Wildcard represents courage, strength and vulnerability as Miranda tells her story. The album is a timeless snapshot that measures a moment in this superstar's life.

Myths 004 is a feat of atmospheric storytelling that keeps us on our toes.

Anxiety, anguish and unrest can often produce great art, but so can spiritual harmony. It's just a shame that in the case of Turnover, contentment sounds so bland.

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.

As rich and resonant as some of these synth tones are, it's ultimately an album that's more conceptually interesting than it is musically appealing.

Followup Hello, I'm Doing My Best offers up more hook-filled, crisply produced radio rock with plenty of grit and soul from Barter, who remains a compelling presence throughout.

Guv I [was] an all-around more solid record, making Guv II feel a bit more like leftover parts than an essential second act — but Cook's knack for songwriting is nonetheless clear. At the very least, this sequel is an extra show of musical prolificacy and a good portfolio-stuffer with which to chase more work as a hired gun.

Sweating the Plague shows Robert Pollard achieving the near-impossible; stringing together a steady decade of such strong material this late into his band's career.

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

Some songs stick to the usual anarchic ideas, "The Hanging Man" being a tasty cut worthy of inclusion on any forthcoming Best Of, but there are also introspective nightmare-lullabies like "Annaline," "Amnesia" and "Cathedrals of Heaven." ... Easygoing suits Gira.

The biggest strength of Up On High may be its greatest weakness: it's a record that is exactly what it is trying to be, a folk rock album that feels so much like a folk rock album that you forget about it as soon as it ends. Vetiver's latest is an album that you can put on and not think too much about.

It could have been much better. Kanye's foray into gospel should have been a heavenly experience, but it's half-baked, incoherent and ultimately falls short of godly.

The tracks on Spiritual Instinct feel somewhat monotonous, comparatively, since Alcest rarely pull back the reins to accentuate the diversity of their (typically) expansive sound.

[An] energized album, full of unexpected twists and forked, enchanting melodies.

Anicca is an album that stands alone, reaching above and beyond expectation.

Black Marble has seen a massive development with Bigger Than Life. Whether the record has proven itself to acutally be "bigger than life" is up for debate. But for Stewart's third LP, it's a solid effort and pleasant change of pace.

This EP is more sketchbook than fully realized piece of art, a placeholder between full-lengths designed to keep the band in the cultural conversation.

Anthropocosmic Nest is full of loud blasts from the Messthetics, but it's also dynamic, revealing a patient, thoughtful approach to songwriting, which, beyond exhibiting the band's musical proficiency, is a real signifier of genuine friendship and trust.

Kiwanuka is therapeutic for all parties involved. It's honest, psychedelic, enlightening and recalls blackness defined by acoustic folk and the organic soul of past artists like Gil Scott-Heron, Bobby Womack and Otis Redding.

Those who go into this expecting more of the visceral and mind-bending productions that added to the novelty of Varmints might be disappointed, but listeners with no expectations are bound to be pleasantly surprised.

The three distinct movements on display lead into each other, as if in a singular narrative.

Cry will make you cry, because Gonzalez knows what he's doing. It's cathartic, stunning, it'll awaken your senses and it's not to be missed.

Colorado makes good on Young's promise that rust never sleeps — turns out, it gets better with age.

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.

He's as strong a songwriter as always, but it feels like there's a deeper sense of purpose this time around, and it makes for a beautifully gratifying experience.

If this isn't Jacques Greene's magnum opus, we'll be very curious to hear what is.

With Over It, the Atlanta singer-songwriter is on point with a debut that's ultimately a contemplation on sexual politics and emotional availability.

It is great to see Caroline Polachek giving a go at being an independent pop artist, and this album makes it feasible that she one day becomes a household name in the genre.