Clearly the collaboration between Carlos Santana and producer Rubin, the man who co-founded Def Jam Records (and has worked with the disparate likes of Run DMC, Slayer and Tom Petty) is a mutually fruitful one, because right through to the conclusion, “Candome Cumbele,” this record sounds all the more potent for its cooperative focus.

This album is still very much a Lenker solo project with minimal arrangements and honest songwriting but thanks to some fearlessness and a bit of patience, she can make Bright Future stand out from the rest of her solo work.

He opts for a solidly optimistic take on his circumstances. And right there is the obvious charm of Strawberry Mansion. Over 45 minutes, he doesn’t skirt any of the hard topics. ... Beautifully frank collection of songs.

At only nine songs in length, Pang! provides a relatively brief encounter, but its brevity is more than made up for in its upbeat attitude and carefully constructed melodies. Its cross-cultural references may require a more concerted listen, but the vibe and variety all but ensure an endearing effect right from the start. There’s no pain in this Pang!, but instead, a wealth of pure pleasure.

Tracks like “Discovering”, “The Balcony” and “Eagles Below Us” are all back porch-based, sunshine-filled entries. The Pet Parade marches on for Fruit Bats, delivering looping easy rolling tunes around Johnson’s distinct vocal approach.

How much you want to hear the duo’s take on the Floyd song may sway your overall feeling on the record, but even for non-Floyd fans, the originals captured on Mettavolution are reason enough to check in on this always unique duo.

he fearless Neko Case has returned from a seven-year hiatus with perhaps her most fully realized album to date. Neon Grey Midnight Green is a title only Case could conceive, let alone the lyrics to these songs, possibly more intimate and personal than ever.

Throughout The Slow Rush, Parker melds different elements of pop, funk, disco, and psychedelia. It is not as eclectic as early Tame Impala but deftly blends Parker’s various influences into a slowly-building groove record that hits all of its marks.

Cousin is the band’s most avant-garde album in years, as Tweedy unleashes ten moving pieces of poetry set to unpredictable arrangements that all evoke the feeling of warmth despite their cold disposition.

An album that rebrands its creator in a genuinely bold new way, something that is attempted often but is rarely this effective. It may not be his strongest outing, but it’s easily his most rousing.

This terrific project has its shining moments, with a few missteps along the way, yet it will likely go down as a winner. This aggregation of talent doesn’t come along often.

The Baltimore based artist has released and produced a variety of EP’s, soundtracks and experimental offerings but on Mystic Familiar he succeeds in combing passions and moving things slightly to a more personal tone amongst the cluttering digital world in which we all live.

Will Oldham has set a new standard for himself on Keeping Secrets Will Destroy You, a standard that could only possibly be outdone by the artist who set it.

An album that places the idiosyncrasies of this band in such a palatable setting, listeners old and new may be rendered captive almost without their knowledge or consent.

Motherhood uses noise to repel its underlying beauty. One of the most eclectic releases of the year, it’s also far and away the best No Joy album to date.

For fans waiting for the band to release something as good as their 2012 sophomore album, The Strange Case Of…, the wait is over. Everest has some of the best music of Halestorm’s career.

The result is deeply evocative music because the production is as restrained as the interplay is energetic.

Temple captures the band’s unique melding of styles: Asian with American, hip hop with rock, analog with digital, off-kilter with hummable. The band’s influences are combined not as a precise recipe, but as an experimental alchemy that rewards in unexpected ways.

Despite being their tenth album, Pond continues to push their artistic boundaries, blending innovation with their distinct psychedelic roots. Stung! stands as a testament to their enduring creativity and knack for crafting compelling music, making it an ideal soundtrack for the summer.

Rogers is well on her way to inhabit the bright spotlights of stardom with her affecting lyrics, strong vocals, and gorgeous soundscapes of dance floor filling tunes.

While this may not become your favorite James Blake album instantly, it is one that toes the delicate line of pleasing the world while staying true to yourself. Playing Robots Into Heaven is a snapshot of Blake’s ambitions while still sounding present and urgent.

I Be Trying hits the sweet spot and when the players deliver the goods during the smoking hill country blues of “Keep On Pushing” everything else seems to slip away as Cedric Burnside confidently carries on traditions while successfully injecting his own spin on the genre.

The True Story of Bananagun is one of the most inspiring debut releases of 2020 as a host of sounds infuse the musical spirit of these cosmic adventurers resulting in a dynamite and diverse record.

White Stuff may not be as experimental as some of their past efforts, but it is an incredibly enjoyable dip into the dumpster of dirty grooving rock and roll whose sound is surprisingly appropriate thirty years after their formation.

Ghost Stories is a powerful record that should have been made a long time ago – but was well worth the wait.

2019’s Green Balloon grappled with trying to capture the band’s live exuberance, but the guest augmented Red Balloon just floats along, strutting smooth confidence from the get-go.

Funeral for Justice finds the band flying high while creating songs they believe passionately in, resulting in the strongest album of Mdou Moctar’s career.

Trying on outfits/styles, genres/sounds is all second nature for Lewis and while there are clear country touches throughout Joy’All, Lewis manages to make them her own, evolving, writing, and singing with a sense of palpable happiness and freedom.