Notes of Blue is a solid effort overall; here's to riding the wave of change and surprise as Farrar's songwriting continues to evolve.

The Necks don't exactly break new ground with Unfold, but it's refreshing nonetheless to see that they're also not regressing--a small miracle for any band 30 years into their career.

Generally, The Temple of I & I is another satisfying Thievery Corporation affair.

On Vermont II, Plessow and Worgull have crafted an experimental piece founded upon its creators' departure from their respective comfort zones.

All Sadies albums feel like instalments in an ongoing saga of an incredible band who've been playing forever, and Northern Passages is no exception.

A very cohesive, if slightly precious, album.

By making the geographically distant feel welcomingly familiar, Tinariwen have made Elwan a can't-miss release for curious audiences from all corners of the globe.

Big Sean exhibits growth and wisdom on I Decided., and that's definitely worth a listen. This is a solid effort.

Fin serves as both introduction and transition.

It's a traveller's record, but not one for the wide-eyed, "wanderlusting" tourist; rather, it's one for the detached and disoriented, Bill-Murray-in-Lost-in-Translation voyager. It hits this note strikingly, but it's a shame about the sonic mishmash.

Calm, cool and collected, Fresh Air is a record you'll have playing in the background while you light a candle, anticipating your lover's knock at the door--or something like that.

Along with his own cuts, Dear works dialled-in dance floor weapons from Randomer, Matrixxman, Simian Mobile Disco and Thatmanmonkzn into this heady, satisfying mix.

Aquilo captivate most when they vary the tempo and instrumentation within their songs, and they do it often enough to make Silhouettes a strong debut overall.

Crossover Ministry is a well-made crossover thrash album that's sure to be a hit with fans of the genre, and could be the selling point for people just getting into it.

Fiddle, accordion and plenty of steel guitar frame her pure voice, while the fact that this was recorded over just two days helps account for the freshness of the sound.

Though billed as a Mr. Tophat project first and foremost, Trust Me is ultimately weighed down by his collaborator's past triumphs. Though they are no doubt killer floor-fillers, outside the club, these three songs can't quite hold listeners' attention.

Hearing it now, After the Party is delightfully bittersweet. Years on, when time has continued to pass and age has continued to set in, it'll be devastating.

Although those moments may be too fleeting to call Snowdonia a complete departure for the band, fans can will appreciate the added ambition here, on top of the elements they've come to know and love.

Occult Architecture Vol. 1 isn't as daring as its literary influences would suggest, but it succeeds often, particularly when it varies from its central sounds. Moon Duo should embrace the change on volume two.

Pure, Beyond Reproach feels lost and directionless at times.

Process was a long time coming, but the wait has resulted in one of the most assured debut albums in recent memory.

The subject matter isn't new, but the trio's knack for delivering humorous one-liners, tasteful adlibs and memorable hooks in impressively technical fashion remains a winning formula here.

Love in Beats finds Omar's brand of R&B at its most peerless, timeless and, yes... mature.

Myths 002 certainly delivers in terms of a successful, collaborative and twisted effort between two rather different artists, and may they find themselves recording together again in the future.

If you dig Baldi's work, this is as fine a collection as any in the Cloud Nothings discography.

There's a lot to unpack here, and as a result, SweetSexySavage feels a bit overstuffed at times; numbers like "Thank You" and "Hold Me By the Heart" are expressive in nature but aren't lasting. But by getting intensely personal, Kehlani adds a human side to the recordings that's multilayered and unapologetically self-determined.

Jardín serves straight-up soul and funk with a pop sensibility. Garzón-Montano's vocals are solid and serviceable, the album production robust and efficient and the musical mindset supported by a strong level of craft.

Not Even Happiness is a triumph of subtlety, proof that music doesn't have to be forceful to be powerful.