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.

Overall, it was an excellent example of electronic production by two masters at the craft. A lot of instrumentally based albums move all as one piece, but “Aporia” was a combination of tracks each made as an individual piece creating a distinct musical picture. Listen with headphones.

Everything from future horror movie soundtracks, to thrash blasts of rage, to smoky 70’s fuzz flows out of Arrows and while the overall result is a bit hit or miss, Red Fang returns back to their sweet spot; recording together for the simple love of playing heavy music.

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.

These three-part harmonies and killer songwriting mix light and dark to muster a complex ode to memory, a call for hope, and an exercise in empathy, yet the overriding result is joyous. Careful planning and years of work went into this project that breathes a spirit of collaboration and freedom beyond the meticulous decisions about instrumental textures.

Ricochet is an irresistible album full of simple but effective song-craft decisions that add up to a next-level moment for the artist.

In stark contrast is the self-indulgent hero worship of “The One And Only (Van Dyke Parks).” However well-intentioned, the track is too cute by half, but its juxtaposition with the “Back In New York (Electric Mix)” redeems the conclusion of The Great Escape as crisp electric guitar figures echo through the jaunty tone of the Modrec Horns.

Although she admits to being purposely eclectic, it sounds as if there is too much experimentation at play. There are some great songs here, but a more organic, less produced kind of musical accompaniment would arguably strengthen the material.

As good as last year’s I Told You So was, this is an even stronger response to their already highly raised bar.

Where Go stood as a natural outlet for stifled creativity, Shiver extends Jónsi’s prowess even farther. Both may prove to be products of their times, but both serve as deeply singular bodies of work.

Earth To Dora is very much a turn up the volume, open the windows and let everyone enjoy it type of record.

Is 4 Lovers has plenty of style and substance. Though the album goes in some new directions, the formula of previous Death from Above 1979 releases is still there and it still works. Is 4 Lovers is heavy and unpolished but full of charm and memorable hooks to go with the rumbling bass and bruising rhythms.

Brian King and David Prowse traffic in exhilarating rock and roll that fuels climactic moments throughout the course of a live show and on this night, the two musicians pulled tracks from all three of their upbeat studio releases. That stated, this live capturing does not improve on any of the songs presented on Post-Nothing, Celebration Rock or Near to the Wild Heart of Life, yet for the duo’s fans, it will recall fond memories of shows past.

In more ways than one, these renditions fulfill the duo’s ambition to avoid just cranking out the hits.

Rogers is well on her way to inhabit the bright spotlights of stardom with her affecting lyrics, strong vocals, and gorgeous soundscapes of dance floor filling tunes.

Unlimited Love is a decidedly low-key affair, not concerned about competing with the band’s past greatness, but rather more focused on the simple joys of being in the same room jamming together again.

Generations is a more mature album than Policy in that Butler creates a cohesive narrative throughout. ... Butler also proves that he is adept at creating music on his own without having to rely on past sounds from Arcade Fire.

While Closure/Continuation doesn’t contain the triumphs of past efforts, it is a rewarding listen from start to finish and adds another medal around prog-rock ambassador Steven Wilson. This dexterous trio appears delighted to deliver for their core audience to whom what they hope is a new beginning.

As on the previous record, these tracks are pieced together and arranged by bandleader Stu Mackenzie from group jams before being augmented with overdubs and vocals, and on Denim the band sound even less encumbered with the idea of traditional songcraft – though they manage to craft a great pair of songs here.

Girl is an enchantingly lighthearted delusion of crushes and happy hours, composed with an escapist party of a live show in mind (influenced by their own tour with feel-good NYC synth-pop artist Porches). Girl Ray provides a summer fling of an album and makes it feel like an urgent necessity as we seemingly tick off our waning moments in these late-near-apocalyptic times.

They created a vulnerable album that hints at the band’s past two decades while showcasing a new side of a band whose fearless sonic explorations gave them this longevity in the first place.

Spirit Counsel is a testament to Moore’s musical vision, no wave roots, tonal sound and guitar style as he remains both clanging and melodic. Adventurous listeners will reap rewards from the textures and endless twists/turns Moore brings to these three long guitar-based passages.

The album is a cohesive collection of tracks, personal experiences, and the broader human condition. While some may find it a bit nostalgic, the album’s raw and real approach, combined with its lighthearted moments, makes it a compelling listen.

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

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.

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

This Dream of You is a solid entry, though surely not the strongest in her storied catalog.

As a whole Screen Time is a curious listen/mood piece, the outings are all semi-interesting but (like the album as a whole) remain one note in tone, leaving a minimal visceral imprint. Screen Time’s sketches and atonal guitar jazz wanderings have moments, just not enough, however, with Moore, all guitar phases and releases are worth checking in on.

Throughout Rhumba Country, Pokey LaFarge broadens his sound, effortlessly bringing in world influences to help accentuate his retro Americana core, positively crafting one of the most enjoyable efforts of his long career.

The Murlocs continue their steeped-in acid look back at the 60’s Nuggets-inspired offerings on the convincing Rapscallion.

Kishi Bashi is an artist of many influences and levels, but good things happen when things stay more direct on Kantos, clicking on a disco-based, new wave, funky vibe.

The end result works better in some spots than others, “Lights Out” feels like the artists tossed everything they possibly could into the mix and the overload/instant shift in styles is a bit much while “The Art of Losing” featuring Haley Fohr (Circuit des Yeux )is torn between traditional song structure and free for all, never truly coalescing around either.

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.

For those of you who haven’t been acquainted with Sergio Mendes since the glory days of AM Radio, and for others that are in the know, this may prove both surprising, and yes, joyful.

They deliver some gems here (especially the four-song sequence of “Hey Delilah” “Ain’t the Same,” “Lonesome for a Livin’,” and “All Rise Again” ranking with the best in their catalog.

The music is simple with wonderful harmonies, but the breadth of what’s covered is so intriguingly complex, that while difficult to digest at first, exerts a yearning tug that keeps pulling one back for more listens.

Moonshine (the album) weaves lyrics dealing with simple things like moving with feelings about politics and the human condition to create an album that really resonates in this day and age.

Burnett is not a fan of technology, modern trends, or much of anything in general in the despondent middle offering of his trilogy. As a result, The Invisible Light: Spells oozes a murky uneasiness that floats throughout the album.

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.

Folds is past aiming for radio airplay and mass appeal and focused more on creating experimental songs that appeal to his creativity. And sometimes those moments of inspiration take him back to the beginning and sound a lot like he did when he first started out.

This lovingly covered collection will not make new fans of either act, but as a loving document to a unique songwriter, it succeeds.

The band takes full advantage of their unpredictable reputation to craft an ambitious piece of art packed with enough personality and sparkle for it to be considered an undeniably fantastic release.

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.

While the highs on the album are high, the lows are apparent and hard to ignore. There is a battle between the band’s influences and their own vision for their sound which leaves them with a batch of great ideas that weren’t executed to their full potential.

Sonic textures, melodies, and interesting arrangements are used to prop up the storytelling, rather than the stories taking a backseat to musicianship. Beneath the Eyrie is not as instantly catchy as the band’s early work, but it rewards repeated listens with an emphasis on lyrics and musical layers.

Candid not only keeps their hands in the game but provides the kind of light-hearted recording schedule bands need from time to time. They may be treading water, but if their music remains as well-made and appealing as it is, they may just be able to make a career out of it.

This gentle, lilting album is a totally relaxing listen, somehow devoid of the deep sensual bluesy moods that Holiday can evoke but instead invoking a flowing, other-worldly (to use his term) romanticism.

It is hard to predict how faithful Twenty-one pilots fans will react. Regardless, given the time spent by Joseph and Dun on this record, this record is a triumph that marks a maturity that now eclipses their previous albums.

The combination of Wall’s vivid imagery and his sense of tone gives these songs a cinematic feeling, Little Songs is just as much a novel-turned-movie as it is an LP. Colter Wall has another terrific record to add to his discography, one that cements him as Country’s next legend.

It’s hard not to make a comparison to a couple of acoustic gems like “Torn and Frayed” or “Moonlight Mile” by Rolling Stones. In this case, the comparison is simply a compliment. Starcrawler does not shy from exploring different sounds and genres, ultimately showcasing its talents.

Like Jon Batiste’s recent effort World Music Radio, by trying to reach out to the masses, the spark that makes Lake Street Dive engagingly hard to classify has evolved into its bold shot at populist appeal.

In total, Look Alive finds Guster again opting for the unexpected, a playful approach that allows them to expand their sonic terrain and meld experimentation into their rockier refrains. It isn’t an easy album to absorb in a single listen, but it does ensure that each encounter will be all the more engaging along the way.

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.

Stinson and Robert have turned down the raucousness and deliver more contemplative efforts, while still experimenting with sound and instrumentation. The stakes feel lower by design as if two musicians are just having a good time with each other as Cowboys in the Campfire allow Wronger to chill along.

Lyrically Batiste plays it middle of the road, not to offend, and at times that hollowness can seem like a bad parody. ... That title, World Music Radio, pledges a larger scope of sound which Batiste is certainly capable of incorporating, but too often different genres get a quick cameo before Batiste goes back to the dance-ready pop tracks.

Bless Your Heart simultaneously reinforces and extends the favorable first impression left with the premier album.

As a bleak artistic shift from his folksier Americana, the album is a complete product, just not a very engaging one. Todd Snider seems to be in transition with this record.

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.

Freewave Lucifer F>ck F^ck F<ck addresses the full spectrum of human emotion, it has a loose feeling without straying too far away from Barnes’ initial vision. While it may take a couple of listens to fully grasp what Of Montreal is portraying on this album, the result is a scary yet gorgeous album filled with off-kilter instrumentals and soul-stirring songwriting that will leave you feeling bewildered and enticed.

It is in the opener and closer where perhaps the most interesting experiments lie. Cobb opens with “Beyond Measure (Piano),” a solo piano number that sounds almost demo-like and starts the album on odd footing, but the closing “Beyond Measure (Fixin’s)” brings the whole band back to the track. Perhaps combining those two efforts in Neil Young-like fashion could find a successful middle ground between Cobb’s rock and Americana urges.

Evian has succeeded in creating a layered album that reveals more and more on repeated listens both instrumentally and lyrically.

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.

The collection of songs is ambitious – at times brilliant and other times tedious. But you can’t accuse The Avett Brothers of simply rerecording the same album over and over again.

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.

When the band does dig into R&B it does so in the modern era rather than leaning retro (there is a noticeable lack of horns throughout) as “Ghost In Smoke” and “Tin Man Love” both use skittering trap like drums and digital bass bumps to groove. St. Paul and the Broken Bones are constantly evolving and the fearless band goes with what inspires them, on The Alien Coast that covers a little bit of everything.

This simplicity is what first brought them to national attention and this collection of seven tracks is solid, but feels like a regression for a band who was just stepping out of their comfort zone. The dynamite harmonies and strong acoustic playing is still there, but nothing presented on the EP is must-hear.

The lighthearted moments here offset the pedantry even if they also muffle a more provocative impact (as did the strident tone of 2006’s Living With War, including “Let’s Impeach The President”). Neil is preaching to the converted here and this offering isn’t likely to convince the skeptical.

With his fifteenth solo album, Sting’s Duets is a fluid journey between other collaborators with touches of inspiration from a plethora of genres, all while boasting that finesse and swagger that’s immortalized in his past work.

This is not an album meant to prove any sense of prowess; it is a quiet collection of songs from an artist looking to understand himself better.

A move to a more polished sound was desired and clearly achieved, yet tracks like “Moment of Joy” and “The Way” both seem to suffer from this newer clean style. “Moment of Joy” lyrically yearns to break out of its mellow musical world while “The Way” simply has too many ideas getting crammed into one song.

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.

It’d behoove him to engage with an objective third party to help produce the album (a task he assumed here along with his spouse). Based on the slightly erratic nature of Mountains, such an alliance would ensure the versatile skills Nils Lofgren still commands would receive all the attention they deserve and in the proper proportion too.

Through its simplicity, Five Easy Hot Dogs achieved a level of beauty that redefines Demarco as a musician. Instead of relying on cheeky guitar tones and whispering vocal melodies, Demarco created a project that expresses his diversity without it feeling forced.

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 songs are carefully constructed but never overworked, and the production keeps things loose enough to feel personal. After years of contributing to other artists’ records, this debut makes a convincing case that Morgan Nagler’s own voice deserves just as much attention.

Action Adventure is a tidal wave of dense textures that wash over the listener for a full-sensory rollercoaster ride through the restless creativity of DJ Shadow.

As the title suggests, Thompson reckons with the breakup of a real-life relationship but navigates it with an even-handed balance that’s part wistful and part deeply honest.

This soothing, peaceful album reminds us to take stock of who we are, where we’ve been, but mostly to just appreciate the moments at hand. It’s the kind of album that only a superior artist could pull off without sounding cheesy or pat.

Some of It Was True feels like a noteworthy stepping stone to the next era of The Menzingers with moments of moving songwriting and masterful musicianship that build on the ironclad legacy of one of Philadelphia’s greatest artistic offerings.

As Barnes embarks on this new phase, Lady On The Cusp stands as a powerful, multifaceted expression of their artistic journey.

The album has a Side A and Side B feel to it with the first half comprised of layered, dense tunes as is mixer Blake’s penchant. Side B (if you will) lightens the sonics a bit, giving the band more room to breathe and, for these ears, an easier listening experience.

He’s much happier sitting in a groove and sustaining it while listening to the singer and the band.

End of the Day is a bit of an enigma. Fans of Anonymous Club may enjoy the atmospheric score and recall some of their favorite accompanying scenes from the documentary. For everyone else, there’s not much to get out of it.

At times the album succumbs to bloated overload, the occasional instrumental placeholders like “Sultry Air” and “Movements of Time“ are not necessary on an already long-running album while the AOR pop of “Slow Days” feels a bit like running in place with fine, yet dull, overall results. However, the band’s chilling-on-a-space-age-beach attitude also results in some grand successes.

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 resulting unwieldy quadruple album manages to be overwhelming and underwhelming at the same time.

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.

Sound Wheel is an experimental chronicling of the vagabond road trip lifestyle of an artist who is constantly observing the open highways and the American culture driving them. Mosshart keeps her eyes sharp, her voice fluid and her thoughts rolling as she follows her muse.

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.

More than anything, the album is simply boring. None of Morello’s solos feel particularly inspired. None of his grooves get enough room to breathe. None of his jams particularly rock.

It is adventurous and (importantly) without sacrificing the strength of the tracks themselves. Even more impressive, is that with all the risks the band takes here, the album is undeniably a Whitney record.

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

The lyrics of Deadbeat scream essential Tame Impala. Still, there is a simplicity to Deadbeat that has never been a part of the band’s repertoire, allowing Parker’s songwriting to feel new and fresh. .... These twelve songs do more than satisfy Parker’s hunger for something fresh; they establish Tame Impala as an amorphic sonic giant ready to implement their singularity into whichever genre they please.

Cudi’s ninth outing features the crooning of his first few releases while harkening back even further to his mixtape days with razor-sharp flows. INSANO is effortlessly fun and enticing while still showing Cudi’s artistic progression.

At their best, The Avett Brothers are transcendent songwriters with the ability to cut right to the soul while delivering perfect musical harmony. The majority of The Third Gleam serves as a reminder of the best qualities that The Avett Brothers can bring.

This is a highly creative album that only Robertson could deliver. It’s not perfect but it’s highly memorable and well-conceived.

HOPIUMFORTHEMASSES, while not up to the band’s overall best (Psalm 69, Rio Grande Blood), is a very solid Ministry album during these insane times.

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.