Control gives Dehd room to deepen their sets and expand their sound but most importantly lays the groundwork for an even better and more lush album that could follow.

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.

Blue World reveals Coltrane’s personal progress, as well as the interactive consistency and sonic details the Classic Quartet had firmly established as their collective signature by 1964.

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.

The weight of loss, the pain of failed love, the bleakness of it all, combined with Thundercats effervescent playing, unique playfulness and a giddy sense of humor combine on It Is What It Is, resulting in the best album of Brunner’s career and one of the strongest of 2020.

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

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.

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.

The Last Dinner Party was able to craft an LP that combines their wide range of influences and filters them through their own artistic lens. This birthed an album that both rocks hard and emphasizes what pop song structures can become when placed in the right hands. We will all remember where we were when we first heard Prelude to Ecstasy, an album that is seemingly just the start for an innovative and daring young act.

It’s an album that balances intense aggression with sing-along melodies and introspection with detached cynicism. And those delicate balancing acts serve as a worthy step forward from Wet Leg’s excellent 2022 debut.

The album is riddled with pretty hooks that are buried under interesting complexities.

This well-conceived, important album unsurprisingly features a wealth of inspired playing both from the band and the guests. It will likely stand as a landmark recording for Shabaka Hutchings, who continues to blaze trails as one of today’s leading music artists.

With the help of Lopatin’s production and mixing, Sometimes, Forever takes a different approach, creating dense sonic landscapes packed with various analog and electronic sounds. It’s Allison’s biggest risk to date but one that comes with plenty of rewards.

One of the more melodic tracks here “Days Like These” chooses not to bog the listener down in platitudes but instead affirm the feelings and exasperation of the audience. Low have toed that line particularly well, while still expanding the breadth of their sound to contribute another truly great album, one that ranks among their very best.

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.

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.

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.

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.

What it might lack in energy, Anaïs Mitchell generally makes up for in the beauty of the songwriting and performances. Mitchell’s voice never fails to deliver, wandering fairy-like through each melody while inhabiting the all-too-human yearning in her lyrics. There’s not a note or an instrument on this record that feels out of place, each little horn line or guitar twinkle is intentional and it all comes together into something with all the warmth and coziness of a winter night sitting by the fire watching the snow fall outside.

While you’re trying to keep up with Jacklin’s detailed songwriting, you may miss what is going on behind her well-crafted melodies. On Pre Pleasure, her typical acoustic rock sound is intertwined with lush string sections and hints of experimentation.

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

In itself songs is a soft companion to Big Thief’s two albums from 2019 and an album that effortlessly captures the aimless desperation of quarantine. It’s not so much that this work pales in comparison to the work with her band, even considering their outsized reputation; it’s more that Lenker achieves something completely different on her solo albums. songs like abysskiss provides insight and context to the broad beauty of Big Thief, and when being herself, Lenker proves successful.

The fearless artist trusts his gut, questions everything, including himself and the world he lives in, explores the limits of his guitar and his honesty to land on an all-encompassing opus that is equally undeniable and valiant.

Oregon-based Margo Cilker’s debut is a well-lived, road-worn collection of songs that transcend genre, dipping in and out of folk, Americana and modern roots offering a nearly flawless record from the opening track on.

The marriage of the band’s reflective songwriting and the soaring experimentation of the arrangement proves to be a winning formula, as exemplified on touching moments like the wistful, chugging “Words,” or the warped album opener, “Incomprehensible.”

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.

There are songs where she’s smoothed out the edges somewhat. That, with the raw instrumentation framing it, makes this one of her stronger vocal outings.

Despite it being one of their shortest albums, their feral-like energy continues to demand your attention for the full 40 minutes.

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.

The North Mississippi Allstars’ Up And Rolling is a decidedly tighter and more focused piece of work than their last two albums.

Auerbach captured an energy and fire in Holmes that’s never been heard on record, and remarkably, was able to do so in a studio setting.

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

The dynamic of this recording is truly special. You’ll hear something new with each listen. It’s one to best listen to alone to appreciate the mind-blowing experience it delivers.

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.

Deleted Scenes as an album oscillates between larger than life theatrical pop numbers and blissful instrumental escapism.

It’s good news for fans that Crockett was neither slowed down by open heart surgery nor content to sit on an album he released just a year ago. He has a way of telling stories that make his songs something you experience rather than just hear.

With the hip afro-funk of Long in the Tooth, The Budos Band continues to pump out infectious horn drenched jams.

He has a catalog of consistently strong albums and Pine Needle Fire is the latest to join this esteemed list.

Savor this one.

The contrasting arrangement styles create a wonderful variety in the orchestral textures, putting a new sheen on pieces usually performed in the griot tradition.

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 range of twenty-three selections total delivers consistent impact over the course of the ninety minutes duration.

The record is consistent in its songwriting, from that wry opener to the closing song, “If It Was Up To Me,” a love song to humanity of sorts about running the world that dodges the hokiness for relatable earnestness and ultimately results in a stellar record that shows the results of two decades in the making.

The quartet’s sound (produced by Haynes and John Paterno) goes for the retro blues gusto and succeeds; the sonic quality of this record is top shelf.

Use any adjective you want – stunning, devastating, captivating, or mesmerizing. Sea Drift sets the bar for the roots albums that follow in 2022.

He has created a modern blues album that is as much a protest album as it is a dance album. That’s not something just any artist can do. Also, the album is 16 songs, so no listener will feel cheated.

A stellar modern Americana/Bluegrass record from the opening track to “Hillbilly Boy,” the impossibly catchy album closer.

The album mixes Creole vocals with English, the latter in Caetano Veloso’s Brazilian song of exile “You Don’t Know Me,” one of several examples of beauty to offset the anger and angst.

The son of the legendary Ali Farka Touré, Vieux Farka is continuing the tradition of those artists who came before him, while forging his own path. Les Racines is an ode to the past, yet Touré’s is constantly working towards a better future.

Fans of retro soul need to get onboard Thee Sacred Souls train immediately as the group has tapped directly into that classic sound with precision and grace on their debut self-titled offering.

Lloyd, as he typically does, enters gently but increases his intensity to the highest levels in the four pieces, his trio mates in restrained accompaniment until Wilson first blossoms with a jagged, inspired solo followed by Clayton’s cascading, shimmering turn which builds to a crescendo. At the diminuendo, Lloyd reenters with a simple six notes, the piece fading quietly. Enough said.

Every Jarrett solo performance holds its own magical appeal and Bordeaux certainly holds its own with any of the others in his storied catalog.

The result is a freer flowing record that admittedly takes a few sessions to really stick, but once it does, you realize that it just might be – song for song – their strongest album yet.

Cleaner and lighter than past efforts, The Murlocs Calm Ya Farm is their best full album yet as the good time sounds flow like free wine at a late-night afterparty.

From a musical standpoint, it’s arguably overproduced in places, and the arc of the story settles into the same place in some of the two-three song sequences. Those quibbles aside, sonics usually match the thematic content which is stoked with bevies of provocative thought. Set aside the time to listen carefully; this is not casual stuff.

18 tracks of songwriting prowess set to dusty orchestrations that shake you to your core. For his first solo release in three years, Aesop Rock has never sounded hungrier as everything that makes him such a powerhouse rapper gets elevated and reimagined on what might be his best work in years.

Accompany is Nau’s best solo effort to date. The artist traverses twangy arrangements with his heart on his sleeve for a calming set of tracks. The unassuming nature of these songs emphasizes Nau’s songwriting prowess as he pens some of the best songs of his career.

Overall, it’s a great listen in the car or for a gathering of friends, but the lyrics and diversity of sound surpass previous efforts, offering a rewarding, focused listen.

The ever-evolving Joel Ross has taken a step back and forward at the same time. If this is your introduction to his gorgeous music, it’s an auspicious place to start that will likely lead to seeking out his previous work too.

Pernice, rightfully lauded for his classic pop songwriting and arrangements, has been compared to Burt Bacharach over the years. You can hear that influence in songs like “What We Had” and “December In Her Eyes,” two tracks that sound a bit dated and out of place on an otherwise great return for Pernice and his band.

On Up On Gravity Hill, METZ” sound evolves as the trio explores new sonic pastures while keeping their core intact.

For many, Thompson is an acquired taste. There’s little, if any, middle ground. So, while this may not attract new fans, it will more than satisfy the legions of those who stay attuned to his every move. It’s as solid as any of his recordings.

It captures the joy, complexity, and spirituality of mambo, making it both a tribute to the past and a beacon for the future. Whether you are a seasoned mambo aficionado or a newcomer to the genre, Caracoles is a must-listen, promising to lift spirits and inspire dance floors worldwide.

ALL IN is just another reason to dig back into his musical brilliance.

A stout first full length from The Heavy Heavy, whose fuzzy retro rock, mixed with So Cal pop charm, results in a winning combination on One Of A Kind.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

“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.

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

Her obsession with the past, recent losses, and more directly with mortality is overwhelming. If you are feeling down, it’s best to avoid listening. Okay, you have been sufficiently warned. There are, of course, positive aspects too. Her poetry is as rich as ever. She does have a couple of optimistic tunes, and her thought patterns often resemble those 3 AM dreams. Well, maybe that part isn’t so positive, but they are certainly relatable. The album is also somewhat deceptive.

‘It’s not all about me,’ Paul intimates, and, sure enough, he reiterates his point, albeit delicately, on “Part Two” of the composition that began the album. Still, if Kelly dares to suggest anything profound on Seventy, it is only through his wilful implication that the narratives surrounding us are as absorbing as our own, at least when perceived within the generosity of spirit permeating these recordings.

After all the snark, self-effacement, and emotional guardedness that precede it, “All I’ve Got” lands with a genuine tenderness that makes the album feel emotionally honest.

Against the Dying of the Light is an admirable work whose musicianship in the telling far outshines what is ultimately told and creates many beautiful moments of reflection.

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.

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.

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.

Everything Was Beautiful pulls heavily from throughout the Spiritualized catalog, whether it be the Ladies and Gentlemen-era “Best Thing You Ever Had”, the soft, sentimentality of Pierce’s mid-career work on “Crazy” or the lush balance of And Nothing. All those influences, and their tonal similarities to his last album, never distract or take away from the conceptual success of Everything Was Beautiful.

The record sounds bigger and Shook and her band mates take full advantage, filling in all of the open spaces. Her cadence, much like that of Willie Nelson, has a tendency to lag a bit behind the music from time to time, just adding to the charm.

Wagner is not constrained by locale, genre, or topic, and at 64 he continues to forge forward with Lambchop, delivering his music with restrained tempo and majestic tonality on The Bible.

Cruel Country has a lot to offer musically and lyrically over its twenty-one tracks. However, fans might be disappointed to find that it has a conspicuous lack of upbeat rockers and Nels Cline guitar solos. It does a great job though of offering up different dynamics throughout so that it never feels stale.

As per usual, Burns adds his layered touches with synth, vibes, and cello in addition to the guitars and bass. Brown’s poetry stands distinctly apart from the Burns/Convertino writing in its short poetic lines in the former, a tune that regales the history and gods of the desert.

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.

If an album can make you cry, this one will. It’s a stellar performance for the ages.

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.

American Love Song is classic Bingham.

The beauty in this album lies in the delivery. Her vocals can easily kick your ass and will readily give you the bird, yet she switches these sentiments for vulnerability and pure honesty while remaining distinctly tough. She is a legend at 61, yet she sounds just as vibrant as her landmark album, TNT.

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.

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.

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.

While Highway Prayers may surprise some fans due to its genuine old-school bluegrass environs, it ultimately stands as yet another testament to Strings’ unmatched artistic genius.

Having grown from teenagers to adults during their time away, there isn’t that vibrant, chaotic spark of their past records. In its place is a self-assured swaggering that fits Be Your Own Pet well as they successfully start the second chapter of their career with Mommy.

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

Component System With The Auto Reverse has OME at his best, whether he is diving into his personal life or simply crafting clever rap verses, the seasoned artist hits it out of the park every chance he gets.

Shires is clearly stepping into her own with Take It Like A Man, an album of struggle, rebirth and grappling with insecurities and uncertainness while keeping the will to progress as a couple and individual artist alive.

As the album nears its end, it gets more luminous.