With all its unpredictable mood shifts, The Cosmic Selector Vol. 1 has one consistency that nothing can take away from Lord Huron: their songwriting is some of the most beautifully poetic in Americana. Throughout the warping arrangements and surprise features, the band proves to have a cacophony of heartwrenching ballads that add a splash of color to grey emotions like heartbreak and loneliness.

They created a vulnerable album that hints at the band’s past two decades while showcasing a new side of a band whose fearless sonic explorations gave them this longevity in the first place.

I Want Blood is the best album Jerry Cantrell has released since at least 2002’s Degradation Trip, if not 1995’s eponymous Alice in Chains release. It shows Cantrell continuing to stretch artistically, especially as a singer, while leaning on the musical chops that made him a generation’s guitar hero.

ALL IN is just another reason to dig back into his musical brilliance.

Oxy Music is not, however, any kind of masterpiece, but it is another surprisingly consistent concept album, one just as slick and depraved as Forced Witness was, even without the extra schtick.

A mix of highs and lows, pains and struggles, joys and triumphs.

On his fifth studio effort, Brent Cobb has never sounded more relaxed. And the calm, self-assured flow of his vocals is not particularly out of place for this always-on-the-cusp-of-making-it-big Americana artist, but there is a laid back flow to Southern Star that is hard to ignore and nearly impossible not to love.

When Chris and Oliver Wood began collaborating as a duo in the early 2000s, there was a tangible element of self-deprecating humor in their work. That element has faded to a great degree over time–especially in comparison to the latter’s solo efforts–but the jolly, acerbic attitude has returned virtually in full here. It’s most reminiscent of 2006’s Ways Not To Lose and Loaded two years later. “Above All Others,” in fact, sounds borderline sarcastic (and lethally so ), its effect heightened by the easygoing waltz rhythm at the heart of the performance.

Bless Your Heart simultaneously reinforces and extends the favorable first impression left with the premier album.

After all the snark, self-effacement, and emotional guardedness that precede it, “All I’ve Got” lands with a genuine tenderness that makes the album feel emotionally honest.

The recording of Somewhere Under The Rainbow (by Pete Long who also contributes an essay on the four-page insert) radiates palpable resolve and despair in almost equal measure, plus an air of genuine catharsis, all this despite the murky audio quality remaining in the wake of mixing and mastering by the artist himself and long-time technical collaborator Niko Bolas.

In the end, Lloyd Cole makes the title of On Pain sound ironic. It’s as if the eight tracks and thirty-seven minutes are intended as an antidote to the psychic turbulence pervading the world at large in 2023.

While this work may not be as riveting and stunning as its predecessor, due mostly to the familiarity of many of the tunes, that dynamic cuts both ways because there are few interpreters as adept as Giddens for traditional fare. Also, the remarkable musical chemistry between the duo just continues to grow.

American Love Song is classic Bingham.

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

Pollen has a subtle beauty to its short, 32-minute runtime. The layered instruments and crooned vocals are steeped in the kind of love that is anchored in more than a decade of marriage. As such, it might not have the passionate peaks and valleys of a brief fling, but it makes up for that in its mature craftsmanship and shared vision of creating and maintaining the art.

The record sounds bigger and Shook and her band mates take full advantage, filling in all of the open spaces. Her cadence, much like that of Willie Nelson, has a tendency to lag a bit behind the music from time to time, just adding to the charm.

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

The opening track, the explosive “American Dream” is a solid indication that, despite the inspiration for this particular album, it’s not going to be crammed with maudlin introspection. That infectious energy is carried through on the dance-punk vibe of “Like You Did Before” and the incredible album closer “Bad Guys Always Win.”

While the resulting album isn’t as loud as the original, that isn’t to say it is soft.

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

The Beggar is a challenging listen over its two-hour run time, but the sonic soundscapes SWANS create throughout deliver what the band set out to do; juxtapose the beautiful and grotesque while stretching out their droning sound to the breaking point.

Despite being recorded in such a short burst of time – or maybe because of it – Spiel manages to be as musically diverse as it is moody, offering up a stellar intro to the band.

Chambers is challenging us to hear the connections between the pieces, which are not always readily apparent. Yet, the harmonics, textures, and fluidity of the sound remain appealing throughout.

Highway Butterfly: The Songs of Neal Casal leaves the very distinct impression of that project that is a true labor of love.

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.

A Bit of Previous stands alongside the earlier works as a cohesive full-band effort. This latest effort surely should be counted alongside B&S beloved classics If You’re Feeling Sinister and Tigermilk. It feels good to go home again.

Art Dealers may just be his best album yet.