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.