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.

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

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.

The result is easily her strongest effort to date, and a perfect take, both musically and lyrically, on the conflicting emotions and themes of love.

Wild Loneliness is a whole lot different than What A Time To Be Alive musically, but spiritually it is a very worthy successor and up there with the best Superchunk has ever done.

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.

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.

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.

The five tracks on Texas Moon play more naturally to both artists’ strengths and come together to form a more fruitful and distinct collaborative statement.

Life On Earth is a continuation of Hurray For The Riff Raff’s upward projection, ideally breaking her out to a larger listening audience, as Segarra’s voice dominates while musical surroundings ebb and flow in both natural and haunting fashion.

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.

Beach House succeeds on Once Twice Melody as they always do, by pushing their sound as far as it can seemingly go, while still sounding like themselves. The difference is, now, they are taking the biggest risks of their career.

Boulevards puts a pep in your step. Keep this one handy for that first spring or summer barbecue but be sure that your guests control themselves. Your gathering could easily get out of hand.

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

Quite possibly his best album in a career already studded with accolades.

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

Lucifer on the Sofa is a very good Spoon album, one that borrows from They Want My Soul more than anything on Hot Thoughts, but none of that comes through until about 13 minutes in.

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.

Ants From Up Here is a thrilling listen, brimming with the confidence and electricity of a young band coming into their own on all fronts, pulling from the past but pushing it undeniably forward, and fully owning their ambition.

While almost all of the songs on Laurel Hell, taken individually, make for strong additions to Mitski’s catalog, the melodies and production start to feel interchangeable from track to track through the album, and with relatively few curveballs thrown into the mix, there is a feeling of sameness that starts to settle in on repeat listens. ... This album shines the brightest in the moments when Mitski and her producer/collaborator Patrick Hyland lean into their more avant-garde impulses.

Le Bon’s genius, at a time saturated with nostalgia and gated reverb, is to borrow more from mood than technique. Pompeii moves towards Talk Talk, Kate Bush, and Richard Butler in how it emotes, but also achieves their same level of timelessness.

The 7th Hand reveals even more of Wilkins’ artistry, deeply embracing Black music, citing his elders, and in so doing, demonstrating a stronger commitment to the spiritual aspects of channeling improvisation through a higher power than heard on his first effort. He further cements his growing reputation as one of the strongest contemporary forces in this music.

Its obvious replay value hints at the kind of staying power required of truly great albums and while it’s unlikely to dethrone Merriweather Post Pavilion’s status as their greatest album, it is without question the elite artistic accomplishment the world has been waiting for in a spiritual successor.

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

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.

It may take repeated listenings over a period of time—plus no small honestly and self-awareness in a listener–to plumb the depths of introspection this artist (and his main collaborator) is aiming for here. And ultimately, while All the Bright Coins may represent a Rorschach test for those hearing it, the bravery required in that context is no greater than that of its author(s), both of whom deserve commendation for their own patience and perseverance in creating this often dramatic piece of work.

The arrangement works, right in line with a suitably restrained performance. As such, it sets a tone of novelty for the album in the best sense of that adjective.

11:11 is an album that’s sure to please longtime fans of the band, but it also serves as a prime document of the cultural atmosphere in the United States in 2022.

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.

Whether or not you grew up with gospel music, you’ll find that this collection of songs is both warm and heartfelt. And if you did grow up with gospel music, this album gives you plenty of opportunities to sing along.

Extreme Witchcraft proves Everett is willing to let it all hang out sonically, delivering enjoyable results.

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.

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.

Overall Covers is a mixed bag containing strong song choices, but very few must-hear offerings from the artist who will always dig the crates for new covers to unearth.

Strings and his musical cohorts have somehow managed to follow up their 2019 Grammy winning LP Home with an even stronger collective effort and one that will only help cement what we all already know: Billy Strings is, without question, one of the greatest musical talents of our lifetime, regardless of genre.

Francis built these tunes to be taken to the stage and jammed out and while In Plain Sight can become a bit repetitive at times, Francis’ efforts provide solace in making the most out of difficult situations.

Devoted fans of as well as casual listeners may ultimately find much of what follows too informal for its own good. ... Strictly on musical terms, though, this celebration of personal and creative bonds is just one more effort by this inveterate iconoclast that, like 2014’s Storytone, is slow to reveal its subtle rewards.

Highway Butterfly: The Songs of Neal Casal leaves the very distinct impression of that project that is a true labor of love.

Robinson keeps most of the attention on her voice that manages to be both soft and remarkably powerful. Themes of religion, flawed men and women and a longing to make things right are weaved throughout this collection, highlighting Robinson’s strongest writing so far.

Though it lacks the raw mosh pit fodder of early Slothrust releases, Parallel Timeline shows a new sensitivity, vocals improved in both tone and melody, and plenty of pop hooks while still peppering small doses of heavy rock.

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.

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.

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

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.

Things Take Time, Take Time is charming, finding the perfect note for the mood it’s trying to evoke, and even at its smallest and most benign, it’s captivating, the kind of album destined to become a favorite of a very specific subset of Courtney fans. It feels well-worn too, a well-deserved breather after three near-concurrent classics.

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.

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.

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 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.

In an album of mixed results, there are enough brilliant moments that bode to a more meaningful lyrical side for Rateliff and his powerful band, which has a knack for infectious grooves and hooks.

This milestone reimagining of the last studio effort by the original four-man lineup is an emphatic final punctuation on R.E.M.’s long-term personal statement of chemistry, one which to this day remains altogether rare in contemporary rock and roll.

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.

Brighten is aptly named, though, because the biggest departure for Cantrell is trading his usual gloom, depression, and cynicism for a more positive, even uplifting tone. ... But it is still a Jerry Cantrell album, so darkness and musical tension find their way through cracks in the pleasant facade.

I Don’t Live Here Anymore, pushes the groups sound as much as it can, while staying conceptually consistent and rewarding.

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.

Even at its mildest moments, Duffy asserts themself with an energetic catharsis.

My Morning Jacket, for the most part, succeeds as the album fuses My Morning Jacket’s more polished moments with their fuzzy jam band origins into a successful brew.

For its imperfections, less than optimal sound quality (although particularly good considering the 56-year age of the tapes), a less than engaged at times McCoy Tyner and Elvin Jones, and what comes across as a feverish blowing session more so than a spiritual reckoning, it’s a jaw-dropping performance. ... Purists may still adhere to the studio version and deservedly so but nonetheless, that cannot diminish the importance of this recording in Coltrane’s legacy. It’s a revelation and it now invites a comparison of the two that none of us ever expected.

Only two small missteps on an album full of excellent new approaches from the evolving quartet. Parquet Courts can also still drop in their post-punk sound, but for tracks like “Black Widow Spider” and “Homo Sapien” the grinding guitar riffs are augmented by inventive dance-laden beats, kicking it all up a level.

An album that would benefit from more such stripped-down performances. As such, it renders the LP’s title a word of encouragement for Samantha Fish to maintain much this same elemental approach when she records next.

While Isbell may be the driver here, he is more than generous, putting the spotlight on his various guests, and giving his band the opportunity to show their potency and versatility.

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.

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.

The result is the 10-song In The Blossom Of Their Shade, a curious, but strong record rooted in old time jazz and country music that sounds like found audio from another generation.

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.

The Dharma Wheel was designed to transport the listener away from the pitfalls of the current world via elongated tunes as Howlin’ Rain dramatically plugs in and pushes onward. They don’t always hit their intended mark but no one can accuse Miller and company of dreaming small as the band remains one of rock’s most inventive voyagers.

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.

Each of the three volumes stands alone as great compact albums of indie pop, but they work better together, with each volume featuring a slightly different take on the material.

Unfortunately, the biggest misses are at the heart of the album, as the over-long and manic “Pink Lunettes” is crazed from a bad drug trip or just 18 months cooped up, pin-balling around searching for meaning with grating lyrics. ... The finale recalls the opener with a swirling mix of electro, longing, and strings, pedal-affected guitars and keyboards, doing an admirable job recalling the best of Pink Floyd but skewed through a modern filter, bookending the shaky 9 on an exhilarating note.

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

It all adds to yet another triumph for this singular artist, a preeminent voice of our times whose command of vocal and musical dynamics is the perfect complement for both her straightforward and oft ambiguous lyrics.

The Heartless Bastards have constantly evolved but Wennerstrom has been consistent, the outfits voice, heart, and soul; A Beautiful Life puts those perpetually on display.

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.

Even when Local Valley is working as well as his last few releases, it’s hard not to wish for a little more than consistency.

The Felice Brothers take great chances with performances like these, but make them sound wholly natural based on unerring instincts they’ve honed over the years.

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.

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.

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.

Harmonizer shifts from that tone halfway through the glam rock spiced “Pictures” which starts off like a gangbuster only to switch halfway to a minimal stripped-down effort in odd fashion, resulting in two songs shoehorned into one to the detriment of both. The downer “Ride” drags as well, but the confident strutting riffs around the silly lyrics of “Play” picks up the pace. The dabbling in Black Sabbath-like sludge metal (“Waxman”) and intriguing post-punk sung by his wife (“Feel Good”) prove that you can never pin down a style with Segall.

While Screen Violence doesn’t quite meet the standards set early by the band, it’s still delightfully moody synth-pop that can be enjoyed equally whether on the dance floor or quietly contemplating the violence it depicts.

The cohesive Other You finds Gunn comfortably delivering gorgeous layers of guitar sounds over relaxed songs which are in no hurry to do much more than reflecting the Southern California sun.

So, yes, the album will disorient you and space you out like a psychedelic trip. That’s her intent but there are serious notions at work as well. ... It’s a lot to take on but somehow, she pulls it off. Grab your headphones and take the trip.

Ferrell’s unique approach and broad sonic palette will have this album garnering plenty of attention. Don’t be surprised to see it land on several year’s end best lists.

Though not exactly a stunner of an album, it is a solid return for these foundation layers that serve as an awesome reminder of who they are and their place in the wider scene.

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.

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.

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.

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

Here’s a motion to take “Canola Fields,” “Operation Never Mind,” “The Horses and the Hounds” and “Ft. Walton Wake-Up Call” with “Blackberry Winter” a close contender, into that hallowed group – top 30 or 40 of McMurtry’s best songs. The others on this album missing from this shortlist would be the envy of any other songwriter, a measure of McMurtry’s brilliance.

Nile’s string of these three albums from 2018’s Children of Paradise to 2020’s New York at Night to this one is arguably as good as any songwriter be it Dylan, Mitchell, Earle, or whoever you want to name.

Both long-time fans, as well as curious dilettantes, may well experience numerous epiphanies large and small when immersed in all this content, the end result of such enlightenment a state of mind (heart and soul) George Harrison himself would no doubt appreciate.

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.

Throughout Electro Melodier, the quintet’s momentum arises from arrangements are as crisp and potent as the playing, which in itself is as intelligently wrought as the material. Notwithstanding those virtues, even as Farrar and company mix up the arrangements to include piano and organ as on “These Are The Times,” they don’t offer anything new here.

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

Thirstier is too melodic and hooky for a good heavy album and too heavy for a good pop album. But viewed as a hybrid album devoid of any specific genre, it’s a solid alchemy of Scott’s influences.

Los Lobos puts out a dazzling love letter to their hometown of Los Angele with Native Sons, 13 songs initially sung by LA-based bands. The reinterpretations are as inspired as they are varied.

The second half of Downhill From Everywhere reaffirms how Jackson Browne has mastered the art of uniting issues personal and political, then turning the dual meaning(s) universal (albeit not without some difficulty, circa 1986’s Lives in the Balance).

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.