Though the sonic explorations undermine the album's overall cohesiveness, Crush remains a shining example of Shepherd's growth as an artist, and his willingness to push boundaries well into his career.

By opening up their sonic palette, Third Eye Blind has highlighted their sheer strength as a songwriting unit and demonstrated that any path they take, they'll throw themselves into fully and unreservedly. Sounding both fresh and classic, Screamer is a great place for new fans to jump on, or for previously jaded listeners to give one of rock's most underrated groups a fresh shot.

There's an effortless authenticity in her voice. ... Naggar's rickety orchestration, imagistic lyrics and posture of kindness ensure that it never feels like effort, so much as a joyful, sad, funny, wise conversation with close, thoughtful friend.

Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost — Part 2 is at once a satisfying and boundary-pushing listen from a band that sound hungry over a decade into their career.

It's good both for bobbing heads and bopping feet — both for being alone-alone, and alone-around-others, too.

Juice B Crypts responds with 11 tracks of knotty, electronic rock puzzles.

Sadly, precious little restraint is found on the stuffy, haughty Closer Than Together.

It's a multi-layered affair but each one provokes serious feelings and thoughts for those who peel them back.

There's nothing necessarily at fault about borrowing so heavily from the past — these sounds are, after all, classic for a reason and it's true that Starcrawler conjure them expertly and deftly. The most memorable moments of the record, though, are those when Starcrawler distinguish their work from the giants before them, sketching out instead their own growing sense of self.

Blossom shows much promise for AI-augmented composition in the realm of electronic sound. It's unlikely that a software version of the Beatles will exist in our lifetime, but Purgas and Ginzburg have proven that the boundaries of technological possibility are completely mutable.

The charm of Chromatics has always been their ability to create musical pastiche that winks at parody, but is so thoroughly and consistently within a world of their own redecoration that authenticity is never an issue. With Closer to Grey they've managed to harness the full energy from their chill fusion into their most ornately framed creation yet.

The album is dripping with gritty, assertive synth work so gravelly and heady it plants itself deep inside you.

A Pill for Loneliness is another strong effort from City and Colour. It finds Green continuing to play to his strengths and continuing to move City and Colour's sound into new territory at an assured, steady pace.

Having few tonal shifts and being practically devoid of contrast, LAHS is the perfect atmospheric soundtrack for a backyard party with boozy beverages and adult tokeables.

Paired with the dream-like, celestial quality of U.F.O.F., Two Hands shows Big Thief's loving view of the world can be immeasurably intimate and intangible, but also be bare-boned and brutally honest.

With each album they add more to their story, and the underlying emotional connection to the band and their songs is what grows in intensity.

In the face of enormous loss, Ghosteen finds comfort in what worldly wonders remain. It surely ranks among Cave and company's most ambitious efforts, and maybe among their most affecting, too.

Personal touches (a snippet of her father's voicemail, an unrehearsed picking party, field recordings of Chickasaw chants) amplify the authenticity with which Waldon approaches all aspects of her artistic development.

There's nothing especially innovative or unique about Handfuls of Night, but what it does, it does very well and should find great resonance with fans and filmmakers seeking some palpable sonic gravitas to help sell an emotional scene.

Without being overwhelmingly expressive or boringly subtle, Boris create layered atmospheres that are equal parts beautiful and menacing.

Nobody can seriously claim that Welcome Home tops any of Pantera. But it's a step up from Hellyeah's past material, showcasing all of the members' unending passion for heavy metal and all that comes with it.

The Vancouver duo's captivating moments easily outnumber the few duller ones. On Lightning Dust's fourth studio album, Amber Webber's beautifully haunting voice brings hope to dark places, and following it feels like being guided to the light at the end of the tunnel.

It's dark subject matter — which makes grunge's famously gloomy sonic palette a particularly good fit for a record that's as beautiful as it is bleak.

Dal Forno is still true to the homegrown production that fans grew to love; Look Up Sharp is showing listeners just how much she's evolved in her slow-moving, wistful world.

It's Brown's pen game and ear for production that carry the album's comedic spirit, anchored by technical and stylistic changes.

Rubberband has been executed with genuine respect for the artist. There's enough greatness here to justify the effort. Even if we hope this doesn't launch a new kind of re-bop craze, it's still great to press play on another Miles Davis album.

Monumental and intimate in equal measure, All Mirrors' boldness is exceeded only by its profound emotional resonance. Angel Olsen's talents were always apparent. Here, they seem limitless.

The writing is catchy and memorable, interesting and complex, giving the ten-track release tremendous depth that offers a brand new listening experience with every listen. It's an album that requires a lot of consideration, but the reward is well worth the attention.