Beachwood Sparks hit the cosmic canyon touchpoints and beyond on their short but sweet return to recording Across The River Of Stars.

Whether it’s McKenna’s most personal album yet is up for debate. After all, she has ten of them. What’s not debatable are her well-crafted songs and this being another gem that joins her last two.

There’s a depth to the sonics that belies the skeletal two guitars/bass/drums arrangement even as the mix highlights the aforementioned Nitzsche’s electric piano on “Winterlong”). The latter composition has only appeared before as an inclusion in the 1977 anthology Decade. But that piece of forlorn glory was nonetheless different from this one, as is also the case with a jovial rendering of “Wonderin’,” a Young original that would eventually appear on 1983’s ever-so-quirky Everybody’s Rockin’.

LOWER is a profoundly personal outing that gathers Booker’s influences and life experiences together and filters them through a psychedelic lens to emerge with chaotic arrangements that act as the perfect canvas for Booker’s open conversation about feelings most would try to hide.

Throughout these eleven spellbinding performances, Buck Meek emerges with the most assured and innovative music of his solo career, skyrocketing his artistry to new heights through raw, genre-defying folk music that touches the heart and shocks the brain.

The Boy Named If, has a lot in common with Hey Clockface, whether it be the four noticeably weaker tracks or the similarly bloated 52-minute runtime. ... What does work about The Boy Named If, like any other Costello album, is the songwriting. ... When The Boy Named If hits, and it mostly does, it gives us a Costello Halloween song and yet another track about a waitress who looks like an actress, two things that are not easy to pull off. Costello is still an artist to watch.

Forever Howlong is more of the daring prog-rock Black Country has become known for, and while their growth is subtle, it is far from a non-factor. Across these eleven songs, the band spins fascinating, folksy tales and whimsically delivers them, giving the album’s dark subject matter a soft edge.

While Gabriels wear their influences on their sleeves, they are able to melt them down to form their own forward-thinking take that is as free and courageous as the genre has sounded in a long time.

Seek Shelter finds its success, not in the unabashed vibrancy of the performances, as was the case on the previous Iceage albums, but in the band’s need to experiment farther more than they ever have before.

Carpenter takes long solo walks around her property to aid in the songwriting process, the fruits of which are evident in the opening “Farther Along and Further In,” about recognizing that something has changed gradually but distinctly. Perhaps with age comes respecting the spiritual over the practical. Empathy becomes the theme of the explicitly stated “It’s Ok To Be Sad” and the standout “All Broken Hearts Break Differently,” which evokes Band-like chord patterns and great dissolving organ-like runs played by Nick Pini on Moog.

Shooting for the sweet spot of artists like Radiohead and The National, Other Lives embraces their tense, dramatic, theatrical, orchestral sound, and scope on For [Their] Love.

Taj has a one-of-a-kind personality. and the arrangements are solid in what potentially could be a great album. However, although the background vocalists are not on every track, their presence on enough of them mars the album. For whatever reason, they just don’t match the vibe and are incompatible with Taj’s vocals. His phrasing and Simon’s arrangements are the real pluses.

Overall “World on the Ground” is a work of quiet beauty that brims with irresistible melodies and compelling storytelling. These songs showcase Jarosz’s growth as a songwriter as they linger with the listener long after the album ends.

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.

Alice, long regarded as one of the pillars of spiritual jazz, is at her most deeply spiritual in this setting, one that has only minute traces, if any, associated with jazz.

At the same time, that wide scope can work against the album’s cohesion. Some of the transitions feel abrupt, particularly in the middle run, and the pacing can be uneven as a result. But the trade-off is that the record rarely drags and creates a sense of anticipation for what is coming next.

The chemistry shared between The Roots vocalist and Danger Mouse on Cheat Codes is so high caliber that it’s almost impossible to believe the two artists walk amongst the common man. The term “God Level” is thrown around a bit within the hip-hop community, and once people hear Cheat Codes, that saying is going to have a new definition.

Magic, Alive! feels like our first proper introduction to Dixon’s wide-ranging artistry and acrobatic vocals. The tracklist is chaotic yet never feels disconnected.

Heaven Is A Junkyard marks the most powerful and personal album from Powers yet.

A varied effort that showcases a lot of rocking touchpoints, The Window feels like a solid new beginning from Ratboys as they expand their sound.

While not a must-own for non-fans, it is the truest testament possible to the finale of The Stooges original lineup.

Live in Maui is an average show, with below-average sound, which has taken on a higher standard coming so close to Hendrix’s untimely death and the hippie nonsense surrounding it. However, Live in Maui is still an interesting listen for long-time fans and completists just not a place new listeners should start. In truth, any Hendrix concert is worth hearing, but this one doesn’t contend with many other fantastic releases already out there.

Albums don’t get much more soulful than the Memphis sound the two channeled on Robert Cray & Hi Rhythm, yet this continues in a similar vein, plunging deeper to include not just soul but some deep gospel too.

Bocoum seems to have certainly mastered the art of collaboration judging on the assemblage gathered for this jubilant set.

The Nude Party’s strong 2018 debut found the sextet knocking loudly on the door. With Midnight Manor, they kick it off its hinges. ... The result is undeniably an impressive overshadowing of that debut album.

The multi-Grammy Award winner deserves to be proud of such deeply personal, readily identifiable work as Side-Eye III+.

Lyrically, this is mixed but has its strong points. Few write with his kind of insight. Yet, musically it fails to generate enough sparks with most of the songs stuck in similar mid-tempo modes. The true ballads are strong.

While the album dips into lows, the highs make it all worthwhile. Phonetics On and On is a daring second album with the band seemingly coming out as a new band, one obsessed with infectious melodies and fanciful harmonies dancing around glimmering acoustics and cinematic strings.

The 9-song record is certainly Hiatt’s most ambitious body of work to date and one of her best albums yet. The music is strong, confident and personal without being too earnest. And while she expands her sound and influences quite a bit on this one, it is still every bit a Lilly Hiatt album.

Undoubtedly other posthumous recordings from Masakela are forthcoming but this serves as a vital essential part of his storied legacy.

Reset is a quick, fun album for fans of the slightly avant-garde. While there isn’t too much excitement throughout the album, the overall tone of the Rest is what will keep you coming back. It’s relaxed and just off-kilter enough to keep each song sounding fresh without trying too hard.

The Mael brothers have been waiting patiently for the world to catch up to them, but A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip signifies another bold creative peak moment for Sparks.

His most effortless success yet. Sundry Rock Song Stock is a breezy trip through the life of a confident and naturalistic performer, someone whose best work still may be ahead of him.

No songs go on too very long here. As a result, the inclusion of improvisational warhorses such as “Cowgirl In The Sand” and “Down By The River” is all the more surprising. But both those culls from 1969’s Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere benefit from the solitary nature of their stark renditions, as does, to an even greater degree, “Helpless,” Neil’s contribution to Deja Vu.

There is a massiveness to the music here that belies the folk-rock label Strand Of Oaks is usually classified under, and many of the songs here have an expansiveness begging for arenas rather than the traditional indie rock and folk clubs. Given the past year and a half, the themes of In Heaven are likely to resonate strongly with a global audience.

Crawler feels like a more personal album, with less sloganeering than previous IDLES releases. Talbot’s monotone voice and underwhelming lyrics are still the band’s weakness, but band’s attack mixing heaviness with anxiety-inducing dissonance keep things interesting.

The band found the perfect balance of what they know and what they hope to become, making O Monolith a considered sophomore effort that proves Squid’s placement as one of the most exciting bands in years.

Nada Surf has evolved into one of the most consistently satisfying indie pop/rock bands out there. Moon Mirror shows that their music is still evolving.

The vocal shifts and band restructuring may cause some turbulence, but when everything clicks, as it does on the album’s most decisive moments, the result is just as stirring as anything they’ve done before. Whether this marks a transitional phase or the beginning of a new era remains to be seen, but for now, Constellations shines brightly enough to guide them forward.

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.

The power pop of Quasi is awash in distortion throughout the album, keeping hips shaking, heads bobbing and nerves rattling.

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

A stunningly effective experience. ... The album, though emotionally weighty, offers a testament to moving on and surviving and makes for thoroughly unforgettable listen.

The second segment begins with a solo lullaby “To The End of the Earth” followed by the warm trumpet tones of Keyon Harrold in the smooth, string-imbued R&B ballad, “Alone Together” with Clark Jr. singing falsetto. The empathetic mid-tempo funky shout-out for the homeless “What About the Children” features Stevie Wonder, sharing co-writing credits, singing with the leader, as well as playing his signature clavinet and harp. This is the album’s most cohesive segment. .... Take the album at its intentions. Clark Jr. is blurring the genres, as he strives to be an important voice of hope and positivity.

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.

Each tune is hummable and lovely, the kind of soft-spoken tune that Bonnie weaves around acoustic guitar strums. The latter half of the album remains slow and steady—a pace broken only by the snaking horns on “Thick Air”—in contrast to the first half that culls the all the upbeat optimism into a packed room.

Waldon has a sharp combination of songwriting craft and requisite twang delivery. ... Waldon is genuine and we need more artists like her that not only rail against current culture but do it unpretentiously from a perspective that’s as real as it gets.

These themes of love and loyalty encircle Ramona Park Broke My Heart in a way that is not particularly new to Staples’ discography but that is perhaps done in his most creative and intense way yet, both lyrically and thematically. ... As always, Vince Staples’ rapping ability is strong and his style unique.

‘Flicted, the latest studio offering from the ivory tickling minstrel, continues his dexterous ways with a formidable collection of material that challenges the listener, without being too overbearing, and is bolstered by a fresh batch of inspiring collaborations with some of today’s most prominent musicians, including Ezra Koenig (Vampire Weekend) and Danielle Haim (Haim).

The new The Bad Plus will take some getting used to but the harmonic ranges and explorative soloing from Speed and Monder are often intriguing. Suggest you take to the headphones for this one.

Through its 10 tracks, we are introduced to an uncompromising artist whose trust in themselves creates moments of sonic bliss. The way they are able to bounce between tempos and moods with ease gives the album its colorful personality and shines a light on the writing talents of Miss Grit.

El Viejo is a stunning character study of gamblers and loners moving from card game to card game, perfectly bridging modern Americana with the likes of Jerry Reed, Del McCoury and Marty Robbins with a Springsteen-like sense of storytelling in three-minute bursts.

The made-for-the-dance floor opener “Chasing An Empty Dream” begins with a ridiculously funky bass line from Steve before percussion kicks in, and Simpson’s smooth vocals singing about focus on materialism and a loss of family values to the punchy, syncopated horns and vocal harmonies. .... The pulsating tempo recedes to orchestrated strings in the first of two ballads, “Road to Zion,” sung beautifully by Simpson and enhanced by the band’s other vocalist, sounding like late-night R&B blaring from boomboxes in the ‘70s.

Holley struck left-field gold on Tonky, and there is nothing left to do except take it all and sing the praises of an artist whose self-expression becomes anthems for the new world.

An unusually provocative piece of work.

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

Stand For Myself is a resounding success as confidence and talent oozes through each well-crafted note and stunning vocal phrase.

Wyatt seems to have lived a lifetime in the three years between Felony Blues and Neon Cross. The byproduct is a powerfully affecting album that can speak to just about anyone who’s willing to listen.

A fun, invigorating ride through the carefree minds of DOMi Louna and JD Beck.

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.

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.

The unrelenting, intoxicating grooves of The Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio are everything one would want from an organ trio – a pinch of late’60s, some elements of more modern funk, and a riveting, magnetic swagger that won’t let go.

The first half of the Wiggle Your Fingers is fine if not particularly notable, but things improve significantly on the back half.

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.

Throughout The Father of Make Believe, Coheed and Cambria crafts unique stories that meld reality and fiction while balancing ferocious attacks with dulcet melodies. Whether taken as the next part of the Amory Wars saga, a fourth-wall-breaking commentary on it, or as its own thing, it’s masterful art that lives up to its ambitions.

Benmont Tench uses his spirituality, heartbreak, aging, love, pathos, and humor throughout The Melancholy Season, a contemplative affair perfect for the album’s title moments.

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.

As a consistent work of songs gestating over many years, Radical Romantics is a remarkable composite of Dreijer as they exist in 2023 and of the emotions that brought them here.

With highlights like the folksy yet violent storytelling single, “This Is The Killer Speaking,” the heartbreaking poetry and emotional outpouring on “Sail Away,” the raw, passionate vocals on “Count The Ways,” and the way all these moods fit under one sonic umbrella, TLDP strikes unabashed gold for the second album in a row on From The Pyre.

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.

The result is a mixed collection; some good, some a little more tedious, but in the end, you can’t deny that Ramirez stayed true to his objective and didn’t skimp on real emotion in the process.

The easy rhymes so obvious in “Smile” end the album as it began, on a relatively placid note that unfortunately doesn’t change much over the course of the eleven cuts. As a result, this album title may refer to the disparity between potential and achievement on the part of Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real.

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.

The World Is Still Here and So Are We is a wildly refreshing departure from the manicured world we live in, and welcomes back one of punk’s most innovative and underappreciated bands.

The Car definitely keeps with the trajectory that Arctic Monkeys have been following since the release of Whatever People… and Favorite Worst Nightmare. Depending on what your outlook on the band’s releases has been will determine whether you think The Car is in keeping with an upward or downward trajectory.

Coming out of a decade where many bands decided to incorporate electronics (for better or worse) into their sounds, it is refreshing to hear the new generation of bands returning to more traditional rock instrumentation. Horsegirl not only does this, but does it well.

Deafheaven have always been a challenging band and this album seems to work as a direct challenge to fans who might be intent to just pigeonhole them into a singular style. Fans willing to do the work, however, will find a lot of reward in Infinite Granite, even if the initial shock is off putting. ... Infinite Granite feels like the exact album Deafheaven wanted to make, and their commitment shines through in every track.

Slowdive has created another masterpiece and shown why they are one of the most respected bands of the shoegaze genre.

We have two different records. Disc One blurs genres, while impassioned jazz rules Disc Two. As for dancing in the literal sense, those moments come infrequently in this massive (Kamasi knows no other way) project.

Cool It Down is a masterwork of lush production and catchy melodies that work off of one another to create a colorful and textured album that makes the 13-year wait worthwhile.

With his rock solid, half Crazy Horse-half Heartbreakers sounding band, the Extraterrestrials, Ivey not only expands his sound from last year’s The Dream and the Dreamer, but he brings a passionate sense of urgency too.

Plastic Bouquet is a uniquely satisfying mix of both William’s country leanings and Kacy and Clayton’s more folk-based sound. Whether this merging of talents was a one-off experiment or a Fleetwood Mac in the making (minus the drama), we’re still left with a powerful record.

The original players have deservedly mellowed with age, allowing a restrained Afrobeat groove to play a larger role in their sound; yet SOGOLO proves they still have a few tricks up their sleeve, while pleasantly rolling along.

The Format emerges from their dormant state with an eleven-song LP that not only reintroduces the duo as forward-thinking pop mainstays but also all-around daring musicians.

Jurado easily toes the line between seclusion and introduction, crafting an album where even the most immediate tracks sound restrained and well worn. He took charge of the production for this album himself, and the product serves as one of the more accurate presentations of his sound. As new and refreshing as it is, it captures Jurado’s enigmatic process better than most of his albums.

Working with producer Mitchell Froom, Wainwright has crafted 12 melodic artistic pop tunes that are some of the finest of his career.

Though Marr has always been more musically creative than his former, outspoken songwriting partner, Fever Dreams Pts I-IV proves it. With such a broad array of influences drawn from in the formation of this album, there is much to discover in each track and multiple listens are bound to reveal much more.

Genesis Owusu crafted an out-of-body experience of a sophomore LP. In a fit of cascading synths and lively flows, STRUGGLER has the artist not only attempting to understand the world around him but reimagining his already innovative style

Raspberry Moon on Third Man Records finds Hotline TNT unlocking buzzingly beautiful guitar rock that washes shimmering tones in all directions as the band seems to be truly coming into their own.

Even with the dark lyrics, which at times overshadow some strong poetry, this album is a great listen due to Kacy’s lovely, lilting voice and Clayton’s all-over-the-fretboard guitar playing. And, for all the ballyhoo about moving to a full band sound, the rhythm section support is mostly subtle and Kacy and Clayton rightly assume the duo spotlight, as Tweedy stayed hands off, knowing that Kacy and Clayton had the songs and the chops.

Masterful. ... The band has created a unique sound that is both modern and retro, and the album features a wide array of styles and sounds. It’s a must-listen for fans of rock, funk and soul music, and for anyone looking for an album that is both musically and emotionally satisfying.

While the full arrangements are stunningly mesmerizing, like the punchy horns on the title track, or the twinkling, alluring guitars on “On The Rocks,” it is when Hanson is left alone at his piano that the album achieves its singularity. .... Whether he’s pontificating over nimble pieces of soul or telling tales fire-side with piano-driven arrangements, Hanson proves to be a modern songwriting giant on I Love People.

Shame’s style clearly display influences from classic post-punk bands like The Fall and Wire on Drunk Tank Pink, while carving their own path in this unknown spastic present while leaning towards an uncertain bleak future.

The distinctly raw sound is a cross between his usual folk-rock sound, and mountain music with generous hints of bluegrass, an area he explored earlier in his career.

His songs remain deeply personal, revisiting his drinking days and happy to be done with them in “It Gets Easier” and paying tribute to his wife, Amanda’s natural mothering instincts in “Letting You Go” yet there is not a song as impactful as “Cover Me Up” or “Elephant.” Nonetheless, his material is consistently strong enough to merit the four-bagger. Yes, four in a row equals a grand slam.

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.

Any topic Scott touches across the album (sexuality, religion, oppression, et al), she does so with bold self-confidence and a sharp pen.