In stark contrast is the self-indulgent hero worship of “The One And Only (Van Dyke Parks).” However well-intentioned, the track is too cute by half, but its juxtaposition with the “Back In New York (Electric Mix)” redeems the conclusion of The Great Escape as crisp electric guitar figures echo through the jaunty tone of the Modrec Horns.

A stripped-down guitar-forward record that still wraps the music in a solid pop sound.

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.

Despite the quality of the songwriting and the performances, there’s something about Let’s Rock that feels like the two are tying up the band and bringing their music full circle. Whatever the intent and the future of the band, Let’s Rock is a solid release that should make fans happy, whether it’s a coda or just their latest record.

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.

The singer-songwriter’s twelfth studio album mostly sounds like 2000s-era Crow with some contemporary flourishes in the production. Crow’s diverse vocals are still solid, ranging from country twang to soulful croon and saccharine pop.

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.

Swimmer doesn’t quite reach the peaks of other Tennis albums but is a solid album featuring expertly composed and performed piano pop.

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.

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.

Stinson and Robert have turned down the raucousness and deliver more contemplative efforts, while still experimenting with sound and instrumentation. The stakes feel lower by design as if two musicians are just having a good time with each other as Cowboys in the Campfire allow Wronger to chill along.

It is a hard-to-classify effort that shifts genres and influences often as War moves through different motifs.

Lyrically, it’s not deep — focusing on living life with its ups and downs while finding time to enjoy the in-betweens — but it’s undeniably fun. .... It’s the quieter moments on The Dreamin’ Kind—such as “Stealin’ Time,” “Rickety Ol’ Bridge,” and “Dance On Thru”—that feel slightly out of place here. The album closes with “Engine 99,” a song that best ties together the quieter moments with the new rock-focused tracks.

The fact that the increasingly complex playing compares so favorably to the antecedents of the Allman Betts Band (including the latter-day lineup circa 2003’s Hittin’ The Note) speaks as much to the intrinsic skill of this unit as to its future potency in a more mature state.

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.

Destroyer becomes the perfect album to play in your car while you speed (safely) down the highway. Though not as trippy or psych heavy as its predecessors, Destroyer still manages to fit perfectly into the Black Mountain catalogue.

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.

Chatten’s monotone downtrodden vocals with direct lyrics (not going much deeper than their titles) dominate the songs. This style will either pull in the listener or alienate as the woe is me gloom follows each song like a small rain cloud.

The songs here are largely fun and accessible, but contain hidden depths that encourage repeated listens; and that in itself is a testament to Toro Y Moi’s staying power and ability to find new ways of expressing himself.

With its complex sonic textures, use of repetition, and few standout hooks, The Million Masks of God is Manchester Orchestra’s least accessible work, but it’s an achievement in its own way. It doesn’t have many stand-out singles but is best appreciated by repeated listens in its entirety as the narrator, as a stand-in for the band, confronts his spiritual and emotional pain without a clear resolution.

In keeping with his primary vocation, he [Johnny Depp] nevertheless sounds like any fledgling musician still in the process of finding his own style. Meanwhile, Beck makes it quite clear from the very start this is his album: “Midnight Walker,” a composition by Irish musician Davy Spillane, is the familiar and highly atmospheric sound of vintage Beck fusion, while the clattering mechanical rhythms of Killing Joke’s “Death And Resurrection Show” recall You Had It Coming in 2001 and Jeff two years later.

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.

Bunny deserves credit, like each Beach Fossils album, for challenging an aspect of Payseur’s process, even if it was less effective this time around.

The softer, subtler sound of The Other Side of Make-Believe means it’s never able to reach the greatness of the peak moments of Turn On the Bright Lights or Antics. It simply doesn’t have those powerful moments. Despite that and Banks occasionally singing outside of his range, it’s a solid effort and a welcome splash of color to Interpol’s dour palette.

This is not an album meant to prove any sense of prowess; it is a quiet collection of songs from an artist looking to understand himself better.

The CRB doesn’t wholly recapture the unified sense of inspiration that earmarked their initial work, but they come close.

It’s weird, ambitious and at times straight-up absurd; even as it settles for a vaguely more accessible and hook-heavy sound than previous efforts. It’s also, curiously, a bit of a slow starter, the songs getting well and truly better as it goes on.

The slow, contemplative songs on Set My Heart on Fire Immediately are hit or miss. Most are moving mood pieces with intricate melodies, while some are bland and skippable. The best Perfume Genius moments are with the dynamic upbeat pop songs, jam-packed with hooks and danceable grooves. Throughout the album, Hadreas forms complex sonic textures out of the thoughts tormenting his psyche. The result is an album that thrills at times, invites quiet reflection at others, but is always interesting.

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

A daring concept album is no easy task to take on, let alone execute, and while these ten songs can sometimes feel disconnected, Sol Y Sombra is far from an album to overlook.

Corgan’s attempt at making a contemporary album was mostly successful, though, with the band delivering hook-laden music that is full of great pop moments with enough experimentalism and gritty moments to keep it interesting.

“Closer I Get,” which features Oh, was co-written with Ivey and one that owes to the psychedelic trip. The sonics are less dense but the lyric is heavy. .... Act II: Mind Travel is mostly dark and perhaps most representative of the psilocybin effects. Analogies, metaphors and symbolism are rampant, albeit often subtle. .... Every trip, especially a six-day one like they took, has a distinct come down period. That’s the essence of Act III: Burn Whatever’s Left.

Fearn delivers music back to him that touches on a host of genres, including post-punk, warped electropop, bizarre dub, and minimalist new wave, repeating beats and slowly adding instrumentation to keep things from becoming dull. More than in past records, the songs take time to stretch out, as the duo pulls them along and the words.

This forty-fifth studio album of Neil Young’s may not rank as one of his greatest, but it may well be the most true-to-life effort he’s ever released.

The end result is a mixed bag of tunes as the island vibe and broken-hearted blues don’t always synch, however when they do, the results are rollicking.

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 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.

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

The ten songs are all solid, however, the restrained feeling of the record, especially early on, results in an album more one-note than it should be. EX Hex still rock but urgency is primarily absent, keeping It’s Real from truly ripping.

The lighthearted moments here offset the pedantry even if they also muffle a more provocative impact (as did the strident tone of 2006’s Living With War, including “Let’s Impeach The President”). Neil is preaching to the converted here and this offering isn’t likely to convince the skeptical.

Wasted Shirt might not immediately hit the expected highs, but the anything-can-happen jam session feeling hints that the duo has more to offer in the future and Fungus II is just the cap and stem of a larger organism underneath.

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

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

Over the course of more than a dozen records, the Old 97’s have experimented a bit and tempered their sound from time to time, but American Primitive is a return to their Clash meets Cash roots.

Although she admits to being purposely eclectic, it sounds as if there is too much experimentation at play. There are some great songs here, but a more organic, less produced kind of musical accompaniment would arguably strengthen the material.

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.

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.

HOPIUMFORTHEMASSES, while not up to the band’s overall best (Psalm 69, Rio Grande Blood), is a very solid Ministry album during these insane times.

The music is never afraid to insert something new, to a fault at times, as programmed beats, punk thrashing and groove metal clash on the schizophrenic “Coming Correct Is Cheaper”. ... Better is the overloaded “Thumbsucker” which pushes upbeat punk with hip hop influence, the screeching “We Wants Revenge” that kicks up to total blissful chaos, and “GODBLESSYALLREALGOOD” which fluctuates between screaming punk and hip hop breaks with an ease and dexterity rarely displayed in this style.

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.

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.

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.

All Souls Hill feels like a gradual step with the heavier foot planted on the electronic DIY side while venturing back to the organic with the lighter foot.

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.

He’s much happier sitting in a groove and sustaining it while listening to the singer and the band.

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.

Unlimited Love is a decidedly low-key affair, not concerned about competing with the band’s past greatness, but rather more focused on the simple joys of being in the same room jamming together again.

The biggest weakness of Life Is Yours is its lack of variety. Foals have always had a vast sonic palette, but on this album, the Oxford band limits itself to only a small portion. But what that album does, it does well. Each song is kinetic and has great grooves to get people moving.

This gentle, lilting album is a totally relaxing listen, somehow devoid of the deep sensual bluesy moods that Holiday can evoke but instead invoking a flowing, other-worldly (to use his term) romanticism.

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.

At times the album succumbs to bloated overload, the occasional instrumental placeholders like “Sultry Air” and “Movements of Time“ are not necessary on an already long-running album while the AOR pop of “Slow Days” feels a bit like running in place with fine, yet dull, overall results. However, the band’s chilling-on-a-space-age-beach attitude also results in some grand successes.

There are no truly great compositions here. But otherwise, the record does contain most of the essential elements of the band’s inimitable style, including the cracked sense of humor for which Feats are famous.

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.

The music is textured and production exquisite as layers of sounds and instrumentation ring clear, but if there is a weakness it is that lyrically the album is lacking. White and Benson both come off as blasé at times not offering much in the way of memorable lines, disengaging while moving towards generalities.

Most of the time Morrison plays the songs straight, some with different arrangements and a few with lyrical twists. ... This music is well-designed for live performance and early reviews of the shows are highly favorable. However, as an album listening experience, the weight of so many background vocalists with call and response or echoes in every chorus on these tracks becomes wearisome.

The Besnard Lakes Are the Last of the Great Thunderstorm Warnings will assuredly be a favorite for longtime fans but may be a bit daunting for first timers and is not for the casual listener. However, for those willing to put in the time listening to the whole album, the payoff will be worth it in the end.

They offer up Fate & Alcohol, ten songs in thirty-six minutes that mostly succeed by wrestling with maturity and life’s big decisions but never reach the heights of their youth.

None are genuinely essential, but still, the gusto Bob himself displays so often is a revelation: hear the rousing version of Carl Perkins’ “Matchbox” with George on guitar and vocals. Meanwhile, the brevity of many other selections is often in direct proportion to the surprise they may evoke. ... That said, to become truly enamored of 50th Anniversary Collection 1970, it may be necessary to be a devout Dylan fan, a music lover insatiably curious about the recording process or both.

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.

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.

Cook’s artistic lyrics tend to become buried with the cascading roil around them, but the energy and blending/bleeding is part of The Yawpers appeal. The group’s enticing mix of folk, blues, noise, and good old fashion raw rock and roll is not new, but their twists, emotional singing, and willingness to distort musical conventions makes Human Question an engaging listen thr

The album has a Side A and Side B feel to it with the first half comprised of layered, dense tunes as is mixer Blake’s penchant. Side B (if you will) lightens the sonics a bit, giving the band more room to breathe and, for these ears, an easier listening experience.

Whether Jacob’s Ladder successfully reaches listeners, however, will ultimately depend on an open-minded response to the various instrumental and vocal components.

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.

In terms of tone, production, and energy, Neon Pill feels connected to Social Cues. And like that album, there is plenty to enjoy, even without the powerful guitars and frenzied vocals. This softer Cage still has the grooves and melodies to keep things interesting while the band gets more comfortable.

Campbell chose to embrace his personal sound, owning it, and refining it. It’s not an easy task but Campbell and the Dirty Knobs take it seriously.

The track ["Stick Around"], like all the others, runs short, getting to the lyrical point without overdoing it. Those lyrics can sometimes feel generic and straightforward; however, Bird’s vocals have taken the next step, as she manages to sound both vitally urgent and more subdued and heartbroken with ease.

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.

Weller takes a moment for introspection, his implicit vulnerability rendering him a more sympathetic figure than his occasionally impersonal craftsmanship allows on Fat Pop (Volume 1).

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.

Some reimagining and some looking back, ‘Journey Through Life’ is a pleasant reflection on where Femi Kuti has been and where that could possibly lead him in the future.

Cottrell’s voice is airy and breathy, seemingly forged specifically for Tycho’s music, but it’s in fact when it takes centre stage, the record stutters. Tycho’s beauty was in the remarkable way they had created a unique sound, something that gets lost within many of these tracks that play out as good but fairly standard down-tempo dream-pop.

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.

Working with producer Butch Walker (Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran) in his Nashville studios, Cosentino reaches for the pop heights with timely tunes and lyrics which are current, but also middle of the road at times.

All in all, Ode to Joy is a solid album, if a bit on the languid side, but feels more like a Jeff Tweedy solo album than a proper Wilco album.

The Hard Quartet’s debut is a refreshing gust of slightly peculiar indie rock that sounds spirited and lively while also reminiscent of the individual members’ past successes.

For those not already familiar with the Femmes, this probably won’t be the point of entry that provides a portal to instant fandom, but it’s a fun and worthwhile listen. ... It’s a solid representation of what they do well and an impish and occasionally truly insightful good time.

SKELETÁ is a fascinating concept album with tight melodies and carefully crafted arrangements, enough to satisfy day one Ghost fans, but might fall short of bringing new fans into the band’s ever-growing sonic realm.

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.

[“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.

She closes, rather surprisingly with the flamenco guitar-driven acoustic tune, “Chimayo,” revealing the nuances of her vocals, which can go almost instantly from sultry seductive tones to window-rattling power. It’s a surprisingly great touch, and at least for this writer, is the kind of tune we’d like to have heard more of on this eclectic effort.

These are Fish’s most fully realized songs yet and while the album displays aspects of her sound heard on her previous albums, it’s clearly moving toward a more pop, more densely produced sound. She is still developing. Enjoy the change but expect her to keep evolving.

As a whole, 12 is both a triumph and a work in progress. It showcases James Petralli’s evolution as an artist willing to adapt, experiment, and push boundaries, even if the results occasionally feel uneven.

Although some fans may be disappointed not to hear the same early aughts NYC sound, discerning listeners will find that consistency as well as hopefully appreciate a new direction for a band with much acclaim.

“The View” is another near-solo track that legitimizes Lukas Nelson’s songwriting skills, as well as the understated savvy of Promise of the Real. Would that such numbers be the rule rather than the exception on the album? Or that the band quintet stretched out longer and more often than they do over the course of the twelve selections.

At this point in his career, Promenade Blues is a success, even as a disjointed and confused album. The standouts rank among his best, and the filler, for the most part, are easily ignorable (with the notable exception of the frustratingly silly and out of place “B. Santa Ana, 1986”.) Waterhouse has made a genuine artistic shift and focused his attention to detail on his weakest material.

While the aural tour of influences here is mostly a good thing, there are a few of songs that seem to pull down the record at times – even at just nine tracks; “The Way Things Are” just sounds maudlin, and “La De Da, La De Dum” and the instrumental “So, Damned, Blue” sound more like filler tracks. That being said, there are more than enough tracks here that are bound to satisfy long-time LaMontagne fans.

The tracks that really try to fuse the bounce/gospel genres are the most interesting offerings.