History Books is a layered outing from Gaslight Anthem that is as familiar as it is refreshing. Longtime Gaslight Anthem fans will be pleased with the varying arrangements as the band traverses a colorful palette of moods and tones. Newcomers will be taken aback by the band’s unique diversity and lyrical dexterity as Gaslight Anthem pens gorgeous words to drive their latest outing.

Tracked largely in analog, Dylan-style, and featuring L.A. players like Amy Aileen Wood (Fiona Apple) and Wayne Whitaker, For the First Time, Again sounds richly vintage. Though nearly flawless, its loose approach leaves open the question of how Tyler might sound in a more modern, ambitious setting.

This third CATS album is wholly in keeping with the growing confidence of the band (in contrast to the somewhat laissez-faire sophomore outing, appropriately titled Let It Wander) as well as the creative progression of its forebears.

LaFarge somehow manages to make the nostalgia sound authentic rather than gimmicky, which is quite an impressive feat.

He continues to show why he’s been one of the best songwriters in the past four decades and again, despite what at times feels like a curious mix, he delivers the kind of gems that only he can.

There is a comforting steadiness and calmness to Moen’s vocals that draw in the listener regardless of what he’s singing about; the songs have a tendency to be both haunting and melancholy at times yet also reassuring – not an easy feat to pull off.

There’s no better modern bluesman on the scene today than Birchwood. He consistently delivers the goods and Exorcist is his latest adventurous chapter..

It showcases Dream Theater’s status as a collection of musical masters who, forty years later, remain at the top of their games.

Some reimagining and some looking back, ‘Journey Through Life’ is a pleasant reflection on where Femi Kuti has been and where that could possibly lead him in the future.

When one carefully listens, the history of Black American music unfolds over just ten tracks. These two trust their instincts and their artistry is well-rounded and rather boundless.

This lineup offers great potential for the provocative mix of musical personalities, and sure enough, sparks fly from the get-go on “Opal.” .... The very delicate balance the four employ actually elevates their imaginative interplay. In letting his comrades dominate on “Talking Drum,” for instance.

It’s fair to say that songs like the sunny “Dave,” the shimmering “Strange Land” and the album’s final send-off, the alluring “Alchemy,” recall the best of Jackson’s cosmopolitan style, and each succeeds exceptionally well as a result. No fooling, Fool ranks among the best works of Jackson’s judicious career, and that’s a solid recommendation in itself.

It is possible (even likely) that you will appreciate this album the first time you listen to it. But don’t just listen to it once and then file it away because the more you listen to it, the more you appreciate it. Especially if you blast it as loud as you can stand.

Up on High does a fantastic job of combining a multitude of influences and creating a sound that is unmistakably Vetiver. The pared down tracks can be numbered amongst the best that Cabic has produced, making Up on High one of the best albums of Vetiver’s career.

Fearn delivers music back to him that touches on a host of genres, including post-punk, warped electropop, bizarre dub, and minimalist new wave, repeating beats and slowly adding instrumentation to keep things from becoming dull. More than in past records, the songs take time to stretch out, as the duo pulls them along and the words.

This is a no-bells-or-whistles effort from DeMarco, staying true to the Guitar title by tying together string-driven emotional releases with jaw-dropping consistency.

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 second half of Downhill From Everywhere reaffirms how Jackson Browne has mastered the art of uniting issues personal and political, then turning the dual meaning(s) universal (albeit not without some difficulty, circa 1986’s Lives in the Balance).

Gift of Sacrifice finds Osborne flexing the might of his compositional prowess to deliver a new side of his talent that is, above all else, purely and wholly Buzz.

Neil Young is having a bit too much fun to sustain anything genuinely intense over the course of these nearly two-hours on stage and in rehearsal with his cohorts. Still, it’s hard not to become caught up in the joy of it all before it’s over, because songs like “I Am A Dreamer” are infectious by their very lack of affectation. Both of these two-CD ‘Official Bootlegs,’ each in its own way, reaffirms that the seeming vagaries of Neil Young’s career are not random anomalies, but rather a pattern of purposeful behavior.

Even without Bejar, there are enough pop hooks and interesting melodies to live up to The New Pornographers’ high standard.

The result leaves the listener the way the best ambient music does, comforted, beguiled, and refreshed, and when the disembodied voice finally chimes in on “Sky Burial” it’s just enough to pull the listener in for the final stretch.

Its seamless collection of earworm melodies and heady grooves make for a pretty compelling argument that it was well worth the wait.

Bear could’ve gone in a million different directions, and rather than land on a singular sound to explore as he has in the past, he employs a plethora of styles that collide into one mesmerizing tracklist that grows on you with every listen.

There are no truly great compositions here. But otherwise, the record does contain most of the essential elements of the band’s inimitable style, including the cracked sense of humor for which Feats are famous.

In the Hour of Dust ends on a note of affirmation and encouragement, a fitting end to a work that, while cinematic and beautifully rendered, remains a protest record at heart.

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.

It is revelatory that on such cuts–like the rest, ranging from five to eight minutes in duration–Metheny employs his instincts as much as his technique. The delicate balance of those two elements is nothing less than remarkable on Dream Box.