Lillie Mae is constantly on the move and her tunes reflect that, Other Girls resonates on failed relationships, dull pain and trying to move past the hurt.

Her voice and song selection work well, going over the top at times to nail the tune with all the requisite pomp and circumstance but also experimenting in unique ways.

To say this album is highly anticipated, is an understatement. Yet, like most supergroup projects, (Trio, Pistol Annies, etc.) has its strong moments and it does carry a strong mission. Yet, its ambitious and inclusive scope creates an enormity that somewhat weighs it down.

With Anak Ko, Duterte continues to release high quality inventive textured dream pop, and more importantly seems to have found what she was looking for: a change of scenery and a change of personal habits.

For the first time here, his ideas haven’t quite formed into a cohesive whole. All the other records felt complete works, this feels more like a collection. For all that really works on i,i, there are moments that feel unnecessary or out of place.

The songwriting is impressively strong, with no weak or filler tracks. While Randolph is the focal point, the Family Band, which, in addition to his sister, includes cousins Danyel Morgan on bass and Marcus Randolph on drums, is amazingly versatile in how they can move between styles so fluidly. Brighter Days comes from sacred steel, and remains rooted in it, but isn’t locked into it.

While 13 years is a long time to wait, the gap melts away between the sounds of this 86-minute masterpiece. Difficult though it might be to fully process, it eases right into the Tool oeuvre and cements its place among their small but towering pantheon of prog-metal art.

This album has plenty of shifting tempos and is well-paced. The harmonies make it sound if Thompson and Walbourne were just meant to sing together. Don’t be steered away from what may be described as “folk rock.” This has a thumping pulse and plenty of stunning moments.

McFerrin convincingly proves he’s got a handle on contemporary R&B, the kind that’s being fused with jazz, hip-hop, and spoken word. Keep an eye on him. This is just the beginning.

She can be both old-timey and contemporary. She’s a master at bringing polar opposites into a cohesive statement. The tension that lives in her songs and album sequences usually ends with a blissful takeaway and, despite a few new twists, the same is true here.

Their consistently unpredictable high standards keep the rest of us interested as well, and have turned them into something pretty special.

Two misses aside, this is the Delbert we’ve long known and enjoy, doing it as only he can.

Fans will already know half the songs which have been periodically released before recent mini-tours, but the overall sound, production and playing combine well delivering a complete full length. On past albums The Hold Steady tried to streamline their sound, Thrashing Thru the Passion proves more is more with this band.

Dayton not only renews these classics; he infuses them with an energy we didn’t even realize they had.

There are moments when some editing may have tightened things up and Segall’s lyrics are opaque even at the best of times, but for an album built out of experimentation, it is surprising how well First Taste links together; and most of the credit for that success can be given to those killer drums. ... Segall continues to blaze his own sonic path.

For those not already familiar with the Femmes, this probably won’t be the point of entry that provides a portal to instant fandom, but it’s a fun and worthwhile listen. ... It’s a solid representation of what they do well and an impish and occasionally truly insightful good time.

There’s a literary elegance to Cole’s compositions rare in the pop field—the late great Warren Zevon was one of the few contemporary songwriters who shared that quality—and these arrangements mirror that nuanced formality.

The end result is a mixed bag of tunes as the island vibe and broken-hearted blues don’t always synch, however when they do, the results are rollicking.

Cottrell’s voice is airy and breathy, seemingly forged specifically for Tycho’s music, but it’s in fact when it takes centre stage, the record stutters. Tycho’s beauty was in the remarkable way they had created a unique sound, something that gets lost within many of these tracks that play out as good but fairly standard down-tempo dream-pop.

This genre-bending effort, replete with these iconic names, is the kind of album that will deservedly earn Grammy attention. Kudos to Bailey for looking forward instead of back as so many of his contemporaries unfortunately do.

In spite of its stylistic breadth, Dolphine is a relatively effortless listen. It isn’t jarring or grating. It is unpredictable, challenging, interesting and honest, and ultimately a very satisfying addition to Mega Bog’s discography.

Gold Past Life operates almost on two levels for Fruit Bats, the sheer pleasure of making fun music that draws on the things we’ve treasured from ages past, while consciously rejecting the temptation to live forever in that space. The result is a record that is both easy to leap into, and rewarding to stay in.

The fact that the increasingly complex playing compares so favorably to the antecedents of the Allman Betts Band (including the latter-day lineup circa 2003’s Hittin’ The Note) speaks as much to the intrinsic skill of this unit as to its future potency in a more mature state.

Production from Jim Eno (founding member and drummer of Spoon) is top notch as Night Moves have crafted a smooth, lightly rippling soundtrack to the summer with Can You Really Find Me.

Despite the quality of the songwriting and the performances, there’s something about Let’s Rock that feels like the two are tying up the band and bringing their music full circle. Whatever the intent and the future of the band, Let’s Rock is a solid release that should make fans happy, whether it’s a coda or just their latest record.

While the overall tone and style fits him and the band well, the majority of songs are fine yet not particularly memorable. A Productive Cough looks like a mid-career outlier now as Titus Andronicus settle back into their pub rock punk hybrid on An Obelisk.

The ten-year hiatus hasn’t diminished anything about the Millers” unique partnership. The songs are as good as ever, Buddy still sings passionately and rips his guitar with determined fury. Julie sings as well as she ever has.

The music is textured and production exquisite as layers of sounds and instrumentation ring clear, but if there is a weakness it is that lyrically the album is lacking. White and Benson both come off as blasé at times not offering much in the way of memorable lines, disengaging while moving towards generalities.

The energy and the seamless fusing of these genres create remarkable, infectious, foot-stomping grooves that rarely relent. Instead, they threaten to explode at times.

The CRB doesn’t wholly recapture the unified sense of inspiration that earmarked their initial work, but they come close.

An album that places the idiosyncrasies of this band in such a palatable setting, listeners old and new may be rendered captive almost without their knowledge or consent.

The songs on The Traveler are tight and streamlined, with no particularly lengthy solos and little frenetic fretboard shredding. ... Instead, the focus is on good blues-based rock songs with catchy grooves, sing-along choruses, and memorable lead moments. Shepherd still shows his six-string mastery, especially on “Turn To Stone,” but he does so in much smaller doses.

Like much of what we’ve come to expect from Calexico there are plenty of textures and colorful layers in these pieces, with the bonus of Beam’s image-rich lyrics and gentle affecting vocals. It’s special.

Though Erotic Reruns doesn’t have any of the awe-inspiring moments of some of Yeasayer’s early work, it’s a solid album from start to finish, trimmed of all fat and without a bad note. A few more compositional risks would’ve served the band well, but as a whole the album finds the Brooklyn band in top form, packing its nine songs with dance-hall energy, commanding grooves, and song compositions that stretch the limits of pop music while remaining easy to digest.

Final Transmission is a touching tribute to the life of Scofield, allowing his immense talent to be enjoyed by the world one last time.

Clearly the collaboration between Carlos Santana and producer Rubin, the man who co-founded Def Jam Records (and has worked with the disparate likes of Run DMC, Slayer and Tom Petty) is a mutually fruitful one, because right through to the conclusion, “Candome Cumbele,” this record sounds all the more potent for its cooperative focus.

More formal and complete editions of Neil Young’s archives have been as satisfying as Tuscaloosa--this one lacks two cuts from the original recording--but none carry its implicit social relevance: even an artist as supremely instinctual as Neil Young couldn’t foresee the topical pertinence of an album titled in reference to this Southern state in 2019.

McKagan is an interesting artist. He seems to have no trouble moving between musical genres and he’s equally good at writing in different styles. ... Tenderness isn’t just good for a hard rock guy or a member of Guns N’ Roses. It’s a good album, regardless of whomever, McKagan has played with.

A judiciously edited forty-some minutes of music that sounds every bit the essence of what the band’s titular leader wanted to say and how he wanted it to sound.

She never meanders when storytelling, opting instead for a couple of spare verses with tight turns of phrase punctuated with humor and gravitas. Webster’s forte is silken expressions of lonesome introversion, and she does it with a radiating confidence that compels rapt attention.

Destroyer becomes the perfect album to play in your car while you speed (safely) down the highway. Though not as trippy or psych heavy as its predecessors, Destroyer still manages to fit perfectly into the Black Mountain catalogue.

Only a confident and fearless songwriter could take on this kind of subject matter and make it resonate.

Mavis has always strived to make us feel stronger. She is a remarkable role model bringing us remarkable, enviable spirit, captured here as well as it’s ever been.

Yes, this is confessional song writing but it’s done in the spirit of helping others who have felt similar emotions. She’s baring her soul in a selfless manner, hoping to help others move forward. The sound of Lucette is appropriately contemplative and reflective. It stands apart from most.

Where once they relied on builds with big payouts, the soundscapes conjured on I Am Easy to Find harness restraint so effectively, instead of reveling in the melodies that champion the vocal riches over the intricate layering of guitars, Bryan Devendorf’s iconic rhythms and the space between everything. Even at 64 minutes, it’s a record that never feels bloated.

Big Thief have taken the seeds of introspection that we caught glimpses of on Masterpiece and which showed up in a strong minority of tracks on Capacity and zeroed in on that characteristic, building an album around that subtlety of expression.

This one has terrific moments and arguably, some of the best songs he’s ever written. These ten songs, each three or four minutes in length. are the essence of Will Kimbrough, songsmith.

Cook’s artistic lyrics tend to become buried with the cascading roil around them, but the energy and blending/bleeding is part of The Yawpers appeal. The group’s enticing mix of folk, blues, noise, and good old fashion raw rock and roll is not new, but their twists, emotional singing, and willingness to distort musical conventions makes Human Question an engaging listen thr

The verbal, melodic and production understatement (the latter overseen by long-time studio mentor Jeremy Backofen) compels close listening to Undress, not just to comprehend the point(s) the group’s trying to make, but to appreciate the finely-tuned care with which they have offered their observations and asked their questions.

A less-cluttered and more intimate take on “Remember You” might well have increased its potency as the closing cut. Nevertheless, the ‘less is more’ premise remains in effect just often enough on Blue For Lou to certify the record, name associations aside, as a memorable entry in the lengthy discography of Nils Lofgren.

Many of the songs on There Is No Other are structurally simple but most of the arrangements are compellingly imaginative. This is a magical listen from as tight a partnership as you’ll hear. As the title implies, it’s incomparable.

These are richly bombastic horn arrangements, dancing grooves, and high powered performances from a band that loves taking it at full throttle.

While not peddling anything particularly new, Matsson’s legion of devoted fans will nonetheless find what they want and more in I Love You. It’s A Fever Dream. The skeptics will likely stay that way, but then you get the sense that’s the least of Matsson’s concerns.

Though it lacks some of the standout avant-garde moments of the band’s earlier work, it also eschews the messy missteps that had popped up from time to time. Seeing Other People is also the most focused and controlled Foxygen album and its intricate melodies and infinite hooks will be remembered long after the band is no more, whether France and Rado realize it or not.

How much you want to hear the duo’s take on the Floyd song may sway your overall feeling on the record, but even for non-Floyd fans, the originals captured on Mettavolution are reason enough to check in on this always unique duo.

If one were to go to previous Stones ‘Best of’ sets, like 40 Licks, you’ll find most, if not all of these tracks from 1971 through the early ‘80s. It’s the later stuff combined with the earlier material that makes this set perhaps a bit more interesting, although most would argue those later years don’t represent the best of the Stones.

I Need A New War is organic, human, and alive in the moment while conscious of the fleeting frailty of it all, it may just be the next step in his musical journey, but it is a confident stride.

It’s all so very lovely and natural.

This recording is difficult to describe but treasures abound with each new listen, especially in the orchestral sequences.

His smooth, deep voice is captivating, especially with this batch of melodic songs. This recording will deservedly draw plenty of attention.

As you’ve come to expect, the duo writes their usual honest, literate and narrative lyrics, this time perhaps with more intense personal themes. ... Meanwhile, the backing music, often cinematic in scope, can range for gritty and thrashing to ethereal and provocative.

It’s big, ambitious and beautiful, by far the best record Weyes Blood has made and also happens to be one of the best records of the year.

While Part 2 might not be quite as excellent as Part 1, the album as a whole contains some of Lavelle’s best work.

It’s no revelation that Coltrane’s music has withstood time. In fact, much of his later period spiritual work still sounds very radical. ... The more Coltrane, the better. Even these 8 LPs/5 CDs is not enough to satisfy the true fanatic, but it’s a treasure just the same.

It is an album that refuses to confine to a single vibe or genre and can thus be seen as inconsistent. ... But further listens and history will show “Empath” to be an incredible neuro-spazzing journey into the mind of a musical master.

Earle has made a gorgeous tribute, every bit as good, maybe even a shade better than TOWNES.

Rendered all the more vivid by Son Volt’s combustible playing, Jay Farrar’s imagery isn’t any more likely to become dated than like the rest of this record. On the contrary, it should prove timeless and, appropriately enough, of a piece with the best work of Jay Farrar’s estimable career.

The aptly titled, Deserted finds the old rabble-rousing crew in fine form.

The mixtape feel of Side Effects makes for a disjointed overall listen, but the highpoints, smooth midsection and overall frantic nature means there are very few down moments. Longtime fans will find a lot to like as will those new to the White Denim party.

My Finest Work Yet is an elegant musical piece, enriched by stimulating messaging.

This is one of Griffin’s most introspective albums, as she continues to move in this direction. Her fans will enjoy the lyrics and her, unique passionate vocals.

All these tracks are infused with percussion and amazing richly textured rhythmic patterns as you’ve already gleaned. Throughout, as on his other albums, Adjuah’s trumpet tone is clear and majestic sounding but it’s as if it resides on a higher plane above the rhythms and mix of acoustic and electronics taking place below. Together, the music remains unique, unlike almost anything else you’ve heard, unless it was from Adjuah or his label mate, Logan Richardson.

The ten songs are all solid, however, the restrained feeling of the record, especially early on, results in an album more one-note than it should be. EX Hex still rock but urgency is primarily absent, keeping It’s Real from truly ripping.

It’s “out there” but most of it is remarkably accessible, especially the raucous “Summon the Fire.” It’s transcendent music that relies on electronics, notably heavy use of reverb and tape delay, but Hutchings is a fiery sax player who blows aggressively while safeguarding the melody.

Haunting re-workings of “Private Hell” from the Jam’s 1979 Setting Sons resides next to solo favorites such as “You Do Something To Me,” both of which fit seamlessly into a set overtly and deliberately lush from its very start on “One Bright Star;” subsequently book-ended by “White Horses,” the program concludes with the appropriately emotional, but decidedly unsentimental flourish of “May Love Travel With You.”

Sky Blue ranks with Townes’ Live at the Old Quarter, a similarly intimate album, long regarded as one of his best. This, for many, will be more intriguing as it shows Townes laying down his tunes with sheer confidence and dripping emotion.

It is a flood of art at its most naked that won’t relent until you are submersed.

This impressive debut record captures the sound of some of London’s most prominent trailblazers at the top of their game. If this is your introduction to London’s current jazz sound, then it’s a good one.

It’s weird, ambitious and at times straight-up absurd; even as it settles for a vaguely more accessible and hook-heavy sound than previous efforts. It’s also, curiously, a bit of a slow starter, the songs getting well and truly better as it goes on.

White Stuff may not be as experimental as some of their past efforts, but it is an incredibly enjoyable dip into the dumpster of dirty grooving rock and roll whose sound is surprisingly appropriate thirty years after their formation.

The beauty of this creative work is that you’ll hear different sounds almost every time you play it. The melodies are infectious, and the playing is immensely inspired. It’s a risky concept that succeeds brilliantly.

This is a fun and impressive album showing you don’t have to be a young American to make a killer blues rock album.

There will never be another Ray Charles. He sounds just as amazing now as he did 55-56 years ago. This is music one can’t revisit too often.

It’s much more textural [than 2015's Undertow], drawing a lot from new wave and shoegaze, with drummer Rory Loveless (Eoin’s brother) always luring the song back to those rock roots. The combination works and keeps the album from sounding like an 80’s tribute record.

It’s an effective blend superior to earlier attempts at versatility, as on the Bright Lights EP and, during the aforementioned “What About Us,” comparable to the absorption of musical elements present on previous full-length studio albums like Blak And Blu.

American Love Song is classic Bingham.

The gauntlet is thrown down directly at the start and while the following songs are all strong, nothing tops this dynamite performance.

An LP as disciplined as it is versatile.

Ellis proves to be a grand pop master. This, albeit somewhat surprising, is his most cohesive album to date.

Hayes Carll has made some great records. This is his best one.

The songs vary in songwriting quality but you can’t argue with the performances. Everything she puts on the album is elevated.

Though the album doesn’t really venture into new territory, the quality of songs on Tip of the Sphere maintain the same consistency of quality as his past albums. It is an album that is bound to please both diehard fans and newcomers alike.

At 12 tracks long, and finishing just under 37 minutes, Sunshine Rock is relentless. It’s heavy without being dark. It’s catchy without being light. And while the bones of the album are Mould and his electric guitar, he has very carefully added different touches, like strings and keyboards, that enhance the tracks without being distracting. Sunshine Rock is an album worth hearing.

Whatever way you slice it, Deer Tick’s “leftovers” are better than the main courses of many other bands. This compilation is an attempt to show fans a more vulnerable side of the band, the ones that would choose the mayonnaise.

The harmony between the two is captivating and eminently listenable; it’s easy to detect the seamless teamwork and understand why they’ve been so successful. Theirs is an airy sound, crystalline clear like splinters of sunlight in a hushed forest.

On What Chaos Is Imaginary, Tucker and Tividad have created an album that find the duo embracing their personal changes while still writing honest and deep lyrics. The harmonies and melodies on the album are far above those on past albums.

As always, it’s Bazan’s words that bring people to the table and keep seated. Rolling out of his mouth with no real set sense of intonation or melody, Bazan beautifully interweaves pinpoint specific tales of his churchgoing suburban youth with greater universal ideas of truth and meaning, all wrapped in his dark wit and humor.

Cone is a crusader for patience and that steadfastness and fastidiousness comes across.