the sunlight. There seem to be fewer entry points here than with other BSMR albums, but there's also a comfort in its unabashed adherence to exploring bad feelings: hearing weirdos call it like they see it, even when the going's gotten rough, offers some strange sense of reprieve.

Major doesn't run at the consistently breakneck pace of Fang Island's debut, but the group rely less on near-ludicrous histrionics and more on exhibiting the joy of creation through complex and confident songwriting.

The album's arrangements are the least complex they've been since Superchunk's early days, making these 11 tracks less immediately sticky than previous efforts. A bit more teeth would have made this one for the ages.

Jardín serves straight-up soul and funk with a pop sensibility. Garzón-Montano's vocals are solid and serviceable, the album production robust and efficient and the musical mindset supported by a strong level of craft.

Relationships with women are at the forefront of Tha Carter V, including a desperate cry for help from his mother on "I Love You Dwayne," which leads into the sorrowful "Don't Cry," featuring a chorus from the late XXXTENTACION. ... Despite the revelations, the album is not without its expected bangers.

Some songs stick to the usual anarchic ideas, "The Hanging Man" being a tasty cut worthy of inclusion on any forthcoming Best Of, but there are also introspective nightmare-lullabies like "Annaline," "Amnesia" and "Cathedrals of Heaven." ... Easygoing suits Gira.

There is a sense of indulgence here, moments that could read as self-important, particularly when Kozelek dips into criticism, but themes of loss, of displacement, and of holding onto what has held you in the past bring completeness.

A solid album but also not a surprising one. To boot, the main thing that grounds this album with a sense of time and place is the political side of it.

Flood is much less didactic than its predecessor — it isn't Donnelly's job to teach us, but she still demands and warrants our attention.

Oddly captivating in running just shy of 40 minutes, Splendor & Misery is hardly your overblown concept record that runs far too long. Indeed, it's worth multiple listens for both its out-of-this-world production and Diggs' one-two punch of lyricism and bafflingly effortless delivery.

The record has an unfinished, ramshackle quality to it, almost as if Segall recorded it on a whim, but it's still explosive--nothing seems preordained or fussed over.

Grim Town is a concept in itself: it is a fictitious location, an embodiment of feeling that has been brought to life by the sentiment and memory that revolve around it. Through it, SOAK is able to explore emotion and turn it into something tangible.

Bridges loves a good love song, and nails a few here.

Despite such inclinations towards the jaded and cyclical at times, Out in the World boasts enough latitude and flexibility to hook interest.

Femejism is a powerhouse album that exudes defiant independence without succumbing to tropes, but there are moments where it falters--the overly abrasive yelling on "Little Baby Beauty Queen" comes to mind.

It's by no means new territory for the Swedish outfit, but a move that keeps their further foray into prog rock enjoyable.

More Scared of You is a booming, jumbled and explosive work that's the best kind of mess.

If not the most focused entry in the project's storied discography, it's a delightfully wide angled glance at what the Orb still have brewing and perhaps a projection of a vital new period of experimentation.

Baroque in complexity and dripping romantic drama, Altered State is a strong move in the right direction for TesseracT.

Ultimately, the album sounds confidently beautiful. While some may not be as memorable, songs like "Meadow Song" make this album one of S. Carey's best.

The Air Conditioned Nightmare feels like another uncompromising work from the intriguing Woodhead, and in its wide-spanning sound, offers something to both long-time fans and new ones.

Portraits is a successful attempt at an album steeped in tranquility that can also keep you moving.

Teeming with hooks and lyrical calls to arms, The Things We Do is a unique record, one that rages with youthful vigour, but which couldn't have been made by anyone under the age of 35.

While Of Montreal's brand of pop music has often been brainy and verbose, these songs offer simpler pleasures. UR FUN is, well, fun.

Dope Body deliver hard-hitting rock, employing skill and effects while keeping things more accessible for their audience (heavy alt-rock lovers) than they did on 2012's Natural History.

The balance between abstract, synthetic noise and soothing, organic timbres is remarkable; it literally feels good to hear, like a conscious meditation.

There's lots to enjoy here for old and new fans alike.

Fall Out Boy have honed in on an arena-rattling brand of pop that is different for sure, but likeable nonetheless.

It's authentic enough for natives to appreciate, but universal enough to maintain broader appeal.

What For? is a little less varied than his past records, as the repetitive nature of the genre (particularly the lengthy jam outro of "Yeah Right") has a tendency to creep in, but it's an aspect that would have only hindered the record more had it been longer.

Underneath its few flaws, an electrifying energy shines through, even if its not as potent as it might have seemed in those halcyon 2000s days.

It's the kind of brash, whiplash-inducing pop album that only she seems capable of making at the moment. It's a bit messy, but most crashes are.

In the end, Tomorrow's Modern Boxes is undeniably enjoyable, acting like a 2014 version of The Eraser and adding some new Thom Yorke material to your music collection never hurts.

The drawback is that the lyrics are often too hushed and garbled, which makes it seem like he doesn't really care about what he's saying, and so maybe you shouldn't, either.

Ulver doesn't do anything to push the synthpop sound they pursue out of its comfort zone and this keeps the album from greatness, but Flowers of Evil stands out as the band's most accessible album to date.

Although Jimmy Edgar isn't the first (or best) to do neo-electro (Chromeo and DāM-FunK come to mind), Majenta shows that he might just be the most believable.

The songs on Empire are still short, and while they retain the sunny aesthetic of Explore, they reveal a more motivated and confident Park.

Hyperdub's decision to keep the material on Hyperdub 10.1 fresh and topical may take away from the commemorative feel of the comp, but the pure excitement the label's latest incites deserves nothing less than celebration.

Preventing such weighty topics from becoming too exhausting are the upbeat instrumentals with which they've been paired.

Groove Denied isn't the game-changer fans hoped for, but it's also not the disaster Matador expected. It's just your average Stephen Malkmus album... now with more electronics!

While The Muscle Shoals Recordings reaffirms the SteelDrivers' deserved prominence in the bluegrass world, it does little to transcend the genre's current boundaries.

All is Illusory sounds like the band are finally settling down.

It's a solid go at moving away from the sounds of standard house on an album that could have gone either way.

With Sun Leads Me On, Half Moon Run are attempting to shake the title of "that band with that song" and show off how far they have come, and for the most part, it works.

By simply moving with the times, Desaparecidos have managed to skirt that issue entirely, making Payola a surprisingly vital return we never knew we needed.

Adorned with earthy imagery across almost every track — and highlighted by the groovy "One Bird Calling" and the livestock sampling "A Barn Conversation" — The Vivian Line is a love letter to his rural homestead and the loved ones with whom he shares it.

A Pill for Loneliness is another strong effort from City and Colour. It finds Green continuing to play to his strengths and continuing to move City and Colour's sound into new territory at an assured, steady pace.

Whether it becomes the hip-hop classic he envisioned will be decided over time, but this is peak J. Cole — for better or worse.

EL VY succeed in telling the stories of true characters on Return To The Moon, using inventive beats and fresh indie rock structures to make their tales connect.

Despite a few kinks and unnecessary tracks, B4.Da.$$ is a great album that revisits classic '90s boom-bap signifiers: the production, the delivery and cadences.

The album is a full hour long, and though most of the songs are captivating, a few tend to drag.