An aural delight that deserves multiple spins.

The heart of this record is a furious commitment to survival. It's gutting. It's heartbreaking. And it's pretty goddamn beautiful.

Over 11 tracks and 50 minutes, the Hamilton duo create compact and unhurried works that reflect the musical simplicity and approachable feel found on their 2004 debut, Last Exit.

If Whine of the Mystic was the boozy night out, Thought Rock Fish Scale feels like the groggy hangover. It doesn't hurt, but its lethargic haze makes you wish it were still last night.

The Gamble takes some extraordinary risks, but the rewards are glorious.

The Revenant OST is the duo’s fifth collaboration and moves like a symphonic version of their minimalist album Vrioon. To an already austere approach, Sakamoto seems to have added the resolve of a true survivor.

It's a remarkably ambient record that is also hard to settle into and relax around; it definitely rewards active listening.

The great flaw of this album is that it isn't a concert, and the listener is not right there with the band; it feels disconcerting to be listening to an album of alternately rollicking and mournful populist sing-alongs while alone in one's living room.

ANTI is perhaps her most complete and confident record to date.

Though not every song on this overlong album is a winner--if the band has a weakness, it's in crafting enduring melodies--the bright, instinctive performances more than carry the thinner material.

With Promise Everything, Basement have returned stronger than ever, and have taken great care to capitalize on the most effective aspects of their previous sounds to make a dynamic and cohesive whole here.

Unsurprisingly, the tracks that feature Redway's voice chopped and sampled and without straight lyrics, "Beseech" and "Extract," are the most satisfying ones on the album. These two tracks point to the duo's real potential.

Where the original Something About April was a show a prove lesson in sample creation, part II is a dirt-off-the-shoulder proclamation of songcraft.

Too often, they rely on imitation of their influences, rather than pushing the genre forward in a compelling way.

Traveller isn't just an exercise in classic country revivalism; like Sturgill Simpson before him (with whom he shares a producer in Dave Cobb), Stapleton has taken the old tools and crafted something that feels as new as tomorrow morning.

It's heady stuff to dive into, and Williams isn't particularly concerned whether listeners sink or swim, so long as they get wet.

Some of the tracks, like the first few ballads, feel a tad exhausted and perhaps a little clichéd, but that's the nature of Sia's universal, inclusive pop music, and on This is Acting, she approaches it in an intriguing way and performs it with gusto.

Don't You puts up a strong front that should connect with fans of all those aforementioned artists, but Wet's debut only connects with contemporary R&B, never pushing it forward.

Just as deep and cosmic in scope as its predecessor, this album eschews traditional beats in favour of a primordial throb, a rhythm that seems to originate deep within the planet's core.

With subtle rhythms and interesting melodies, In The Magic Hour delivers both lightness and depth in one hauntingly beautiful recording.

A rose from concrete, Malibu offers a sense of wonder that's carefully rooted in funk and soul, and presents a complete vision from a blossoming new artist that's not only fearless, but leading something of a sonic revolution.

A veritable three-course meal, Knight's refined palate and keen attention to detail make Each Other a well-paced, flavourful experience that ends too soon, but lingers long afterward.

With Moths, Chairlift make a strong claim to being one of pop music's best songwriting teams, with the production and vocal chops to bring their compositions fully and vibrantly to life.

Though unlikely to win legions of new fans, this is another impeccably crafted psychedelic rock record sure to please fans of the genre.

The confident strut and orchestral accents of "Poisonous Shadows" are somewhat cheapened by ill-advised whispered backing vocals, and the songwriting bottoms out in a handful of places. Still, it's miles ahead of their rather forgettable last album, and there's still enough here for fans to celebrate Megadeth getting back on track and starting a new chapter in the band's storied career.

New View is a lush and beautiful record that stands comfortably in such heady company.

Lyrically, the songs are often about longing and seemingly missed connections, but by creating such a rich and textured album, NZCA Lines connect strongly, expanding their sound and blossoming accordingly.

This is business as (un)usual for one of indie rock's greatest experimental institutions, to be sure.