Never before have the band felt so complete and realized in causality of their sound than on Modern Mirror.

King's Mouth is a light album, one that — in its best moments — ties the fantasy of its central conceit to a studied sense of reality

Masquerading as a complement to SYRE, ERYS is a near replica of Jaden's previous effort, whose similarities run too close to repetition to make a true impact. The four-song arc that introduces the album (the "PINK" to SYRE'S "BLUE") doesn't quite hold the same ingenuity the second time around.

No mere addendum, it lives up to the high bar set by Hynes, while giving us a small, but significant, glimpse into his process.

"Let's Rock" is stripped-down, straightforward and ultimately, a blast. Not a single track meanders past the four-minute mark, bringing the band's best to the forefront: Fun jams chock full of Big Riff Energy.

Despite simple song structures and repetitive riffs, the personality of the vocals keeps the album from falling flat. Rhythmic shifts, cartoonish keyboard appearances and surprise instrumental breaks make it hard to get too comfortable.

Somehow, the players have managed to escape our universe, and what they've brought back with them is both captivating and indescribably beautiful.

Ada Lea's workmanship is striking on what we say in private, as she delicately showcases both the chaos and beauty of change.

Weather pushes the boundaries of Tycho's traditional sound, and in so doing, proves there is something serious to be said about stepping outside the comfort zone.

A Khruangbin dub record isn't particularly Earth-shattering, especially when dub was already so present in their music. But it's an opportunity for the band to really show off their strengths and further establish what makes them unique.

These unapologetically authentic offerings are balanced with several from the band's comparatively tidier self-titled LP era. The unholy marriage of mayhem and hookery on the infectiously melodic "Dirty Shirt" and "Leave Me Out" begs to be bowed to.

Torche are one of the most important and unique heavy bands of the last decade, and Admission serves as another solid entry in their catalogue. For a full picture of the band, Admission is the record.

There are layers to Bleached that are yet to be uncovered. Whether it's worth waiting for is a question still left unanswered.

Old Star sounds as new as it does born of another epoch, reminding us that though genres and scenes may change, the riff is eternal.

Standout tracks "Chlorine" and "Round" start the album off strong, but the downside is that the rest of the album feels drawn out, with more valleys than peaks. If you're not actively listening to each track, it can feel like the album is a long interlude that fades into the background.

It does little to dispel any of the mystery that surrounds the band, even while proving them worthy of the praise they've received across the pond.

This is DIY revolution groove and as such, is an inspiration to those who wish to express outside the norms.

On Dawnbreaker, ten tracks elegantly come together to tell the story of a person at the crossroads of their life, and a quiet struggle towards contentment.

The 11 pieces featured on The Flower and the Vessel are surprisingly complex, given Atkinson's delicate approach to her music. It is a powerful combination; she's able to present work that is at times genuinely difficult, but because it's performed with such careful subtlety, there isn't a single sharp edge to be found on the album's 70 minutes.

With strings, thoughtful arrangements, backup vocals, and rich production plus David Berman's inimitable wordplay and phrasing, Purple Mountains is a true masterpiece.

Metawar will not only please current fans, but will likely win them scores of new blood, simply due to their noticeable growth. This is the most realized and accessible the band have been to date.

Although CASE STUDY 01 may not receive the same critical reception as Freudian, it's a solid effort by an artist who is, more or less, still a rookie, attempting to diversify his sound early on in order to avoid cementing himself into gospel music for the entirety of his career.

Clarity, her debut album, falls short of capturing the breadth of Petras's rarity, excluding a few crystalline moments.

The Soft Cavalry is the sound of Clarke coming into his own as a songwriter, enriched by Goswell's contributions. The album holds a reverence for the fragility of life and a recognition of just how vital our closest relationships are to its experience.

A record with a tighter vision, but just as much frenetic energy as Mannequin Pussy's previous work, Patience imbues both its highs and lows with a constant sense of intense strain and desperation.

Gou has invited us into her musical world, showcasing the artists whose music she's studied to guide her into crafting her own sound. If the LP she's currently working on will sound anything like this, we will be in for a real treat.

The textural depth of ANIMA grips, unlike past solo outings, and is ultimately even more rewarding when played on headphones.

An album as wide ranging, far flung, eclectic, and richly satisfying as its name implies.