Dig beneath all the sneering sarcasm and laissez faire projection, however, and you find a band stuck in strict formation with the subject matter of their songs. For much of its runtime, Dudu, the cheekily titled followup to 2017's Dada, operates as a series of short diatribes.

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.

The meshing of classically trained and self-taught players adds depth to the band's sound, creating a unique concoction of precise technical skill and raw, almost primal passion, leading to an unpredictable instrumental delight.

Outer Heaven is consistently enjoyable, but never too comfortable.

Arpo forges lush soundscapes by drawing on ASMR techniques, layering textures over the arpeggiated hooks that drive the record. A saxophone player himself, Call Super subtly peppers hazy woodwind tones throughout, elevating the record's otherwise eclectic collage of electronic soundscapes.

Like the queen of the night, it fans wide and confident; its petals may fall back to earth quickly before dawn, but its essence lingers. The same flower, transformed but unmistakably familiar, will greet eyes, though briefly, once again.

tUnE-yArDs' bright and playful exterior might deter some, but Garbus and Brenner bask in quirk without it ever clouding the tracks' overall purposes.

It's not a stretch to preemptively label Poetry 2024's record of the summer for the alternative crowd. It's fun, fresh and doesn't take itself too seriously.

Wall of Eyes is an album of background music, a cinematic compilation that feels like a collection of songs that just weren’t good enough to be on its predecessor. It’s too jammy, too undercooked, too unedited — an overextended comedown without the requisite high.

Soused is a powerful and arresting album that will appeal to fans of Scott Walker's later work.

Easy on the ears, heavy on the heart and definitely worth the wait, High will leave you feeling as such.

Age Of is both a sonic treat, and potentially a precursor to how the future of pop music may sound. Fortunately, we need not imagine, because Daniel Lopatin is already there.

It's their willingness to fall flat on their face while swinging for the fences that separates them from the focus-grouped inoffensiveness of their pop peers. The messiness of the whole thing seems to be the point, part of its audacity. In most artists' hands, that would be a recipe for creative bloat. Yet more than ever before the 1975 prove themselves masters of the form.

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.

The Toronto, ON four-piece deliver their structurally intricate tunes with unhinged ferocity, the raw arrangements never deviating from the outfit's basic live setup of bass, pummelling drums and twin distorted guitars.

abysskiss continues to keep Lenker's songwriting hot streak going--more than enough to tide us over until the next Big Thief record.

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

Sequencing issues aside, the strength of Paris' production is the biggest standout aspect of the project. If the years spent between releases had anything to do with making sure the beats were adequately rendered, those were years well spent.

While the stories told within Few Good Things are definitely the focal point of the record, the musicianship that accompanies it matches and at times even exceeds it.

Thirty years deep into their career, Superchunk throw yet another left turn into a career full of them, offering up a protest record about the people for the people. What a time to be alive, indeed.

The first half of Spare Ribs is actually quite slowed down and weird, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it doesn't complement Williamson's vocals as well. ... The title track and "Thick Ear" absolutely steal the show. Sleaford Mods have shown they can do it slow, but they're still much better when they floor it.

The former enfant terribles seem to have arrived at their final destination and sound more assured than ever before with Seek Shelter — a stunning achievement that will restore even the most lapsed practitioner's faith in rock music.

Produced by Garm of Ulver, the textures of M are even more finely hewn and interwoven than its predecessor, resulting in a record that is at once profoundly tactile and deeply sensual.

He has the knack for cramming hooks into the unlikeliest places and ending up with unforgettable songs. If this is what he made with nothing, the potential for his music when he has everything at his disposal seems limitless.

Clarity, her debut album, falls short of capturing the breadth of Petras's rarity, excluding a few crystalline moments.

As intriguing as Strange's music already is, Live Forever demonstrates that there's still tremendous potential left to unlock.

Throughout Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!?, Dixon continues to show off his acrobatic way with words and parades his affecting precision of imagery.

Lianne La Havas is boldly authentic and infused with passion.