Sky Blue ranks with Townes’ Live at the Old Quarter, a similarly intimate album, long regarded as one of his best. This, for many, will be more intriguing as it shows Townes laying down his tunes with sheer confidence and dripping emotion.

The Cadillac Three’s Country Fuzz precisely captures the delightfully ragged album, which soaks a straight-forward country in a tub full of distortion, creating music that will delight metal heads and line dancers, both groups previously only in agreement over the appropriateness of mullets.

Enter into Rajan with zero expectations and allow Night Beats to whisk you off on a mind-expanding journey that blends genres while keeping the unfiltered creativity of Danny Lee Blackwell at the center of it all.

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.

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.

Four stands among the tallest in Frisell’s storied catalog and should be destined for classic status.

This is unbridled passion, an unyielding declaration of freedom. As strong as it is, however, a little tempering down in a few places could only add to the overall impact.

The mix of songs that sound like they’re being written on the spot sitting on a stool in a bar, with tracks that are a bit more polished and contain several musical layers makes for a compelling listen.

The slow tempos are fine in doses but that novelty wears off quickly. More variations in tempo would likely work better. When we get to the closer “It’s All in the Game” it just seems that Rickie Lee is stuck in that molasses-like groove. She’s intent on being a torch singer and she’s damn good at it although it takes plenty of hutzpah to take on the Great American Songbook.

Their strongest and most cohesive album to date. ... The band has now clearly developed their own signature sound and style, not following trends or outside influences. Roots encapsulates the band and their music at this point.

Hellfire is a decent album, one where on at least half the tracks come from the Black Midi we remember, always on the cusp of something brilliant and humbling and confounding in the best way possible. On the other half though, they are lost in their own precision, echoing their better work and confusing ability with purpose.

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.

Just Dropped in (To See What Condition My Rendition Was in) is a heartwarming posthumous release by Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings that adds some heat to a series of familiar tunes that simultaneously pays tributes to Jones’ influences while honoring her legacy as the Godmother of a neo-soul movement that made stars out of the likes of Adele, Amy Winehouse and Lana Del Ray.

[“Rushin’ River Valley” is] up there with the solid indie pop mid-tempo “Waking Up in Los Angeles” and the charming “Tacoma,” (see two more geographical references!) as some of the record’s early highlights. Those tracks serve as a counterweight for some of the mellower numbers on the album.

The album is a darkly sweet exploration of heavy themes like cancer, death, and motherhood, delivered with a newfound confidence and maturity. On News of the Universe, La Luz has crafted an album that sounds timeless yet fresh, pushing their boundaries while maintaining the hypnotic beauty that defines their music.

The musical conversations span different genres and styles as Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog hit new highs on Connection as the band throws out any sort of expectations and just delivers highly vibrant music that goes where the spirit takes it.

Two misses aside, this is the Delbert we’ve long known and enjoy, doing it as only he can.

The successes on Always Been prove that this combo works well, but the missteps also show that things can be improved upon if Craig Finn decides to record with Adam Granduciel again.

This is indeed as animated as we’ve heard Lucinda in some time. Her articulation and her songs are strong, while buoyed by excellent backing musicians, vocalists, and superb production values.

There are moments when some editing may have tightened things up and Segall’s lyrics are opaque even at the best of times, but for an album built out of experimentation, it is surprising how well First Taste links together; and most of the credit for that success can be given to those killer drums. ... Segall continues to blaze his own sonic path.

The songs vary in songwriting quality but you can’t argue with the performances. Everything she puts on the album is elevated.

Hayes Carll has made some great records. This is his best one.

An LP as disciplined as it is versatile.

I Need A New War is organic, human, and alive in the moment while conscious of the fleeting frailty of it all, it may just be the next step in his musical journey, but it is a confident stride.

Neil Young & Crazy Horse renewed their musical bond during a handful of impromptu shows in 2018 and then repaired to the Rocky Mountains to make Colorado. It is a similarly spontaneous affair, one that is perhaps too informal for its own good at certain points, but one that nevertheless captures the potent chemistry between these seasoned musicians.

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.

Basia Bulat’s music can transport you to another place. It’s exactly the kind of comfort we need right now.

Despite coming in at 16 tracks – normally a bloated affair for an album – the band’s tendency to careen from one song to the next at breakneck speed, keeping most tracks to about two-and-a-half minutes allows Rancid to hold the listener’s attention until the very last distorted chord rings out.

On the previous album, Granfelt characterized their sound as a synthesis more so than fusion. Again, there are few solos in this largely ensemble-driven, dreamy, trippy music: the layered soundscapes prevail.

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.

The original songs, written by either Gilmore or Alvin, including one co-write, are generally quite strong yet there are only six of those among these eleven. The duo made some astute cover selections but would have been better served with more original fare.

Condon’s latest LP under his Beirut moniker is his most ambitious and rewarding project to date. A Study of Losses is a high-concept LP executed with careful precision by an empathetic poet hellbent on injecting his views on longing and loss into these poignant displays of folksy chamber pop bliss.

To these ears, he’s right about the warmth and intimacy. It would have helped to have an inset with lyrics as in many cases they could be more audible. Nonetheless, it deserves several listens because this is as uncluttered as Ribot as ever sounded.

The album is not perfect. As Morrison often does, he makes the album too long with ‘filler’ songs – “If It Wasn’t for Ray” (a failed attempt at honoring his main influence, Ray Charles), “Cutting Corners,” and “Colourblind,” the latter annoyingly placed in the spellbinding songs in the album’s latter half. Take most of the songs that are left and arguably you have the best music Van Morrison has presented in over three decades.

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.”

The 12-song sophomore effort allows the listener to view punk music through their lens, and these aren’t rose-tinted glasses, showing a band content with one sound forever. Snooper is looking to leave their mark on punk, and Worldwide slowly begins to dig its claws into that goal, even if it comes with subtle growing pains.

The remastering gives both nights a welcome clarity while keeping the raw, club-floor immediacy intact. Heard back-to-back, these shows tell the story of a label that could bring the heat whether at home or under the bright lights of a major city.

Though the album doesn’t really venture into new territory, the quality of songs on Tip of the Sphere maintain the same consistency of quality as his past albums. It is an album that is bound to please both diehard fans and newcomers alike.

While the rest of the Power Up is still the same medicine, it remains a grade of B or better. No ballads and no “rock” titled songs on these 12 shakers. Call it now –Power Up is the strongest AC/DC lp since 1990’s The Razors Edge: Well done boys.

First Two Pages of Frankenstein feels like a return to The National we fell in love with 20-plus years ago while still being creatively ambitious and providing new context to a band who never fears away from putting themselves out there.

Plum is a great album, one that is professional without losing its beauty, ambitious within their discography and undoubtedly one of the year’s best.

XOXO, while broadening the band’s sound, becomes not a major shift, not even a detour really, but a refocus and sharpening of their hallmark jangly sound – brimming with country, folk, rock, and British Invasion power pop. It’s reinvigoration.

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.

While Black Hole Superette follows a concept, the LP seems to double as a victory lap for Rock, as he showcases his raw talent and earns legendary status.

There are enough catchy hooks and eclectic compositions to keep things interesting, though it never reaches the high levels of Twin Fantasy. The Scholars is a bit of an overreach, with puzzling narratives following too many characters to track without help, but it’s impressive for its ambition and giant swing at transcendent art.

Lightning itself is a competent record, but more importantly it’s another notch in the belt of one of America’s most overlooked and underappreciated songwriters, someone who has consistently proven that he’s always worth hearing from.

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.

If this LP isn’t so groundbreaking as Tommy, it’s definitely a logical extension of The Who By Numbers and certain preferable to the forced and pedestrian It’s Hard.

Despite its historical importance in completing something of a missing link in the wide arc of Nobel Laureate’s career, The Complete Budokan 1978 is notably missing designation as an entry into the ongoing archive initiative known as The Bootleg Series. Consequently, this is one of those ever-so-rare Bob Dylan items to be taken almost strictly at face value and savored as such.

While tunes like the shifting/warbling “Slow” are trippy, the band seems more comfortable with tracks like the synth-led off-kilter R&B of “Hit the Ground” and the 50’s rocking, “In the Dead Mall”, which gets its kicks by shoplifting. A few of the more straightforward tunes turn out to be album highlights.

Endless Arcade serves its purpose – providing longtime fans of the band with new material that both furthers their critical clout and gives the band more room to grow. Their newest album may not rank among their classic work, but when taken out of context, it’s a warm and revealing work, something that most other bands would consider their best.

Radiate Like This floats along in the vein of 2016’s Heads Up as the former art-rockers wander in semi-aimless, sleepy pop waters. Warpaint’s dreamy vibe is pleasant, starting with the ambient-looking cover art, but it doesn’t leave any real lasting impact.

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.

More formal and complete editions of Neil Young’s archives have been as satisfying as Tuscaloosa--this one lacks two cuts from the original recording--but none carry its implicit social relevance: even an artist as supremely instinctual as Neil Young couldn’t foresee the topical pertinence of an album titled in reference to this Southern state in 2019.

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 arrangements here are spacious and dreamy, anchored by rich, righteous organ topped with airy falsetto and mesmerizing four-part harmony. Belying his sometimes-bleak persona, the writing here is buoyant and soulful – geared in every way to offer hope.

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.

A satisfyingly solid collection of new originals. ... Several of the tracks here take a little longer to grow on the listener, like the Woodie Guthrie-in-spirit singalong “Big Backyard,” but after hitting the repeat button a couple of times the appeal starts to become clearer.

“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.”

As always, it’s Bazan’s words that bring people to the table and keep seated. Rolling out of his mouth with no real set sense of intonation or melody, Bazan beautifully interweaves pinpoint specific tales of his churchgoing suburban youth with greater universal ideas of truth and meaning, all wrapped in his dark wit and humor.

Despite being recorded in such a short burst of time – or maybe because of it – Spiel manages to be as musically diverse as it is moody, offering up a stellar intro to the band.

Sam Evian created a potent LP with Plunge and keeps the album exciting by piecing together his lofty ideas and loosely tying them together via their unpredictable tendencies. By allowing even his loftiest visions to settle into his honed song craft he created a brand of pop music he can proudly call his own.

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.

A Foul Form does a great job of capturing that fiery intensity for a brief burst of chaos.

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.

Rarely Do I Dream blurs the mystique of an artist whose honest songwriting made listeners feel like insiders with the musician and introduces the world to the full potential of Youth Lagoon.

The Country Westerns have given us one hell of a debut, bringing to mind the glory days of bar band alt-country while still sounding bitingly fresh and lyrically relevant to ultimately result in an early contender for album of the year.

While perhaps not a major cultural statement, Every Loser is an extremely secure album for the legendary mercurial artist to deliver this late in his career.

The follow up to 2017’s TX Jelly carries on that loose, almost improvisational jam vibe that made that debut such an anomaly when it first came out.

As a whole Sage Motel is a tone record of restrained, warbling, retro veering, psychedelic soul but there is one standout that should be heard on its own.

Death Valley Girls have softened musically with each release, adding more pop influences, and digging more into the spiritual hippy cosmos of the we-are-all-in-this-together vibe. They also have continually improved, as Islands in the Sky is their best album to date.

Gov’t Mule’s willingness to step outside its collective comfort zone here is clearly not without its shortfalls. Still, that very courage augurs well for the celebration of their thirtieth anniversary next year.

These songs touch on solitude, fading love, trying to grow up and some bleak topics, but their sweet sound together makes listening to them a joy.

Shires displays her reverence for Nelson in her fiddle playing and with some of the most impassioned vocals in her career while showcasing Nelson’s pianism, giving her a fond, tender farewell, Texas style.

The Beths utilize elements of their first LP on their sophomore effort—lyrical depth, catchy hooks, and sonic gems are scattered throughout the ten tracks on Jump Rope Gazers.

Is doesn’t have the same eclectic range as something like Z or The Waterfall, but it’s a solid album with ten captivating songs and no missteps. From the danceable groove rock of “Everyday Magic” to the propulsive banger “Lemme Know,” everything works.

It’s destined to be one of the year’s best and a monster reminder of how the simplest music, rendered by two masters, is often the best kind.

Entering Heaven Alive is a joy to sink into and overall one of the most easily accessible and best of Jack White’s solo career.

These songs have a light-hearted nature to them that is overtly pleasant without sounding like they’re trying to be. While this approach doesn’t leave much room for experimentation, it does leave us with a consistent, exciting, easily enjoyable album that toes the line between spacious ambiance and robust arrangements.

The trend was fairly clear in coming, with each passing record Medford has shifted towards more mainstream sounds. Fully embracing the break-up/hook-up dance-ready pattern (with slight distortion around the edges) Medford’s efforts are ready to be sung out over large speaker stacks instead of smaller indie rock clubs.

“Beye Bu Beye Ba,” may be the consummate track that combines brass, Taylor’s vocal, and his background singers, sounding authentically African as if one were transported to a ceremonial dance in a village. The final track is the other English titled tune, “Feeling,” with Taylor and his substantial accompaniment sailing off in blissful, horn and vocal punctuated glee.

Joyce Manor continues playing to their strengths with I Used To Go To This Bar, going big with microdosed strong songs that blast on by.

Lytle has been here before, ending his main act, but if Blu Wav is indeed the final bow from Grandaddy, it is a solid, restrained offering and a fitting coda to their catalog.

If one were to go to previous Stones ‘Best of’ sets, like 40 Licks, you’ll find most, if not all of these tracks from 1971 through the early ‘80s. It’s the later stuff combined with the earlier material that makes this set perhaps a bit more interesting, although most would argue those later years don’t represent the best of the Stones.

The band – still comprised of all three founding members – singer/guitarist Janovitz, bassist Chris Colbourn, and drummer Tom Maginnis – approach this record with the same relaxed, effortless vibe that made the trio such a consistently great act throughout the 1990s. The harmonies on “New Girl Singing” and the effortlessly cool vocals on “Recipes” and “Come Closer” sound like a band that have spent decades working together and anticipating where the song goes next.

Most of the madcap antics work, while other moments are exciting failures. While it’s not an easy album to digest, it’s fun for those who enjoy the experimental process.

The duo’s employment of a more ambient soundscape pairs beautifully with the raw, often hard-to-hear emotional songwriting. Not that Lost Cause Lover Fool doesn’t retain the welcoming warmth of previous Milk Carton Kids’ outings, but this is a particularly vulnerable side of the duo. There is longing in every moment of this LP that forces the listener to sit in the uncomfortable truths detailed in these songs.

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.

LaVette came so close to a Grammy with her interpretations of Dylan’s songs. Blackbirds may just push her to the top. It’s difficult to imagine anyone else delivering an album that oozes such deep emotion with each lyric. Clearly, it cements her status as one of today’s elite interpreters of song.

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.

On (watch my moves) Kurt Vile lets his wooly freak flag fly, never reigning in his scattered thoughts and never rocking out, content to just drift along in his unique way.

This inventive collection of songs crosses genres decades, from iconic artists spanning FKA Twigs (“Mirrored Heart”), to Cat Stevens (“How Can I Tell You”), Rancid (“Olympia, WA”), to Karen Dalton (“Something’s On Your Mind”), to the Stones (“She’s a Rainbow’) and The Grateful Dead (“Standing on the Moon”) all cohesively tied by Tuttle’s clear voice, astonishing range, and stellar guitar playing.

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.

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.

The Tubs’ debut album Dead Meat is a solid effort that showcases the band’s energy, attitude, and ability to blend punk aggression with melodic hooks. Fans of punk and rock music will find plenty to enjoy on this album, with its driving drums, snarling guitars, and impassioned vocals. The band is not afraid to take on difficult and controversial subjects and their lyrics are biting, politically-charged and true to their roots. It’s a must-listen for anyone who appreciates punk and rock music.

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.

She created a very enjoyable album filled with so much personality and emotion that it’s hard to deny the beauty of it. While the length does make you question what could have been, the 10-tracks presented are so masterfully done and built to be put on repeat.

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.