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.

So unassuming an offering it may very well sneak onto more than a few ‘Best of ’23’ lists, this LP certainly deserves such placement. Its forty-some minutes contain more than a few of those deeply stirring moments only truly great records possess.

It is revelatory that on such cuts–like the rest, ranging from five to eight minutes in duration–Metheny employs his instincts as much as his technique. The delicate balance of those two elements is nothing less than remarkable on Dream Box.

Thundercat surfaces with another wholeheartedly relatable and sonically mesmerizing LP. The artist’s fifth studio LP, Distracted, is an organically stunning and stubbornly present new chapter to Thundercat’s autobiographical discography, one that is both a poetic snapshot of the artist’s perspective and another refreshing take on Thundercat’s singular sound.

Yes, this should be a contender for Album of the Year in roots-rock circles. It is stunning.

Generally, it is flowing, highly sophisticated, and graceful, but with several intense moments. In the historical context; it lies somewhere between the Wayne Shorter and McCoy Tyner spectrum to the even more adventurous Andrew Hill, Eric Dolphy, and Grachan Moncur III. .... This is contemporary jazz of the highest order.

Bird Machine allows the nuances of Linkous’s unique artistry to take center stage while keeping even the most hectic moments intimate. These 14 songs put a stunningly beautiful bow on the Sparklehorse discography while being so distinctive and magically stirring, they stand in a spotlight all to their own.

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

The weight of loss, the pain of failed love, the bleakness of it all, combined with Thundercats effervescent playing, unique playfulness and a giddy sense of humor combine on It Is What It Is, resulting in the best album of Brunner’s career and one of the strongest of 2020.

Seven originals (three from Redman, two from Mehldau, and one each from McBride and Blade) may seem a paucity after so long an interval since the last group endeavor these men undertook, but in this case, it’s a surfeit of riches. Needless to say, as it may be, it’s worth declaring RoundAgain is a top candidate for ‘Best of 2020’ lists.

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.

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.

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.

Personnel differs slightly on each selection and the support is both sturdy and nuanced. It’s as if you need to listen at least twice even for the initial listen, once for the vocal beauty and again for the instrumentation. Even though the year has just begun, expect this marvelous project to show up on many Year’s Best lists for 2020

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.

Expect this project, at a minimum, to be a Grammy contender with perhaps historic recognition in the wings at some point.

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.

It’s hard not to agree with what might otherwise sound like hyperbole: this is one of, if not the finest effort of the great iconoclast’s career.

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 band takes full advantage of their unpredictable reputation to craft an ambitious piece of art packed with enough personality and sparkle for it to be considered an undeniably fantastic release.

Stunning, dark, poetic. ... Chances are you won’t fall in love with this album immediately but images will liner in your head and you’ll be drawn back to it repeatedly and appreciate it more with each listen.

The album is one of the standout releases of the year, and also leaves you wanting to experience the Rose City Band live as soon as we are allowed to do that again.

Many of the songs on There Is No Other are structurally simple but most of the arrangements are compellingly imaginative. This is a magical listen from as tight a partnership as you’ll hear. As the title implies, it’s incomparable.

18 tracks of songwriting prowess set to dusty orchestrations that shake you to your core. For his first solo release in three years, Aesop Rock has never sounded hungrier as everything that makes him such a powerhouse rapper gets elevated and reimagined on what might be his best work in years.

There are also multiple versions, in markedly different running times, of numbers like “Magic Bus” and “Call Me Lightning,” which may be redundant except for completists and the inordinately curious. How much interest a listener has for that content may well correlate with an appreciation for the overall concept at work. ... But the Who’s leaps of artistry, viewed from the broad vantage point of this Super Deluxe Edition, with proverbial twenty-twenty acumen, appear nothing less than spectacular, no matter how tongue-in-cheek the interpretation of the Sell Out title.

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.

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.

Blue World reveals Coltrane’s personal progress, as well as the interactive consistency and sonic details the Classic Quartet had firmly established as their collective signature by 1964.