Few of his contemporaries possess a post-important-band solo discography as prolific and consistently great as that of Stephen Malkmus, but each new album firmly leaves his past in the dust.

Coriky is its own, beautifully compelling thing. There is love and respect flowing between the three players and it's a palpable part of this expression that is emotive, reasoned, and rather relaxed. Once this record's playing, the Coriky universe is a fascinating one to be a part of.

The talents of Crutchfield and Williamson cannot be underplayed, nor their deft ability to convey and intuit emotion.

Innocence is Kinky is by turns surreal and hyper-real, a Lynch-ian underworld of avant-pop, alt-lit poetry and potent sexuality.

Ugly explores the rapper's newly formed duality, deepening his songcraft and letting the raging flame dim to a white-hot ember; it's his most reflective album to date.

Personal touches (a snippet of her father's voicemail, an unrehearsed picking party, field recordings of Chickasaw chants) amplify the authenticity with which Waldon approaches all aspects of her artistic development.

A challenging listen full of shifting, ephemeral environs marked by harsh, disrupting events, it's a deeply unsettling record about our ongoing becoming, and perhaps the science fiction soundtrack our brave new world deserves.

Outside of nostalgia, though, much of the work still feels necessary.

With Disrupted Ads, Oh No manages consistency, even when cleaning out the vaults.

On Claustrophobia, Scuba has created an engrossing long-player that's surprisingly more mode-y than moody.

Although their sound has been copied Ad infinitum, with Koloss, Meshuggah prove that they still do it best.

The results are a pleasant surprise.

Indistinct Conversations doesn't so much pare back as it does reveal depths: Powell's putting their inner life on display, and giving it the full range of space and volume it deserves.

For the relative specificity of thematic focus, Hip Mobility is varied in its sound. More than just mining the past for interesting artifacts, Quindar have created something surprisingly new here, and in having done so, project their art into the future.

At 20 years old, Allison is only just getting started, and Collection is a tidy introduction to Soccer Mommy that points towards her vision of bringing her contemplative songwriting to a more potent and energizing level.

Even if the tracklist isn't quite 10-for-10 in terms of quality, much of the appeal of I Don't Live Here Anymore lies in the little sonic details rather than the songs themselves.

She at least is musically self-assured and fully realized on a debut as layered and meditative as Public Storage.

Virtually everything here, in its own edgy manner, points to light, hope and the endless possibility of the human spirit.

E·MO·TION demonstrates how little improvement could be made on her sharp, consistent songwriting abilities. These are perfect pop songs; a few more rare glimpses of their rougher edges would make them all the more spectacular.

Taken as a whole, though, EUSA is luminous, a grand gesture made up of the kind of small, gorgeous moments that will remind listeners of home--wherever that may be.

Seed of a Seed gives fans the stunning folk vocals and intricate guitar work they've come to expect from Haley Heynderickx while gently defying conventions set in I Need to Start a Garden. It's an album best enjoyed outdoors with a seasonably appropriate drink and box of tissues nearby.

This is easily one of their best albums, which is no small feat six albums into such an illustrious career.

Fidlar is easily one of the most energetic and fun-filled records in a while.

It is unquestionably their finest, and strangest, work to date.

If Pretty Girls Like Trap Music doesn't make the rapper an immediate king of the South, it undoubtedly puts him in line for the title.

It's one of their most streamlined and focused records yet.

Machines That Make Civilization Fun is Bigg Jus's best, most well-rounded solo album so far, but it's still a difficult listen that will likely limit the album's appeal to advanced listeners only.

Though there's not much variation in volume or tempo, listening carefully to the record's subtle weather shifts is deeply satisfying; it's a dream state, enveloped by Uchis' inimitable voice.