The meaty rock foundation with touches of psychedelia and skylark folk that fans have come to love are still here, now with a soulful heft that nods to Muscle Shoals and Memphis, which in one sense, makes it a bit more tangible than his previous work. Yet it remains moody and vast, cohesive and compelling.

This third CATS album is wholly in keeping with the growing confidence of the band (in contrast to the somewhat laissez-faire sophomore outing, appropriately titled Let It Wander) as well as the creative progression of its forebears.

Another winner from Cartwright and the Memphis lineup of Reigning Sound as A Little More Time with Reigning Sound continues the outfit’s success story of delivering modern-day tweaks on retro rock and roll.

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

Side-Eye NYC (V1.IV) is, again, a natural and comparably diverse extension of his ongoing ambition(s). Satisfying as it is as (re)new(ed) Metheny music, this album will also whet the appetites of his aficionados and jazz lovers in general for future installments in the series.

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.

It is a multifaceted album of contrasts that melds pop hooks, rock guitars, and beautiful melodies in a way that crosses genres and tones and rewards careful listening.

This is a decidedly dark album, which is probably a turn-off for some. But then, artists don’t do what they do to make people comfortable. Amigo the Devil is really adept at creating pictures with his words, even if those words make some listeners uneasy. This is an album where every song is a vivid scene that makes you feel something.

Diabate and Fleck, though, are considered the prime masters of their respective instruments so their set is especially impressive.

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.

A a culmination of those travels as well as a homage to Houston. Laura Lee’s (bassist) homecoming provided her with the clarity that was needed to create the well-executed diversity shown.

Musically, songs like the rollicking “Dogbane” and the classic country vibe of “Stone Door,” find the Disarmers at their most adventurous taking risks that manage to pay off just about every time here. Revelations finds Shook and their band at their best across all 10 tracks.

Seven albums in, Hiss Golden Messenger just keeps getting better with Taylor expressing personal thoughts that resonate with most of us.

Yes, it takes some getting used to, but Andrews has another winner, just a different-sounding one.

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.

With its mix of punk and metal, thrashing speed with sludgy grooves, off-kilter rhythms and odd patterns, Working with God is a worthy addition to a Melvins catalog that would be equally revered if it had ended decades ago.

Morby remains open and inventive, partnering with Dessner, who brings on board what he does best, while also contemplating times passing, life/death, and the great beyond.

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.

Power introduces us to a new side of Illuminati Hotties that takes the pressure of the guitars and drums and places the weight of the album on its words, creating an enticing juxtaposition that may take a few listens to understand fully. Still, once it clicks, you’ll appreciate that Tudzin stumbled upon hit records while expressing intense emotions.

No Home Record wraps up on a positive note, proving Gordon is still pushing herself as an artist.

The Lemon Twigs creates a meditative bliss on A Dream Is All We Know. Whether they’re making pop tunes that evoke the serenity of cherry blossom trees or bluesy rock that fills the room with heavy riffs, this project has a specific calmness that found a home in Beatles-inspired pop.

Attention to sonic details and layers of instrumental touches, combined with the harmonious vocal connection, deft songwriting, and easy-rolling charm, makes Keep Me on Your Mind/See You Free Bonny Light Horseman’s most complete album to date and a joy to experience.

‘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.

Along with K.G.’s quality and the return to a more classic King Gizzard sound, help K.G. stand out as more than just another entry into a dense discography.

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.

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

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.

Simple on the surface, basically a country blues effort, the album has a sneaky quality. It will grow on you after a few listens.

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.

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.

It’s all so very lovely and natural.

Yes, it’s as good as you’d imagine.

Fertita pulls from all his edgy influences fortuitously throughout this solo self-titled debut, as Tropical Gothclub shakes with an infectious buzzing energy in line with Eagles of Death Metal and Them Crooked Vultures.

While Purple Noon seems to stay fairly level in a dynamic sense, especially compared with Mister Mellow where upbeat and downbeat tracks were fairly distributed, the lyrics take the listener on a journey. ... While not exactly “driving music,” Purple Noon is perfect for lounging around during quarantine.

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.

While their debut, The Power And The Glory, is not necessarily treading new ground, it is still a remarkably satisfying collection of straight-ahead college rock songs. Mantione’s vocals are solid, but it’s the unexpected lyrical turns that almost all of the songs take that make the band so compelling.

The Decemberists return better than ever. As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again is the band’s longest and most rewarding album to date. The Decemberists take the art of the concept album and fill it with as many fantasy tropes as possible, creating a sonic journey that deserves your undivided attention.

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.

Regardless going against all conventions and ridding itself of repetition, Croz Boyce is an album that begs to be heard again and again.

Humility prevails in Before And After especially as it radiates through the ease of Young’s vocal delivery. The weathered quality his voice has acquired over the years only adds to the emotional authenticity, as does the simplicity of his harmonica playing and the vigorous strumming of acoustic guitar.

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.

For Hynde the music of Bob Dylan lifted her out of her pandemic morose last spring, this collection is a testament to its power, which is a fount for inspiration as well as boundlessly open for interpretation.

The novelty-worthy Blues/rocker “Kudzu Vines” sounds like little more than album filler. But the slow built to almost euphoric “Wild Ways,” complete with a backing choir, and the organ-drenched, revenant song “The Throne” make up for the inclusion of “Kudzu Vines.”

Real Estate seamlessly ties in the esoteric with the relatable, landing on a short but powerful LP that simply asks you to question everything without demanding an immediate answer.

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.

Year of the Spider continues Shannon & The Clams run of catchy, quirky offerings while dealing with the pain and loss that is everywhere.

Musically the band takes some really big swings here on songs like “Hell On Earth,” easily one of their best tracks in years, and the beautifully soaring “Living In the Grey”; and those experiments almost always pay off. Impressively, the band pairs those musical gambles with some of their most personal lyrics yet, singing about fatherhood, expectations of masculinity and showing vulnerability. This new creative spark and lyrical enlightenment makes for Circa Wave’s most ambitious record so far in a career that is already pretty notable.

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.

If you’re going to listen to one new release this week, make it Squirrel Flower’s Tomorrow’s Fire. Ella Willams crafted a meaningful album that showcases her limitless potential without disregarding the nuances of her artistry that make Squirrel Flower so unique and powerful.

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!

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 songs on this album may not end up on rock radio stations, but they would fit right in with a lot of the classic rock that is played incessantly on stations across the country.

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.

With South Of Here and its moments of vulnerability, Rateliff and his band put out an impressive record for anyone who hadn’t been paying attention the last few years. They are clearly still just as potent as they were a decade ago.

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.

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

The band leans into what they do best — swelling ballads, earnest confessionals, and gratifying harmonies — and as a result, the album feels less like a reinvention than a reaffirmation of what they do best.

There is not a single track on the album that doesn’t deserve to be there. Even more so than any of his previous records, Tasjan! Tasjan! Tasjan! is his the most consistently satisfying album yet.

The album shows growth in every aspect of the music, yet the lyrics seem to be the biggest area of change. ... The production from Jenn Decilvio accentuated the band’s evolution by highlighting the multiple vocal parts and adding a truly masterful touch on the effects chosen.

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.

By bringing things down to the basics, Khruangbin seemingly reinvented itself yet again without pushing too far into the future and looking too much at past success. The band is stubbornly present and takes its time creating a meditative album lined with moments of instrumental bliss and newfound territories for the band to explore.

Medicine at Midnight is the most upbeat and poppy Foo Fighters album. While the band has always incorporated elements of melodic pop as far back as “Big Me” in 1995, this is the slickest and most radio-friendly album to date.

Muzz is a familiar culmination of previous individual sounds that mesh well together, but Muzz not only blends influences, but they also undertake new sonics to further push the progressiveness of the project. Muzz is nuanced in how it shifts from intimacy to defamiliarization, this indie gray area riffs off the familiar and transforms it into something entirely new.

Mádé Kuti removes any doubts, announcing himself as a vital torchbearer of his family’s incredible musicianship infused with a fighting-for-the-oppressed spirit.

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

The duo of Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney have found that creative musical joy again, with the overarching feeling on the album being, fun.

At eleven songs, Ocean to Ocean is Amos’ lithest, most condensed album of original songs since 1999’s To Venus to Back. The album benefits from the tracklist’s economy, and for the first time in over a decade, there are no songs that stick out as filler or potential b-sides; rather, all eleven songs on Ocean to Ocean are vital parts of the album’s whole. Even on some of the less immediately engaging ones, like “Flowers Burn to Gold,” the lyrics offer some of Amos’ most striking imagery.

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

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

Another complex, solid effort from the Drive-By Truckers, one of the great American bands, who are happy to keep on writing songs about trains and people who died on Welcome 2 Club XIII.

This is a leap forward for Hiatt who delivers her most fully realized album yet.

At only eight tracks, Heartmind is a perfect length to listen to multiple times. If a song doesn’t grab you the first time around, upon repeat listens the nuances that are layered throughout tend to pop out and give the listener a new appreciation for it.

Its seamless collection of earworm melodies and heady grooves make for a pretty compelling argument that it was well worth the wait.

Yet even as Volume 16 turns enervating from certain vantage points, the distinctive quality of the content ultimately renders omissions moot. ... The formatting and the content of Springtime in New York 1980-1985 thus mirrors Bob Dylan’s discography at large, especially in recent years. Accordingly, both fans and dilettantes will find it rewarding, though perhaps in ways neither demographic might expect.

The sound quality is crystalline; remarkable considering how long this has been sitting in the vaults. The tone remains most serene for the first five and half minutes. .... The audience applauds after Jimmy Garrison’s bass solo thinking it’s over but the tenors and piano resume to take it out. This music is by contrast so ridiculously intense compared to the first half.

Theirs is a very relaxed approach, two longtime friends totally immersed in joyous music. The feel is far more important than precision. ... The gritty, gravel-toned voice of Taj is always a treat and Cooder’s masterful picking and slide skills are always impressive.

With Never Not Together, Nada Surf adds more songs destined to become fan favorites to their catalogue.

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.

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.

It ["May I Never"] brings the album’s journey of self-examination and introspection to a powerful close.

Vedder has been open about his struggles with mental health and he seems to be in a very positive place with this record, expressing himself as his love for classic rock comes to the forefront on Earthling.

His fourth solo effort but first for ANTI-, the album like those before it is an unpretentious affair, filled with plenty of sly, smart humor, packed with underdog energy.

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.

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.

A surprising reunion, The Secret Machines have successfully opened a new decade with Awake in the Brain Chamber, a comeback album that sounds right at home with their past releases while painting a way forward if the band continues to explore their rock cosmos.

Edwards’ vocals are vibrantly strong, framed beautifully by the accompaniment, whether driving hard or in a more sensitive mode.

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 not as accessible as It’s A Shame About Ray or as punk-focused as Hate Your Friends, Love Chant is an impressive blending of both styles.

Catspaw ultimately belies its title and instead achieves multiple tangible goals for Matthew Sweet. He’s fulfilled his lifelong ambition to play lead guitar on one of his own records, further distinguished the ongoing expansion of his discography, and, last but not least, reaffirmed the eternal appeal of the noisy musicality in pure rock and roll.

On God Save The Animals, Alex G creates his best music to date. The textures are as complex as its lyrical content and it’s all strung together beautifully through intricate piano sections. Throughout this album, we see calculated risks pay off in a major way to create a colorful yet challenging album and one that requires multiple listens to fully understand Alex G’s end goal.

The result leaves the listener the way the best ambient music does, comforted, beguiled, and refreshed, and when the disembodied voice finally chimes in on “Sky Burial” it’s just enough to pull the listener in for the final stretch.

Look closely at the repertoire here. It’s emblematic of the Mavericks approach – classic country, Sun Records, Tejano, ’50s and ‘60s R&B, pop, and contemporary rock. It’s especially remarkable given Malo’s Cuban American heritage but that too has been part of their genre-agnostic approach that has served them well for 30 years, and maybe never better than the way they sound here.

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

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.

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.

While How Is It can easily stand on its own, its greatest qualities shine better when compared to its predecessor.

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

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