The laid-back neo-soul remains consistent throughout the album, as the foundational inspirations of 1970s soul are evident everywhere. Durand Jones & The Indications let the love and vocals shine on the blissful Flowers.

A new era for Lukas Nelson begins on solid footing as American Romance employs familiar country and Americana sounds and phrases in a well-worn fashion.

Raspberry Moon on Third Man Records finds Hotline TNT unlocking buzzingly beautiful guitar rock that washes shimmering tones in all directions as the band seems to be truly coming into their own.

As captivating and hypnotic as it is, the album may have been even stronger if it had ended with the title track, but Goodman loves the long narrative, a gifted bonus. All told, the album is unforgettable on so many dimensions.

The original players have deservedly mellowed with age, allowing a restrained Afrobeat groove to play a larger role in their sound; yet SOGOLO proves they still have a few tricks up their sleeve, while pleasantly rolling along.

Halvorson, as she has done on previous efforts, blends herself into the ensemble, rarely taking center stage, allowing her compositions to do so instead.

It’s far more compelling than 2019’s Colorado and Barn from two years later and even World Record from 2022, in part because its comparably impromptu atmosphere enhances rather than detracts from the credibility of the material and the performances.

King Gizzard made sure every guest felt welcome without sacrificing their true range. While Phantom Island is a consistent and stadium-sized effort, each song feels like its own little universe of musical solace to get lost in.

The album is not perfect. As Morrison often does, he makes the album too long with ‘filler’ songs – “If It Wasn’t for Ray” (a failed attempt at honoring his main influence, Ray Charles), “Cutting Corners,” and “Colourblind,” the latter annoyingly placed in the spellbinding songs in the album’s latter half. Take most of the songs that are left and arguably you have the best music Van Morrison has presented in over three decades.

Magic, Alive! feels like our first proper introduction to Dixon’s wide-ranging artistry and acrobatic vocals. The tracklist is chaotic yet never feels disconnected.

To these ears, he’s right about the warmth and intimacy. It would have helped to have an inset with lyrics as in many cases they could be more audible. Nonetheless, it deserves several listens because this is as uncluttered as Ribot as ever sounded.

While Black Hole Superette follows a concept, the LP seems to double as a victory lap for Rock, as he showcases his raw talent and earns legendary status.

Possession finds the psych-rock hero piecing together a comprehensive portrait of his artistic range, which, this time around, manifests in Sixties pop-influenced melodies that swirl around blazing guitar solos, acoustic solace, and bouncy nostalgia.

When one carefully listens, the history of Black American music unfolds over just ten tracks. These two trust their instincts and their artistry is well-rounded and rather boundless.

There’s no denying Robin Trower’s writing and playing with a freshness that bespeaks deliverance on Come And Find Me.

There are no truly great compositions here. But otherwise, the record does contain most of the essential elements of the band’s inimitable style, including the cracked sense of humor for which Feats are famous.

The World Is Still Here and So Are We is a wildly refreshing departure from the manicured world we live in, and welcomes back one of punk’s most innovative and underappreciated bands.

Face Down in the Garden is a fitting goodbye that highlights everything the band does well. The intricate guitar and keyboard melodies, sing-along choruses, jangly guitar licks, introspective lyrics, pop hooks, and wall-of-sound production are all in full force.

The album keeps a lot of the fun experimental nature of their first couple of releases and blends it with a much more confident lyrical side that doesn’t shy away from personal revelations and vulnerability. As a result, it’s the perfect record to introduce the band to a much wider audience.

Culled from a perfectly-balanced selection of road-tested fan-favorites mixed with newer material, Everything Must Go stands out as the group’s most comprehensive and gratifying studio release to date.

There are enough catchy hooks and eclectic compositions to keep things interesting, though it never reaches the high levels of Twin Fantasy. The Scholars is a bit of an overreach, with puzzling narratives following too many characters to track without help, but it’s impressive for its ambition and giant swing at transcendent art.

Benmont Tench uses his spirituality, heartbreak, aging, love, pathos, and humor throughout The Melancholy Season, a contemplative affair perfect for the album’s title moments.

Though an uneven collection taken as a whole, Dream Into It still boasts enough songs to convince you that the sneering, charming Idol is not quite ready for the retirement home yet.

Some reimagining and some looking back, ‘Journey Through Life’ is a pleasant reflection on where Femi Kuti has been and where that could possibly lead him in the future.

Mortal Primetime is the band’s softest album and has less dynamic intrigue than Headfull of Sugar. It’s focused more on storytelling and pop hooks than on in-your-face rock. It’s an album more about the stories than the licks, though there are still enough distorted guitars and driving rhythms for the rock fans.

SKELETÁ is a fascinating concept album with tight melodies and carefully crafted arrangements, enough to satisfy day one Ghost fans, but might fall short of bringing new fans into the band’s ever-growing sonic realm.

The album is as raw as it gets, simply down-home porch music. .... We now have a vivid reminder of what traditional Black string music sounds like, at a time when those in power want to ignore and even erase such important legacies.

What makes Send A Prayer My Way so compelling is that – song for song – you have two superb singers working together rather than competing over the vocals singing some of the smartest lyrics the genre boasts.

Condon’s latest LP under his Beirut moniker is his most ambitious and rewarding project to date. A Study of Losses is a high-concept LP executed with careful precision by an empathetic poet hellbent on injecting his views on longing and loss into these poignant displays of folksy chamber pop bliss.

This combo of fidgety indie rock and uneasy dance tracks works well on Thee Black Boltz, Tunde Adebimpe’s successful solo debut.

Sable, fABLE is stunning, emotionally-driven, psychedelic pop that bends at Vernon’s will, allowing the artist to explore the intricacies of the musical empire he has built over the years.

Either way you slice it, Sleigh Bells’s latest outing is fun-loving pop music that captures a change in the veteran musician’s craft and attitude towards the genre they call home.

The successes on Always Been prove that this combo works well, but the missteps also show that things can be improved upon if Craig Finn decides to record with Adam Granduciel again.

As The Velveteers continue to grow, so does their sound and songwriting. A Million Knives is a positive next step on their journey.

Forever Howlong is more of the daring prog-rock Black Country has become known for, and while their growth is subtle, it is far from a non-factor. Across these eleven songs, the band spins fascinating, folksy tales and whimsically delivers them, giving the album’s dark subject matter a soft edge.

“Belonging” lives up to its name with a series of sleek parallel lines of playing that ultimately intersect. There’s a minimum of friction and a maximum of concordance on that track, which might well be an accurate means to summarize the whole of the Branford Marsalis Quartet’s Belonging.

Lonesome Drifter is a no-frills effort from Crockett that harkens back to his blues roots while staying stubbornly in the present. Ironically, Crockett’s nostalgia trip created some of his career’s more urgent and present music.

There are far fewer up-tempo tunes than some would like, but that’s their mantra. In that sense, the album could benefit from better balance as we deal primarily with ballads through these ten. Yet, who can argue with Krauss’ immaculate, singular vocals and Moore’s powerful voice? It is a great counterpoint, although, to be fair, they sometimes seem at odds with each other.

Dreams on Toast has the same stadium rock credentials as the mega-hit Permission to Land. Guitarist Justin Hawkins’s vocals are a bit more subdued, but he still croons and belts with a natural swagger. His brother, guitarist Dan Hawkins, delivers solid riffs anchored by the strong rhythm section of bassist Frankie Poullain and drummer Rufus Taylor.

While the music is great and her vocals impressive, her knack for writing unforgettable lyrics is still the most charming thing about her music.

Bejar’s return to his Destroyer moniker is a welcomed continuation of his colorful discography while introducing a new side of the artist’s balladry, one that is a welcomed shift in the pantheon of Bejar’s sonic explorations.

Is doesn’t have the same eclectic range as something like Z or The Waterfall, but it’s a solid album with ten captivating songs and no missteps. From the danceable groove rock of “Everyday Magic” to the propulsive banger “Lemme Know,” everything works.

Holley struck left-field gold on Tonky, and there is nothing left to do except take it all and sing the praises of an artist whose self-expression becomes anthems for the new world.

An unusually provocative piece of work.

Ultimately, it’s a fun record and one that begs the question of just how big this band could have been in the succeeding decades if they had not imploded on takeoff.

Throughout The Father of Make Believe, Coheed and Cambria crafts unique stories that meld reality and fiction while balancing ferocious attacks with dulcet melodies. Whether taken as the next part of the Amory Wars saga, a fourth-wall-breaking commentary on it, or as its own thing, it’s masterful art that lives up to its ambitions.

Despite containing infectious anthems like The Cure-inspired “One More Day” and pop-punk powerhouse “Chain Reaction,” Cotton Crown is a complex yet highly rewarding listen.

It showcases Dream Theater’s status as a collection of musical masters who, forty years later, remain at the top of their games.

We hear some new facets of Marshall’s artistry and have a terrific record demonstrating his versatility and vision. Clearly, it’s worthy of the hype.

Foxes in the Snow is a broad collection of songs played alone on his acoustic 1940 Martin antique guitar, seemingly without a central theme. Few artists can get away with such a simple approach, but Isbell has earned that status. The question then is whether there will be memorable songs like “Cover Me Up” or “Elephant” that define Southeastern. Only time will tell whether they are here.

Oceanside Countryside may or may not hold broad appeal for anyone other than the most fervent Neil Young aficionados. .... In the end, the inveterate iconoclast’s front cover portrait for Oceanside Countryside accurately reflects the LP’s artful combination of style and effect.

While the resulting album isn’t as loud as the original, that isn’t to say it is soft.

The vocal shifts and band restructuring may cause some turbulence, but when everything clicks, as it does on the album’s most decisive moments, the result is just as stirring as anything they’ve done before. Whether this marks a transitional phase or the beginning of a new era remains to be seen, but for now, Constellations shines brightly enough to guide them forward.

Lennox’s Sinister Grift proves that the artist is far from done evolving. Its loss of its refreshingly underproduced consistency is a testament to Lennox’s maturity and songwriting.

Exploding Trees & Airplane Screams is a massively deep and rich literary and musical album that reveals more colors and lyrical insights each time through. It may even encourage you to challenge your own memories, which change so much over time.

It is a hard-to-classify effort that shifts genres and influences often as War moves through different motifs.

Rarely Do I Dream blurs the mystique of an artist whose honest songwriting made listeners feel like insiders with the musician and introduces the world to the full potential of Youth Lagoon.

Arguably the band’s most ambitious and melodic record in their two decades of existence.

While the album dips into lows, the highs make it all worthwhile. Phonetics On and On is a daring second album with the band seemingly coming out as a new band, one obsessed with infectious melodies and fanciful harmonies dancing around glimmering acoustics and cinematic strings.

The stories hold interest at least the first time through, but Boone’s voice has us continually returning for more.

More than just a comeback, Hallucinating Love is a testament to the resilience of Maribou State. Their sound has evolved without losing its essence, channeling hardship into something immersive and profoundly affecting.

It is impossible not to hear Hewson’s father’s band, U2, everywhere on the record. “Still Young” feels directly out of Bono’s wistful memory as French horns, yearning/echoing vocals, and climatic choruses are dramatically drafted. While those high-profile connections can’t be ignored, neither can Inhaler’s strong sense of catchy pop-rock flowing throughout Open Wide.

He astutely balances tradition with the new, mixing his patented approach with some new twists, from the energetic to the delicate.

“Beye Bu Beye Ba,” may be the consummate track that combines brass, Taylor’s vocal, and his background singers, sounding authentically African as if one were transported to a ceremonial dance in a village. The final track is the other English titled tune, “Feeling,” with Taylor and his substantial accompaniment sailing off in blissful, horn and vocal punctuated glee.

The opening track, the explosive “American Dream” is a solid indication that, despite the inspiration for this particular album, it’s not going to be crammed with maudlin introspection. That infectious energy is carried through on the dance-punk vibe of “Like You Did Before” and the incredible album closer “Bad Guys Always Win.”

Chamber music yields to hip-hop which surrenders to jazz (Harris is terrific) and back and forth through several sections of tension and release that somehow slithers into the ether, leaving us wanting even more. There’s just nothing like this out there unless you retreat back six years to Origami Harvest. Akinmusire has again delivered a fascinating and oddly irresistible project.

Cowards is an album that takes multiple close listens to unearth the nuances of Squid’s third outing. While the songwriting steals the show, what the band is doing sonically is equally head-spinning.

This album is a bold statement that is sure to grow even more enticing as time passes. Each listen unearths another quaint element that completely changes the song’s atmosphere. A Shaw Deal is a challenging listen that yields otherworldly treasures, with Shaw’s guitar acting as the diamond in the rough yet soothing electronics of Weitz’s mystifying mind.

The made-for-the-dance floor opener “Chasing An Empty Dream” begins with a ridiculously funky bass line from Steve before percussion kicks in, and Simpson’s smooth vocals singing about focus on materialism and a loss of family values to the punchy, syncopated horns and vocal harmonies. .... The pulsating tempo recedes to orchestrated strings in the first of two ballads, “Road to Zion,” sung beautifully by Simpson and enhanced by the band’s other vocalist, sounding like late-night R&B blaring from boomboxes in the ‘70s.

Iggy Pop has released a few live albums with varying degrees of success, yet Live at Montreux Jazz Festival 2023 proves (somewhat surprisingly) that the rock and roll legend is still firing on all cylinders while crafting sonically dense pastures to rant over.

The Purple Bird is a stunning effort from Oldham, a testament to his relentless artistry and how freely it allows him to roam.

The 9-song record is certainly Hiatt’s most ambitious body of work to date and one of her best albums yet. The music is strong, confident and personal without being too earnest. And while she expands her sound and influences quite a bit on this one, it is still every bit a Lilly Hiatt album.

A daring concept album is no easy task to take on, let alone execute, and while these ten songs can sometimes feel disconnected, Sol Y Sombra is far from an album to overlook.

LOWER is a profoundly personal outing that gathers Booker’s influences and life experiences together and filters them through a psychedelic lens to emerge with chaotic arrangements that act as the perfect canvas for Booker’s open conversation about feelings most would try to hide.

The sisters pour out their emotions fearlessly in this effort, making it their strongest album yet as their trajectory continues to steepen.

The album has an unsettling undercurrent of synths buzzing and swirling with chaotic sounds that never truly recede as Linderman tries to capture the detachment we feel in everyday life. Even the short instrumentals (“Descent”, “Passage”, “Fleuve” and “Aurora”) act as off-putting placeholders, and while some tracks take that disjointedness to extremes, it is a crucial part of Linderman’s message on Humanhood, cutting through the static for true meaning. The artsy-folk stylings would not pack as much of a punch if it weren’t for the fantastic drumming/percussion of Adams and Melanson, who ground/drive the songs forward.

Whether you’re a fan of the desert blues sound or new to it, Songhoy Blues has delivered an infectious, comprehensive take on the music infused with tradition.

Generally, it is flowing, highly sophisticated, and graceful, but with several intense moments. In the historical context; it lies somewhere between the Wayne Shorter and McCoy Tyner spectrum to the even more adventurous Andrew Hill, Eric Dolphy, and Grachan Moncur III. .... This is contemporary jazz of the highest order.

This is a fresh, meticulously arranged but still casual-sounding big band outing.

While the aural tour of influences here is mostly a good thing, there are a few of songs that seem to pull down the record at times – even at just nine tracks; “The Way Things Are” just sounds maudlin, and “La De Da, La De Dum” and the instrumental “So, Damned, Blue” sound more like filler tracks. That being said, there are more than enough tracks here that are bound to satisfy long-time LaMontagne fans.

In The Real World stands with his best because it’s one of the few with all original material, and it has perhaps the most pristine production of any of his studio work.

Overall, Andrew Gabbard plays to his vocal and guitar playing strengths, hinting at even more with digital beats and vibrations throughout the enjoyable ride that is Ramble & Rave On!

As a whole, 12 is both a triumph and a work in progress. It showcases James Petralli’s evolution as an artist willing to adapt, experiment, and push boundaries, even if the results occasionally feel uneven.

Overall, Vicious Creature is an enjoyable record that rewards thoughtful listening.

While Fever Longing Still recalls Paul Kelly’s most accessible work—all the way back to 1986’s Gossip—he hardly repeats himself.

Opeth’s most cohesive and impactful album since Ghost Reveries. That one will be hard to surpass, and Last Will isn’t quite there, though it’s easily in the upper tier of Opeth releases.

The Fleshtones continue delivering their no-frills version of what they dub “SUPER ROCK” throughout It’s Getting Late (…and More Songs About Werewolves), via confident riffs, banging drums and vocals filled with jokes, immediacy and just a touch of yearning honesty.

All four of these pieces revolve around a simple idea, with the band wringing every possible nuance from that primary platform. Although Johnson and Parker are exploratory, the vibe remains calm and within guardrails. Collectively, the four are the musical equivalent of a fresh shower. The listener emerges renewed.

On the career-spanning Mahashmashana, things are not connected musically, but they still manage to thematically tie together lyrically around Tillman’s thoughts on aging and death. The self-centered artist still conjures up thought-provoking and, most importantly, enjoyable songs.

With every message of love comes a juxtaposing string section that leans on the opposite emotion, giving the album, and Kiwanuka’s music as a whole, a newfound emotional depth. Not that Kiwanuka’s previous releases were void of emotions in the slightest, but this new packaging gives his sentiments a new shine. Small Changes force the artist’s words into the spotlight like never before, allowing the full scope of Kiwanuka’s perspective to hit harder and stick with you longer.

Mixing his 1950’s retro-rock core with different genres is a winning combination for McPherson as Nite Owls drifts by with ease and confident charm.

The result is possibly his best solo album to date. A record that is so sprawling it takes several listens to finally soak in but is well worth the effort.

Thematically, it sounds fairly cohesive, but the songs themselves, lyrically, vary from solid to great, to moments of cloying sentimentality. That’s not to say that Heavy Glory is a bad record, just one that’s a bit more challenging than Iceage fans may have come to expect.

Like all of the band’s reunion releases, The Night The Zombies Came is a mixed bag overall. Some heavier offerings, slightly off-kilter rock, acoustic strums, and larger sounds add to the musical range. It ends up as a serviceable rock record that never sniffs the heights of their early career classic output.

Cartoon Darkness is brimming with successful experimentation that allows Amyl and The Sniffers to begin carving their legacy in the world of punk, a legacy that promises to grow and evolve as long as the band delivers a shocking change of pace in a rugged yet grandiose fashion.

They offer up Fate & Alcohol, ten songs in thirty-six minutes that mostly succeed by wrestling with maturity and life’s big decisions but never reach the heights of their youth.

I Want Blood is the best album Jerry Cantrell has released since at least 2002’s Degradation Trip, if not 1995’s eponymous Alice in Chains release. It shows Cantrell continuing to stretch artistically, especially as a singer, while leaning on the musical chops that made him a generation’s guitar hero.

The presence of longtime collaborators like saxophonist Josh Johnson, guitarist Gregory Uhlmann, and drummer/producer Ben Lumsdaine helps solidify the album’s cohesiveness. Their contributions are vital in translating Butterss’ vision into a living, breathing sound. As an album, it’s a bold statement, marking Butterss as a formidable presence in contemporary music.