Drenched in swirling reverb, the atmosphere evoked by Talkie Talkie is lush and cinematic – whiffs of surf rock, loping Latin drums, and shiny, liquid guitar twangs.

It’s slightly less immediate than Designer, but more diverse; and it never once feels derivative of any other artist or Harding herself. Even if taken strictly as a vocal exercise, Warm Chris is a triumph, and another key to unraveling her enigma.

The album is eminently funky. That sound works well for a while but begins to wear thin, rescued in the latter half by tracks such as “Concrete Mind,” “Not Gonna Waste My Love” and the superb closer “It’s Alright,” which do the best job of depicting LaVette’s endearing, pour-it-all-out and leave-nothing-on-the-floor-vocals. Of course, there’s a side benefit too – Randall Bramblett is likely to expand his number of followers as a result.

The real highlights for Woods this go around are the four instrumental efforts that each have a distinct vibe yet are linked spiritually. Rather than acting as placeholders they take root as distinct works.

While Me/And/Dad has its share of some genuine knee-slappers, such as “Way Downtown” and “Dig A Little Deeper (In The Well)”, the album ultimately draws its strength from the emotionally charged performances heard on some of the more somber material. ... Me/And/Dad shines thanks to its stripped-down arrangements of traditional material that serve as a welcome counterpoint to the progressive-fueled musical fireworks that often accompany Strings’ live shows.

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.

Angel Du$t miraculously showcased their maturity while keeping a keen eye on the elements that make them such a unique voice, all while writing incredibly moving songs.

Spread over nearly a dozen tracks, the band leans more into classic funk and jazz this time around, while carrying over their other influences for one of their finest records yet.

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

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.

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.

This album is still very much a Lenker solo project with minimal arrangements and honest songwriting but thanks to some fearlessness and a bit of patience, she can make Bright Future stand out from the rest of her solo work.

He opts for a solidly optimistic take on his circumstances. And right there is the obvious charm of Strawberry Mansion. Over 45 minutes, he doesn’t skirt any of the hard topics. ... Beautifully frank collection of songs.

At only nine songs in length, Pang! provides a relatively brief encounter, but its brevity is more than made up for in its upbeat attitude and carefully constructed melodies. Its cross-cultural references may require a more concerted listen, but the vibe and variety all but ensure an endearing effect right from the start. There’s no pain in this Pang!, but instead, a wealth of pure pleasure.

Tracks like “Discovering”, “The Balcony” and “Eagles Below Us” are all back porch-based, sunshine-filled entries. The Pet Parade marches on for Fruit Bats, delivering looping easy rolling tunes around Johnson’s distinct vocal approach.

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.

he fearless Neko Case has returned from a seven-year hiatus with perhaps her most fully realized album to date. Neon Grey Midnight Green is a title only Case could conceive, let alone the lyrics to these songs, possibly more intimate and personal than ever.

Throughout The Slow Rush, Parker melds different elements of pop, funk, disco, and psychedelia. It is not as eclectic as early Tame Impala but deftly blends Parker’s various influences into a slowly-building groove record that hits all of its marks.

Cousin is the band’s most avant-garde album in years, as Tweedy unleashes ten moving pieces of poetry set to unpredictable arrangements that all evoke the feeling of warmth despite their cold disposition.

An album that rebrands its creator in a genuinely bold new way, something that is attempted often but is rarely this effective. It may not be his strongest outing, but it’s easily his most rousing.

This terrific project has its shining moments, with a few missteps along the way, yet it will likely go down as a winner. This aggregation of talent doesn’t come along often.

The Baltimore based artist has released and produced a variety of EP’s, soundtracks and experimental offerings but on Mystic Familiar he succeeds in combing passions and moving things slightly to a more personal tone amongst the cluttering digital world in which we all live.

Will Oldham has set a new standard for himself on Keeping Secrets Will Destroy You, a standard that could only possibly be outdone by the artist who set it.

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.

Motherhood uses noise to repel its underlying beauty. One of the most eclectic releases of the year, it’s also far and away the best No Joy album to date.

For fans waiting for the band to release something as good as their 2012 sophomore album, The Strange Case Of…, the wait is over. Everest has some of the best music of Halestorm’s career.

The result is deeply evocative music because the production is as restrained as the interplay is energetic.

Temple captures the band’s unique melding of styles: Asian with American, hip hop with rock, analog with digital, off-kilter with hummable. The band’s influences are combined not as a precise recipe, but as an experimental alchemy that rewards in unexpected ways.

Despite being their tenth album, Pond continues to push their artistic boundaries, blending innovation with their distinct psychedelic roots. Stung! stands as a testament to their enduring creativity and knack for crafting compelling music, making it an ideal soundtrack for the summer.

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.

While this may not become your favorite James Blake album instantly, it is one that toes the delicate line of pleasing the world while staying true to yourself. Playing Robots Into Heaven is a snapshot of Blake’s ambitions while still sounding present and urgent.

I Be Trying hits the sweet spot and when the players deliver the goods during the smoking hill country blues of “Keep On Pushing” everything else seems to slip away as Cedric Burnside confidently carries on traditions while successfully injecting his own spin on the genre.

The True Story of Bananagun is one of the most inspiring debut releases of 2020 as a host of sounds infuse the musical spirit of these cosmic adventurers resulting in a dynamite and diverse record.

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.

Ghost Stories is a powerful record that should have been made a long time ago – but was well worth the wait.

2019’s Green Balloon grappled with trying to capture the band’s live exuberance, but the guest augmented Red Balloon just floats along, strutting smooth confidence from the get-go.

Funeral for Justice finds the band flying high while creating songs they believe passionately in, resulting in the strongest album of Mdou Moctar’s career.

Trying on outfits/styles, genres/sounds is all second nature for Lewis and while there are clear country touches throughout Joy’All, Lewis manages to make them her own, evolving, writing, and singing with a sense of palpable happiness and freedom.

Its messaging is almost diametrically opposed to the spiritual optimism of Pharaoh Sanders’ great 1969 Impulse! album Karma, yet, ironically, the lasting effect is similar due to the inspired, passionate playing.

The Kills God Games is a step forward for the band, expanding their sound while retaining what makes them successful.

This meeting of varying experiments is at the core of Wait Til I Get Over, Jones is able to challenge himself while still keeping the narrative of the LP intact, an expedition that could’ve given us countless results. What we got was an album that sits in the middle ground of the past and future, toying with the present in order to give the listener a full experience rather than a simple collection of songs.

What makes The Lemon Twigs such an exciting band to follow is that they have maintained a way to be new and still very rooted in what past masters of rock have accomplished sonically. ... For fellow fans of The Lemon Twigs, I’m sure we can agree it was absolutely worth the wait.

There are not many musicians who could present an album with such a wide sonic palette. That is a Wayne Shorter characteristic that Blanchard and these two ensembles deliver on brilliantly.

The band’s sound has evolved steadily since Letting Off the Happiness, but they have managed to hold onto everything that made the band stand out decades ago—emotionally smart songs delivered with earnest charm.

Endless Rooms bristles with a creative spirit, which is clearly displayed in the twinkling folk-rock of “Open Up Your Window” and the building/banging dance-pop of “Blue Eye Lake”. The upbeat finale, “Bounce Off The Bottom”, keeps the tone bright with synths and chimes augmenting the sound of Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever who seem to be expanding into a new era as a collective.

This might be some of the most calming music you have ever heard. It is billed as “a private listening experience.” Put this on before you go to sleep, and it should certainly relieve any tensions or anxieties. Peace.

Mdou Moctar’s Africa Victime is a less out and out rocking affair than past offerings, yet it is a more nuanced and dynamic full length than anything they have delivered before.

What the album lacks in sonic consistency, as the tracklist leaps from pop anthems to nostalgic soul balladry, it makes up for in raw passion and artistic experimentation.

This is Tami’s fifth solo album. Her trajectory is climbing and her boundless talent is a wonder to behold. Listen up.

While lyrically Bridwell is struggling during these tough times, musically he has rebounded and that combo works; Things Are Great proves Band of Horses has a lot left in the tank.

Throughout, as we’ve come to expect, Armatrading sings fervently and delivers a batch of songs that at first listen, seem fairly simple, but echo with a bit more intensity each time.

This lineup offers great potential for the provocative mix of musical personalities, and sure enough, sparks fly from the get-go on “Opal.” .... The very delicate balance the four employ actually elevates their imaginative interplay. In letting his comrades dominate on “Talking Drum,” for instance.

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.

Ultimately, his multi-faceted approach proves intriguing.

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.

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.

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.

Byrne always walks the fine line with his art-pop between pretentious and affecting, but thankfully, he always invests heavily in the almighty groove and some humor. Tracks like “Door Says No” skillfully evoke a range of emotions, and the quirky “I Met the Buddha at a Downtown Party” skillfully blends tasty desserts with spirituality and the mystery of life, all set to a cool beat.

No Time for Love Songs is an album that channels a range of adult emotions from grief, anger, disbelief, and a deep respect for those lost into charming, evocative, gorgeous songcraft that serves for both an excellent listen and outlook.

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.

Crockett has a potpourri of songs here, from the relatively simple country ditties, to arresting narratives, to those filled with symbolism that demand multiple listens. He remains squarely in the front row of today’s best writers.

For better or worse, Archives III compiles content from Neil’s ill-fated tenure on Geffen Records. This phase of his career has yet to receive the rethinking afforded ‘The Ditch Trilogy’ from the previous decade, so it remains to be seen what demographic finds these outtakes revelatory. Nevertheless, a plethora of previously unavailable selections from that period reaffirms that Young always takes his work seriously, even if, at times, he seems nonchalant to a fault (or, worse, illogical).

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.

“Alice in Bluegrass” highlights the skills of her fine band while the haunting “Stranger Things” is both a vocal tour de force and a stunning dobro turn from Douglas. Tuttle is at her playful best, promoting marijuana legalization in the brief, upbeat “Down Home Dispensary.”

Altogether, as with most of YLT’s covers over the years, Sleepless Night is a stellar selection of songs completed by a very talented trio. If it sounds like the group could record most of these covers in their sleep, that only shows how well the band has honed their tribute skills.

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.

The collective clarity of mind on cuts such as “Monaco” keeps them focused and to the point. And while both the musicianship and the material In songs such as “Last Frontier” sound distinctly of that time in the mid to late Nineties when Ride pioneered what is now described as ‘shoegaze music,” it’s also pertinent to that period when it took courage to leave the home even as it was psychically suffocating to stay inside. No question there is a tangible confidence suffusing Interplay.

Though less dynamic than its predecessor, owing perhaps to the lack of a surprise factor, it essentially picks up where Raising Sand let off. There are a few new tweaks, but this is collaboration is so strong, we’re left asking why we had to wait so long.

Nothing new here, just Hunter and company wearing their love for rocking soul music on their sleeve as they dive through the thirteen tracks on Nick of Time with vigor, affection and professionalism.

Jonny is an album you need to listen to front-to-back in order to understand the full vision, nothing about this album should be skimmed over.

The result is a solo album that feels both intimate and essential, a reminder that his understated approach remains as powerful as ever. It stands among the most affecting entries in his already remarkable catalog.

On the band’s first album of original songs since 2015, Martsch is back, on top of his game throughout When the Wind Forgets Your Name. Whether it was the Brazilian inspiration, Covid isolation, or just plain time for another solid BtS record, Martsch and company deliver.

The album’s blend of thoughtful lyricism, nostalgic influences, and contemporary relevance makes it a compelling addition to the indie pop landscape in 2024. Whether you’re seeking introspective reflections or simply looking for tunes to enjoy, Harm’s Way offers a nuanced and immersive listening experience.

By design, Lives Outgrown does not have the danceable grooves of Portishead’s music, but fans of the more experimental aspects of Gibbons’s former band should love the album. The orchestral compositions and atmospheric tension paint bleak portraits well-suited for Gibbons’s somber voice. That voice is as good as ever, able to wring drama from each utterance of her poetic tales of loss.

On BOOK (the record) They Might Be Giants continue to pump out what they always have, smart earworm pop tunes that are slightly odd, tastefully corny and instantly catchy.

The beauty is in the segues, the sequencing, the layering, and the spirit of the endeavor. It’s best to take it as a whole, rather than a sum of parts.

The difference to these ears between Happiness Bastards and A Pound Of Feathers is a clear, harder edge, and more importantly, the Robinsons smell success and are fully invested in the band. That hunger is palpable as the heavy songs throughout A Pound Of Feathers kick down doors announcing The Black Crowes are fully back.

The story there [on “Birdsong”] and on “Losing You” is almost as absorbing as the depth of sound for No More Worlds to Conquer: the audio quality compels more than a passing thought about how that less than three-minute latter track might go on longer. But Robin Trower repeats himself no more often in his solos than with each successive record of his, so “Waiting For the Rain to Fall” also whets the appetite for more of his rich, thoughtful playing.

"I'm People" is honest and so accessible that it seems as if the storytelling MC Taylor is engaging a single listener, both seated in a cozy room.

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.

Senjutsu is an album that respects the lineage and history of the band without rehashing previous works. The result is one of the best albums of the band’s entire career, one that stands tall next to Fear of the Dark and Seventh Son of a Seventh Son.

The songs here are a perfect continuation of Walking Proof, especially the musically breezy title track with deeper lyrical meaning, summing up the exhaustion and loneliness many felt over the past year.

The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny Demo is the most accessible Mr. Bungle album, if it’s possible for thrash metal to be accessible. ... Fans looking for the outlandishness of Disco Volante may be disappointed, but anyone looking for angry, nonsensical mosh music will find everything they need.

As is the case with almost all tribute albums, not every track is consistently great but this one is leaps and bounds better than most.

An LP as disciplined as it is versatile.

Private Space is a honeyed slice of the retro-soul with pop leanings from Durand Jones & The Indications as they continue to mine the 60’s and 70’s for inspiration.

An almost biblical journey to freedom, Tinariwen have inspired compatriots from Tamikrest to Bombino, artists that encapsulate the struggle of a people, taking it to the world through music that truly brings people together.

The beauty of Almost Free is the underlying honesty that exudes from each riff and lyric.

I Want The Door To Open stands in stark contrast to The Lamb, setting opposing goals and aiming for a different audience, but both remain uncompromising visions of West, a songwriter whose proven on top of everything else, her inventiveness.

Below a Massive Dark Land captures an amalgamation of complex thoughts and emotions.

As June continues to shape her style, it’s clear she’s zeroing in on her muse. The essence of June’s sound is perfectly captured in the album title. She transports the listener through lush soundscapes that not only leave echoes; they leave a lasting halo-like glow.

An unusually provocative piece of work.

This man long ago taught himself to recognize the lasting value in a good song and here, over the course of some fifty minutes, he deftly applies those lessons to an unusual range of his very own.

While the current lockdown has certainly affected the band, the mix of melancholy/yearning leading towards wonder/delight has always been at the heart of Dinosaur Jr.’s sound. Now those styles inform Sweep It Into Space with a vivid sense of the isolating present while gazing at hope on the horizon.

In the Hour of Dust ends on a note of affirmation and encouragement, a fitting end to a work that, while cinematic and beautifully rendered, remains a protest record at heart.

It is a very groovy record, full of disco and funk beats. It was also brought to life with the help of Sonic Boom, a former member of Spaceman 3, who has also worked with Beach House. Any fan of Moon Duo or psych-rock will not be let down by Stars Are the Light.

These songs manage to uphold expectations while taking baby steps towards something the duo can call their own. The tracklist comes together like a long DJ set, ensuring bodies are moving all around while painstakingly crafting a consistency that is noticeable from the jump.

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.