Where Donovan really soars is the quieter moments on the record.

VII: Sturm und Drang is the album that almost wasn't, but it's worth celebrating for the album that it is: another solid addition to the Lamb of God catalogue.

Seven Davis Jr's debut attempts to stay afloat on the strength of a few strong tracks, but ends up sounding stretched a little too thin.

As the ninth addition to the Wilco canon, Star Wars is a vessel for a few impressive tunes, another respectable--if just a little uninspired--step for a band that continues to unapologetically evolve

Great art isn't great art because it's easy, and this 90-plus-minute, five-act rock opera inspired by Stickles' experience with manic depression is absolutely worth spending the time with.

Infinite Dissolution is full of haunted love songs between a fallen city and the ghosts that inhabit it; it fills a void that I never knew existed until this unsettling, aching sound poured in.

Their Northwest hardcore sound may be derivative, but it represents the tendencies of its origins with convincing force, as their unrefined grunge tones and twangs almost make Subjective Concepts feel like an overlooked album from back in the day.

This seven-track effort switches things up ever so slightly; subtle twists of pace, cadence and lyrical content reveal a more introspective endeavour.

The majority of these beats hit to hurt, and though the emotional Future that listeners have come to know through past cuts "Throw Away" and "My Savages" has been dialled back, the honesty and vulnerability come through when it counts.

1973-1980 is a fitting, touching and extensive tribute to one of Africa's greatest musicians.

On LP, Container shows his ability to create a complete barnburner of an album in the least flashy and showy manner possible.

If nothing else, White Reaper Does it Again offers up a heady, enjoyable dose of nostalgia.

Among the paint-by-numbers tracks, Born In The Echoes has still got a couple of artful numbers peppered throughout.

Currents is melodic, pretty, but there's a pervasive sense of melancholy here; each uplifting track feels as though it's masking sorrow with shimmering synth, a teaspoon of sugar to help the medicine down.

This melodic emphasis, combined with a clearer compositional vision, is a welcome return to the style that made their earlier work so captivating.

Still walking the high wire, with Something More Than Free, Jason Isbell continues his streak of genre-defining masterworks.

It makes for a record with some distinct highs and lows; when it works, it is a lovely shimmering thing that amply demonstrates just how precious Flying Saucer Attack were and still are.

As a whole, the 16-track project is reverent, and pays respect to the musical icon. Whether this is an essential album is up for debate, but it's worth checking out for the heavy hitters that are on board.

Lucky 7 is at its best when Statik Selektah delves deep into his jazzier side as a producer, as tracks like "Beautiful Life" and "All I Need" affirm.

Like a punk rock Watch the Throne, No Life for Me finds two of the genre's leading lights working at the peak of their powers.

All is Illusory sounds like the band are finally settling down.

Calling Out is an excellent first dish by EZTV, a sweet thing that makes one excited to hear what they serve up next.

In the future, Ghost should do more of that heavy lifting, taking a cue from producer Adrian Younge, who provides his signature analogue flavour to sumptuous effect throughout.

There are plenty of moments worthy of headbanging throughout Hammer of the Witches, especially on "Blackest Magick in Practice." Unfortunately, they're too often interrupted by the album's half-baked sonic experiments.

While his source material is firmly rooted in the past, Petestrumentals 2 makes a couple of more contemporary statements

While the noticeable shift away from death metal may discourage some, Coma Ecliptic succeeds in pushing Between the Buried and Me's creativity in a new direction, avoiding a simple rehash of their winning formula.

Pattern of Excel shows the latest brilliant incarnation of an artist who's sure to have many in the years to come.

FWA's opening trio of "Glory," "He's Dead" and "I Feel Good" is severely tempered by the inclusion of clunky ballads with less-than-inspired production. Lyrically, there is little reference to Wayne's Carter V struggles amidst a wealth of new punch lines, but for every bit of wordplay that has potential to become another Weezy quotable, there is a handful of other cringe-worthy instances to counter.