Mortal Primetime is the band’s softest album and has less dynamic intrigue than Headfull of Sugar. It’s focused more on storytelling and pop hooks than on in-your-face rock. It’s an album more about the stories than the licks, though there are still enough distorted guitars and driving rhythms for the rock fans.

While not peddling anything particularly new, Matsson’s legion of devoted fans will nonetheless find what they want and more in I Love You. It’s A Fever Dream. The skeptics will likely stay that way, but then you get the sense that’s the least of Matsson’s concerns.

Ambient yet dense, Space Heavy is an album that requires multiple listens to fully grasp, with each listen revealing a new layer of abstract rock that makes the album such a bold and enticing sonic step for Archy Marshall.

With a dream pop aesthetic and a mood that shifts from depressed to confident, the third album is Medford’s most varied and confident, making up for toning down the noise by dialing up the melody and soul.

It’s easy to envision any one of these tracks performed live as almost all have singalong type choruses and hip-shaking grooves, certainly the case for “Baby, I’m Coming Home,” which has enough fiery guitars sounding off that it suggests Gibbons has strapped on his axe too. The closer, “Didn’t I Love You,” brings blues riffs, guitar distortion, and a rawness, emblematic of the garage-rock that first stamped this enduring band.

This album is a bold statement that is sure to grow even more enticing as time passes. Each listen unearths another quaint element that completely changes the song’s atmosphere. A Shaw Deal is a challenging listen that yields otherworldly treasures, with Shaw’s guitar acting as the diamond in the rough yet soothing electronics of Weitz’s mystifying mind.

On Up On Gravity Hill, METZ” sound evolves as the trio explores new sonic pastures while keeping their core intact.

They sound even more urgent now and, of course, Lanois’s production values have further enhanced the band’s captivating sound.

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.

The album is consistent on the surface but a deeper listen unveils blissful tunes that come alive via unpredictable sonic twists that get better with every listen.

Ely gets into ballad mode on Ernest Tubbs’ “I Don’t Blame You,” demonstrating a superior command of dynamics, phrasing, and expression that have long defined his storied career. Hancock gets into rollicking mode on Mickey Newbury’s “Mobile Blue” as the twangy guitars fire full throttle while Ely takes Hancock’s “Ramblin’ Man” down a couple of notches with his pals joining on the choruses.

At 12 tracks long, and finishing just under 37 minutes, Sunshine Rock is relentless. It’s heavy without being dark. It’s catchy without being light. And while the bones of the album are Mould and his electric guitar, he has very carefully added different touches, like strings and keyboards, that enhance the tracks without being distracting. Sunshine Rock is an album worth hearing.

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

The marriage of the band’s reflective songwriting and the soaring experimentation of the arrangement proves to be a winning formula, as exemplified on touching moments like the wistful, chugging “Words,” or the warped album opener, “Incomprehensible.”

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.

The album mixes Creole vocals with English, the latter in Caetano Veloso’s Brazilian song of exile “You Don’t Know Me,” one of several examples of beauty to offset the anger and angst.

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.

Magic, Alive! feels like our first proper introduction to Dixon’s wide-ranging artistry and acrobatic vocals. The tracklist is chaotic yet never feels disconnected.

Overall, Vicious Creature is an enjoyable record that rewards thoughtful listening.

There’s an abiding sense of confident inspiration permeating the material as well as the musicianship, including most especially the worldly performances of Van Morrison himself.

Packed within these ten tracks is a solid and eclectic mix of genres, fresh sounds and vintage flair. Hate for Sale is the band’s strongest in a long while and should give any listener enough to gnaw on and then some.

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.

The ever-evolving Joel Ross has taken a step back and forward at the same time. If this is your introduction to his gorgeous music, it’s an auspicious place to start that will likely lead to seeking out his previous work too.

Wand is most at home onstage, and Spiders in the Rain does a proper job of delivering the group’s unique mix of noise/psych/jam/shoegaze/alternative rock to those who have yet to experience them in concert as well as those who want to relive the majesty.

Even with the dark lyrics, which at times overshadow some strong poetry, this album is a great listen due to Kacy’s lovely, lilting voice and Clayton’s all-over-the-fretboard guitar playing. And, for all the ballyhoo about moving to a full band sound, the rhythm section support is mostly subtle and Kacy and Clayton rightly assume the duo spotlight, as Tweedy stayed hands off, knowing that Kacy and Clayton had the songs and the chops.

Unlike the 2017 pair of albums which were rather short, Stapleton delivers a generous heaping of 14 songs here. He has nothing left to prove, but somehow, he just gets incrementally better as he takes more control and confidence in his own songwriting.

This is one of Griffin’s most introspective albums, as she continues to move in this direction. Her fans will enjoy the lyrics and her, unique passionate vocals.

Despite the otherworldly talent displayed on the album, there is an element of humanity hidden in there. By simply relaying their life story through whooshing production and swooning melodies, UMO created their most personal yet most relatable album to date.