On (watch my moves) Kurt Vile lets his wooly freak flag fly, never reigning in his scattered thoughts and never rocking out, content to just drift along in his unique way.

This inventive collection of songs crosses genres decades, from iconic artists spanning FKA Twigs (“Mirrored Heart”), to Cat Stevens (“How Can I Tell You”), Rancid (“Olympia, WA”), to Karen Dalton (“Something’s On Your Mind”), to the Stones (“She’s a Rainbow’) and The Grateful Dead (“Standing on the Moon”) all cohesively tied by Tuttle’s clear voice, astonishing range, and stellar guitar playing.

Throughout Electro Melodier, the quintet’s momentum arises from arrangements are as crisp and potent as the playing, which in itself is as intelligently wrought as the material. Notwithstanding those virtues, even as Farrar and company mix up the arrangements to include piano and organ as on “These Are The Times,” they don’t offer anything new here.

The arrangement works, right in line with a suitably restrained performance. As such, it sets a tone of novelty for the album in the best sense of that adjective.

The Tubs’ debut album Dead Meat is a solid effort that showcases the band’s energy, attitude, and ability to blend punk aggression with melodic hooks. Fans of punk and rock music will find plenty to enjoy on this album, with its driving drums, snarling guitars, and impassioned vocals. The band is not afraid to take on difficult and controversial subjects and their lyrics are biting, politically-charged and true to their roots. It’s a must-listen for anyone who appreciates punk and rock music.

The Fleshtones continue delivering their no-frills version of what they dub “SUPER ROCK” throughout It’s Getting Late (…and More Songs About Werewolves), via confident riffs, banging drums and vocals filled with jokes, immediacy and just a touch of yearning honesty.

She created a very enjoyable album filled with so much personality and emotion that it’s hard to deny the beauty of it. While the length does make you question what could have been, the 10-tracks presented are so masterfully done and built to be put on repeat.

Only two small missteps on an album full of excellent new approaches from the evolving quartet. Parquet Courts can also still drop in their post-punk sound, but for tracks like “Black Widow Spider” and “Homo Sapien” the grinding guitar riffs are augmented by inventive dance-laden beats, kicking it all up a level.

The album shows growth in every aspect of the music, yet the lyrics seem to be the biggest area of change. ... The production from Jenn Decilvio accentuated the band’s evolution by highlighting the multiple vocal parts and adding a truly masterful touch on the effects chosen.

Continuing to nurture mature pop music equal parts brains and soul on Good Luck With Whatever, Dawes solidifies an even more finite approach to writing and recording. This seventh studio effort of theirs not only represents a logical progression for the quartet, but it also augurs well for its continued evolution.

As with all great musicians, Wagner embodies each track on TRIP the way he would any other album, and in the end provides another strong entry in Lambchop’s ever-growing discography.

The first half of the record, complete with some of the catchiest work he’s made so far, also stands in stark contrast to the warmer vulnerability on side two.

Whether or not you grew up with gospel music, you’ll find that this collection of songs is both warm and heartfelt. And if you did grow up with gospel music, this album gives you plenty of opportunities to sing along.

“Even the Sparrow,” however, leans more directly into gospel, with the unison lines of the sax and electric violin creating blissful harmonics. Yes, even this one explodes into shrill, combustible sequences as it evolves. These ten pieces are a preamble of sorts to the explosive closer, “Fear Not.” ... Yet the six sound seekers find an anthemic melody, after a beginning of restless chaos, reaching a surprisingly peaceful resolution.

Capricorn by Eddie 9V is proof that his aptitude for soul music is just as strong as his aptitude for the blues. He shows that he can sing the slow smooth songs just as well as he can shout with the best of them. Be ready to do some dancing when you hear this one. Also, be ready to feel better at the end than you did at the beginning of this mood-boosting album.

Edwards’ vocals are vibrantly strong, framed beautifully by the accompaniment, whether driving hard or in a more sensitive mode.

A judiciously edited forty-some minutes of music that sounds every bit the essence of what the band’s titular leader wanted to say and how he wanted it to sound.

Clearly, the group put time and effort into production (the dance/electro “Flutter Freer” and vibrating “Andy Helping Andy” both sound alive) but made an artistic choice to neuter their more rock efforts. Had the instrumentals been more invigorating this may have been an interesting choice, but as People Helping People wraps, the feeling of No Age just going through the disenchanted motions sets in.

While lyrically Bridwell is struggling during these tough times, musically he has rebounded and that combo works; Things Are Great proves Band of Horses has a lot left in the tank.

Bunny deserves credit, like each Beach Fossils album, for challenging an aspect of Payseur’s process, even if it was less effective this time around.

Somebody’s Knocking could be a lost 1980s New Wave album. A really good one. ... What’s impressive about the album is that while the mode of delivery is electronic, there’s a live heartbeat beneath all of the songs that consistently reveals Lanegan’s humanity.

In My Dreams proves that subtlety, judicious use of space, and generous, trusted sharing can deliver a quietly gorgeous soundscape. Frisell harnesses all his trademark attributes into one, evocative declarative statement.

Path of Wellness lacks the punch of the groups’ highest points and the more restrained searching style leaves a few of the tracks lacking, but Sleater-Kinney is open to trying anything at this point in their excellent career and continue to craft intriguing songs.

Jump For Joy finds the clouds parting and Taylor and his band finally reveling in the possibility of happier times. The uncertainty is still there, but this time tinged with optimism.

Another complex, solid effort from the Drive-By Truckers, one of the great American bands, who are happy to keep on writing songs about trains and people who died on Welcome 2 Club XIII.

Face Down in the Garden is a fitting goodbye that highlights everything the band does well. The intricate guitar and keyboard melodies, sing-along choruses, jangly guitar licks, introspective lyrics, pop hooks, and wall-of-sound production are all in full force.

Welfare Jazz is a major progression for a band that has already been blowing minds with a sound unlike anything else out there, not to mention truly brilliant music videos. Their serrated and offbeat approach to rock and roll balances dark humor and unexpected thrills with the kind of dangerous edge that is sadly missing from most music these days. As one of the first album releases of the year, the Viagra Boys have set the bar high.

TANGK is an artsy outing that is polished and honed while refusing to stay complacent and neat, their range as a band now seems limitless as IDLES release the riskiest and most rewarding music of their career.