Rhine Gold does feel a bit frontloaded, with the most compelling tracks happening in the first half, losing a little momentum towards the end, but this is still a superb release.

It's the layering and attention to detail on these tracks that further reaffirms that Black Milk is now firmly in his own lane.

You Deserve Love packs plenty of pop hooks into its short runtime without losing any of its rock swagger. White Reaper are playing like they have nothing to lose on You Deserve Love, and the record is all the better for it.

"Dream Dream Big in the Sky," with its pat chord structure and surprisingly mundane lyrics, is the album's only true misfire. On the whole, however, For My Crimes is another intricate, emotionally complex folk record. It's what we've come to expect from Nadler after all these years.

This is not exciting music; it's a hypnotically paced political screed.

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.

Few would mistake White Stuff for golden age Royal Trux--the vocals are more subdued, the songwriting is more straightforward, and anyone looking for something as confrontational as "The Banana Question" won't find it here. But hearing Hagerty and Herrema stay true to their ethos after 30-plus years offers its own satisfactions. Consider the comeback complete.

Are You Serious is a mature and confident record that finds Andrew Bird exploring myriad new sounds while remaining instantly recognizable.

Tracks like "Roses Are Falling" and "Take You Back (The Iron Hoof Cattle Call)" are solid entries to the classic country canon of Glen Campbell and Loretta Lynn, while his impressive vocal range helps keep the album varied. His breathy croon drives erotic lovers' ballad "Big Sky," while his formidable belted falsetto elevates "Winds Change" beyond mere Smiths pastiche.

It's tempting to label Beard, Wives, Denim as a tossed off side-project that doesn't stray too far from its more famous parent band. But Pond have something more to offer and both fans and detractors of Tame Impala should give this a listen.

Power manages to keep Dumb Flesh sounding uniform and digestible, a great feat for an artist hell-bent on dissecting his craft.

The thing with As You Please is that while it feels uneventful, it also seems like Citizen might be just on the edge of a breakthrough.

While Lynn's aesthetic development occasionally results in the project reaching pop-heights not in its reach before, it also blurs the line between this and Fohr's other projects.

Like their previous albums, Land of Sleeper transcends when taken in as a whole, with tracks that are perhaps individually a bit workmanlike but soar when plugged next to the surrounding pieces.

Wave[s] is a clear indication that Jenkins is expanding his sound and stepping away from expectation as he prepares his debut album, The Healing Component. But in the meantime, he's established himself as an artist with even more to offer than many predicted

Years to Burn is a beautiful sounding recording and for fans of Calexico and Iron & Wine's initial collaborative release, this is a nice treat after all these years. But ultimately, Years to Burn doesn't have the same spark that In the Reins did.

They haven't abandoned their political senses, no, but they have moved into a new gentler phase. The elements that stay the same are their intentionality, their honesty and their vulnerability.

Picking up where their 2002 self-titled album left off, Oblation is a triumph of doom metal and stoner rock.

Networker is like a clock; it never hesitates or loses its pace, and it's constantly ticking. Yet the record feels unhinged, wily and obscure — as if the clock is hanging so askew, it might just fall off the wall.

if i could make it go quiet is a testament to girl in red's rapid growth as an artist. In addition to a sophisticated examination of anger and suffering, her voice has grown richer and deeper while her sound has evolved to blend punk nostalgia into her youthful ennui.

Tift Merritt and her wonderful band deliver big time with this record ... Despite it being very early in 2017, it's safe to say this album will be on many year-end lists come December.

The ambience of Second of Spring is pleasing for sure, but there's nary an earworm in the 17-song bunch.

This isn't the boldest step forward, but it looks like Local Natives are on a steady ascent and Hummingbird is sure to solidify them as one of the best indie-rock bands out there today.

It's a meeting of musical minds, and the resulting electro-traditional dialogue is fascinating.

Fans of Braids and those interested in the kinds of personal, political and artistic struggles this work deals with will enjoy spending time with this new record.

GN isn't a huge step towards indie stardom, but it should get them in the same conversation as like-minded peers like Pinegrove and Big Thief.

While “Tacos and Toast” is a cozy, country delight about a relaxing Saturday that develops a sharper edge as it moves along, some of Hole in My Head’s more low key tunes fail to match even the too-slick immediacy of its louder rock songs. That said, the record’s showstopper is “Give Up the Ghost.”

While it's a huge pleasure to hear him pick up where he left off, this isn't the overwhelmingly triumphal return one might have hoped for.