Although The Unraveling is a strong album thematically, songwriters Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley do little to push these songs forward sonically, as tracks like the Replacements-lite "Heroin Again" and the nightclub crooner "Grievance Merchants" can attest. Nevertheless, on The Unraveling, Drive-By Truckers deliver another socially charged to-the-bone manifesto that sticks closely to their newfound credo: If the country's still broke, keep trying to fix it.

While Eight Gates seems mostly germinal and is not the ideal introduction to Molina's work, fans will likely forgive the album's inchoateness and simply appreciate another dollop of the artist's distinct melancholia — nine tunes that underscore his attunement to suffering, inconsequence, and the brutality of the corporeal world.

Maya simply blows any of Frusciante's previous electronic efforts out of the water. He has somehow pulled an IDM-infused jungle record out of his backside that could easily rival any of Squarepusher's.

Though it's not pushing boundaries, Reluctant Hero proves metal can be catchy without being stupid. If melodic groove metal needs a hero in 2020, it's Killer Be Killed.

It's questionable whether Chvrches' sound can survive and stretch any further for future material, but for the time being, The Bones of What You Believe is an impressive slate of sonic pleasures from a young band still experimenting with a room full of synths.

The Sun's Tirade is pleasant, but it's not timeless.

METZ are an animal that's evolved to its benefit, with an appetite that's more refined and teeth that are still razor sharp.

There's no doubt Good Time OST absolutely sounds like a movie score, but every single track here stands on its own, providing an intensely emotional punch to the gut.

Belong is a welcome addition to Jay Som's discography, and will undoubtedly solidify her reputation as your favourite pop singer's favourite pop singer.

While BE is a slight departure from BTS's usual offerings, its more matter-of-fact and laidback vibe could pull in new fans who are looking for music to relate to in this crappy year.

Nothing is off limits, and their chemistry on wax continues to be just as powerful as it is in real life. It's not only a top-to-bottom banger, but it's also relationship goals.

On Are You Alone?, Majical Cloudz are at the height of their powers, opening themselves up fully and inviting the listener in. They sound obsessed, and "okay" be damned--it feels just right

A tight 12 tracks that show the artist at his most approachable, romantic and optimistic.

This is highly listenable, but equally disturbing.

A daring and decadent series of witch rituals, The Eldritch Dark is one of the finest examples of the doomy occult-rock resurgence.

It's a feel-good record with intricate, heartfelt tunes, and effectively spreads the gospel of the church of Spacebomb.

At his best, he updates the Allman Brothers, splicing in just enough of the Bakersfield sound, without sounding nostalgic or dated.

Side Effects is largely devoid of these big bombastic moments, save the seven-minute incision "NY Money" that centres the album. Nevertheless, White Denim hurtle through the record's nine songs (as brief as many of them are) at a pace that can't help but keep the listener engaged and excited for what comes next.

With every moment of unflinching social commentary, the Linda Lindas let listeners in to the smouldering embers of youthful promise we all have before the weight of the world eventually crushes our spirit.

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?

This record is a far cry from a mocking treatise on performativity; it's strongly felt, unceasingly surprising and just a whole lot of fun.

The album's blend of country, pop and soul is both classic and classy.

With WORRY., Rosenstock builds on last year's We Cool? not by dealing himself a new hand, but by stacking his cards a little higher. The fast songs are faster, the slow songs are slower and the big songs are bigger.

Manic is her most personal album to date.

It's rich and endlessly rewarding. i,i brings together Justin Vernon's evolving, career-spanning vision for Bon Iver into one satisfying, defining work.

The Hum Goes on Forever finds the Wonder Years doing what they do best and doing it a bit better each time, all while raising the emotional stakes to make each record feel newly important.

Rays of light shine through on the glitzy, sparkling "So Clear," where she realizes after "ten thousand days" — as in, the late-twenties — fucking up is necessary to incite change. At this point, Folick looks back at the first half of the album with a fresh, wisened perspective. In doing so, it feels euphoric to see the extent of her growth.

The textures here are even a little richer than before, the skill both more and less obvious (they have achieved that sought-after "effortless" quality), the dramatic ebbs and swells even more dramatic, the rock elements even more seamlessly integrated with electronic and orchestral arrangements and songs combining even more smoothly into a fluid whole.