There is a bare-it-all vulnerability that ties all these songs together. With his vocals, a strong, slightly nasally tenor, and acoustic guitar at the forefront of the near dozen songs here (plus a short prologue and interlude), the record is a pivot away from his last solo outing – 2022’s The Misfit.

It’s just like calling up an old friend you hadn’t talked to in years and within the first few moments of conversation, it seems that the time gap just evaporates.

On Happiness Bastards the brothers Crowe retreat to their safer classic rock roots with efforts that gun for mid-70’s arena swagger, falling short of the band’s prime, a touch uninspired and derivative of their best work.

With both ears pointing toward the future and his mind on his upbringing, Bridges adds another stunning LP to his colorful discography. LEON is staggering in its honesty and enthralling in its approach to such personal topics.

His smooth, deep voice is captivating, especially with this batch of melodic songs. This recording will deservedly draw plenty of attention.

Imaginative, highly literate tales. There’s a real mix of moods, tempos, and themes so it’s best to listen to it in its entirety. You’ll be rewarded.

This six song collection from Daptone Records is a vibrant display of what Antibalas does best; fusing the spirit and soul of Fela Kuti with modern funky sounds.

Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever delivers a slice of summer with the successful Sideways to New Italy as the band keeps rolling on and smiling all the way.

While The Makarrata Project is, overall, more of an exercise in maintaining rather than innovating, it is nevertheless a work replete with the customary philosophical and musical intelligence the Oils have displayed throughout their history.

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.

Ivey has a gift for peppering purposely vague lyrics with direct messages as if today the world is often dark and chaotic but there is a path through it. While the musical aspects of the project began rather experimentally, he ultimately delivers pleasing soundscapes that carry us through the bleakness. Somehow, we emerge feeling better.

Charlie Musselwhite’s smiling visage sums up the very air of modest, joyful generosity that permeates Mississippi Son.

Yes, while the previous three revealed a gentler side of the band, this one flat-out rocks until we hear the spoken dialogue from St. EOM for whom the closer, an epic 12-minute instrumental, is named. It’s rendered simply by the quartet of Trucks, Dixon on B3, Boone, and Greenwell. As expected, it showcases the phenomenal spiraling, stratospheric guitar of Trucks. ... TTB, as expected, is off to a flying start.

We’ve dubbed Lloyd a major spiritual force. There is nothing here to dissuade us from that. This could be arguably even a higher form of spirituality. It’s just a whole different trio offering than the previous two that shows the endless creativity and versatility of the inimitable Lloyd.

Swinging Stars is not only Mapache’s best album to date, it is a pillar of the band’s restless creativity. For 14 tracks, the duo dips their toes in every corner of folk and emerges with something so unique and personal it’s undeniable.

There’s an emotional investment in play on Moondial by which Pat derives a tangible pleasure that correlates directly to his sense of accomplishment.

Ultimately, it’s a fun record and one that begs the question of just how big this band could have been in the succeeding decades if they had not imploded on takeoff.

The perfect backyard, sunset watching summer folk album, Rolling Holy Golden faces west as Bonny Light Horseman enjoy those tender fleeting moments while they float through our collective consciousnesses, smiling the whole time.

Yes, Segall is playing with the same dynamics he’s built his career on, but he’s never sounded this welcoming, or at least not in a long time.

My Finest Work Yet is an elegant musical piece, enriched by stimulating messaging.

If you’re looking for fast, lighthearted punk music in the Buzzcocks vein, look no further. With their smashing drums and Zulu Robson-esque snarl to Sandwith’s voice, The Chats suberbly capture their day-to-day life in Australia as the true inspiration for their work. The ability to translate their influence and perspective makes them a much more accessible band than most.

Agricultural Tragic is also among one of his best yet in an already inspiring 25-year career.

Cable Ties use their intriguing mix of punk, rock, and post-punk dance vibes with an assured delivery throughout the powerful All Her Plans, breaking out to a larger audience with committed songwriting, driven playing, and compelling vocal styles.

Importantly, Crowell seems to be enjoying himself. He’s teamed up with the guitarist and producer Tyler Bryant to deliver a rocking, somewhat casual, not overthought musical accompaniment. .... Crowell never minces words. He has the distinctive gift of forming rhyming couplets that are witty, evocative, and occasionally provocative.

Attempting to unpack She Reaches Out in one listen is a futile task. This sounds like the album Wolfe was always meant to make. Nothing feels forced, a natural chaos erupts around every corner as Wolfe tip-toes around dense drums and distorted tones. Underneath the dark production are some of the best songwriting moments of Wolfe’s career.

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.

Green To Gold is one of the best Antlers albums to date and an album unrivaled in its essential need to exist in both in Silberman’s life and in ours.

No Home Record wraps up on a positive note, proving Gordon is still pushing herself as an artist.