Wolf and producer Jared Solomon (a.k.a. Solomonophonic) pack every song with laugh-out-loud lyrics and confetti blasts of squelchy synth-funk, but for all the modern bedroom pop accoutrements, Juno's greatest strengths are the raw materials of melody and lyrics.

The record has big, cosmic questions about time and space and possibility swirling 'round its bejewelled head, but it's at its best when putting these concepts under a microscope.

On Illusory Walls, The World is a Beautiful Place give a lot and only ask for some of your time, patience and attention in return. At every interval, they make it worth your while.

It does occasionally err too heavily towards swaying ballad tropes, but importantly Blake never hides his feelings through allegory or metaphor, nor does he mangle his vocal delivery with electronic trickery.

While scanning the state of the world and all its grievous, haunting wonders, Garden of Burning Apparitions continues Full of Hell's exploration of scorched earth, and by sticking to what they do best, they've left another bold stamp on extreme metal.

They stick with what they know, and they have it down to a flawless science.

On Talk Memory, BADBADNOTGOOD find likeminded collaborators ready to challenge and compliment them at every turn, resulting in a new evolution for the trio.

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.

True Love is a loving snapshot of what Hovvdy holds dear in the present and their excitement for the future is infectious. Instead of reflecting on the past and easiness of simpler times, they are finding pockets of these hyper-elated feelings in the here and now.

This is Colourgrade's magic ⎯ it captures the quiet humdrum of life at its most unreal, blearing domestic love and childrearing and sleep and exhaustion into something suddenly, amazingly unfamiliar.

Leaving None but Small Birds is a departure for both bands that results in a mostly positive and rewarding listening experience. This complete change in sonic construction not only introduces these bands to wider audiences, but also gives a glimpse of their greater musical potential moving forward.

Throughout Dawn, she exhibits wit and exemplary control and the blurred genre lines on the album are her playground.

FLUX situates itself in and around the broad category of rock and its derivatives, but what it really does is encapsulate Poppy's desire to evolve through genres. ... With this album, Poppy very clearly says that her new niche is to not have a niche.

Haliechuk and co. have developed a layered universe and score that creates a unique and immersive experience for those wise enough to carve out ninety minutes of their time to read along with the story as they listen. It's an album that requires listeners to invest their time and attention, but surely those listeners will be happy they did so.

A Beginner's Mind will not wow you with grand theatrics but it will have you on the edge of your seat nevertheless.

Levy's writing is both insular — her lyrics are dense and singular, her references specific and sometimes unknowable — and insulating, sketching her surroundings so vividly, so minutely, that a city can feel as familiar and often-unpredictable as the inside of your own head.

It is an abstract, melancholic and affecting body of work that is not only another incredible addition to a stellar discography, but a magnificent and moving tribute to a friend gone too soon.

He proves that he is a fully-fledged, multifaceted person who can do it all, and has all the makings of a modern yet ever-evolving pop star. He just remembers to have a fun, honest time while doing it.

With Springtime in New York, Dylan and his archive custodians take on his most written-off period and re-write it, capturing its lost glory.

instead of songs about past lovers and immaturity, Motorists are using philosophical ideas as fuel for their jangly indie rock.

Balvin proves to be taking risks the whole way through. With JOSE, J Balvin offers stiff competition to Kanye and Drake's recent 20-plus song efforts with a far more consistent effort.

With Black Encyclopedia of the Air, Moor Mother uses her genre-agnostic style to tackle to world's most popular genre and make it undoubtedly her own.

This is an assured return.

Low's latest finds Sparkhawk and Parker at a thrillingly creative and intrepid peak, building off their experimental blueprint laid out with their 2015 LP Ones and Sixes and fully realized on Double Negative. Although HEY WHAT falls squarely in between the two, it's safe to say that no one is making music that sounds remotely similar to what Low is giving us.

The subdued star-crossed is unlikely to garner the same commercial success as Golden Hour. It isn't carried by standout singles or big beats, but the album isn't seeking that kind of external validation. It stands alone in its vulnerability.

If the band's previous tunes were like a knife fight, this feels more like blunt force trauma. They used to land quick jabs; now they're throwing haymakers. Yet No Taste is also more dynamic and measured in its violence.

CLB is a serviceable enough Drake album, but he has a number of prior projects that showcase his dynamic rap abilities and frenemy quarrels at a much higher calibre.

What Only Up suggests at its core is an opportunity to unite Toronto's hitherto fragmented music scene; rave music, hip-hop and bands can coexist, rebuild the scene anew and have a hell of a good time doing it.