Arguably Cattle Decapitation's best offering to date, Monolith of Inhumanity is a dynamic record, with many different elements working together to create one cohesive, disgusting and brilliant release.

It's possible to detect elements of jazz, '70s soul, hip-hop and electronica in McFerrin's heliocentric mix, but through his intentional blurring of the boundaries, he underlines his mastery of and ultimate disregard for genre categories.

The Long Ryders show they are well-equipped to take a leading role in modern Americana.

What's impressive about Girl though is how strong Morris's vocals have grown, along with the maturity and uniqueness of each song. It's clear that Girl isn't a sophomore slump, but rather an album worth investing in.

Yet another highlight in a career overflowing with them.

While new beginnings aren't without their flaws, Big Boi's lyrical prowess and effortless delivery provide the thread that link the old Big Boi universe to this, the Boomiverse.

As her own boss, she doesn't need to request "let me do one more" to anyone but herself — and across these 12 tracks, she quite literally owns every aspect of her sound.

If Habits & Contradictions was a reinstatement of gangsta rap, then Control System is a giant leap forward in conscious rap.

The vibe is folk, rock, country and kind of homespun and laidback but, like early John Lennon records, there is sharpness to the starkness.

The beauty of Hurts Like Hell is rooted in this catharsis: transmuting pain — the good, the bad and the ugly — into a unit of strength and perseverance.

Melding pensive acoustic picking with sweeping synths and barely there rhythms, Raül Refree helps Lee Ranaldo sound daring, fearless and downright experimental again on Names of North End Women.

It has an honesty to it; a realness.

Optimistic but never mawkish, August Greene distinguishes itself from other socially conscious albums with its practical approach. It's motivational music that, for once, makes change feel less elusive.

With We Are Undone, Two Gallants have created an album that is enviable in its quality and consistency.

Rave 'Till You Cry is as brilliantly insane from start to finish as any other collection Raczynski has assembled.

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.

Unlike their first and, let's be honest, irritatingly indulgent live recording, Sonic Death, Walls Have Ears presents Sonic Youth as resourceful, patient and secure in their esoteric songcraft.

She's quite literally found her groove, nicking pieces of '70s and '80s pop and R&B to give the tracks, performed once again by producer Matthew E. White and his Spacebomb Studio's crack house band, a bit more swing. Though they lack the natural funkiness of say, the Dap Kings, the crew once again deftly evoke the past without ever inhabiting it, creating a record that, while conceivably could exist in any moment in time, still feels modern.

There is a conceptual weight to IRISIRI that accompanies the expert songcraft and meticulously produced arrangements without ever being burdensome. That the music itself stands on its own is testament to Drewchin's maturity as an artist; the presence of a thematic cohesion demonstrates the seductiveness of her universe.

This is outsider music that manages to remain accessible yet endlessly provoking.

Its explorations are well considered and the rewards for following along are many.

While the record doesn't necessarily break new ground, it succeeds in solidifying Unsane's rule as the kings of noise rock.

"The truth is, I'm good at this" she recently told Exclaim!, and Cheap Queen certainly backs that up.

As anarchic as it may seem on first listen, No_One Every Really Dies smoothes out a little more with each play. It's a strong comeback for the daring trio.

A Folk Set Apart demonstrates not just his punk rock side, but all of the many facets McCombs has shown over the years. It would be an odd place to start your voyage of discovery, but then odd is kind of McCombs' middle name--so wander in.

Oddisee challenges uninitiated music lovers to engage with his ideas and his formidable body of work.

Torche are one of the most important and unique heavy bands of the last decade, and Admission serves as another solid entry in their catalogue. For a full picture of the band, Admission is the record.

Death Dreams is the perfect example of a "same but better" second outing giving fans more of what they love while presenting something new to consider for those who weren't sucked in the first time around