The result is a solo album that feels both intimate and essential, a reminder that his understated approach remains as powerful as ever. It stands among the most affecting entries in his already remarkable catalog.

On the band’s first album of original songs since 2015, Martsch is back, on top of his game throughout When the Wind Forgets Your Name. Whether it was the Brazilian inspiration, Covid isolation, or just plain time for another solid BtS record, Martsch and company deliver.

The album’s blend of thoughtful lyricism, nostalgic influences, and contemporary relevance makes it a compelling addition to the indie pop landscape in 2024. Whether you’re seeking introspective reflections or simply looking for tunes to enjoy, Harm’s Way offers a nuanced and immersive listening experience.

By design, Lives Outgrown does not have the danceable grooves of Portishead’s music, but fans of the more experimental aspects of Gibbons’s former band should love the album. The orchestral compositions and atmospheric tension paint bleak portraits well-suited for Gibbons’s somber voice. That voice is as good as ever, able to wring drama from each utterance of her poetic tales of loss.

On BOOK (the record) They Might Be Giants continue to pump out what they always have, smart earworm pop tunes that are slightly odd, tastefully corny and instantly catchy.

The beauty is in the segues, the sequencing, the layering, and the spirit of the endeavor. It’s best to take it as a whole, rather than a sum of parts.

The difference to these ears between Happiness Bastards and A Pound Of Feathers is a clear, harder edge, and more importantly, the Robinsons smell success and are fully invested in the band. That hunger is palpable as the heavy songs throughout A Pound Of Feathers kick down doors announcing The Black Crowes are fully back.

The story there [on “Birdsong”] and on “Losing You” is almost as absorbing as the depth of sound for No More Worlds to Conquer: the audio quality compels more than a passing thought about how that less than three-minute latter track might go on longer. But Robin Trower repeats himself no more often in his solos than with each successive record of his, so “Waiting For the Rain to Fall” also whets the appetite for more of his rich, thoughtful playing.

"I'm People" is honest and so accessible that it seems as if the storytelling MC Taylor is engaging a single listener, both seated in a cozy room.

She never meanders when storytelling, opting instead for a couple of spare verses with tight turns of phrase punctuated with humor and gravitas. Webster’s forte is silken expressions of lonesome introversion, and she does it with a radiating confidence that compels rapt attention.

Senjutsu is an album that respects the lineage and history of the band without rehashing previous works. The result is one of the best albums of the band’s entire career, one that stands tall next to Fear of the Dark and Seventh Son of a Seventh Son.

The songs here are a perfect continuation of Walking Proof, especially the musically breezy title track with deeper lyrical meaning, summing up the exhaustion and loneliness many felt over the past year.

The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny Demo is the most accessible Mr. Bungle album, if it’s possible for thrash metal to be accessible. ... Fans looking for the outlandishness of Disco Volante may be disappointed, but anyone looking for angry, nonsensical mosh music will find everything they need.

As is the case with almost all tribute albums, not every track is consistently great but this one is leaps and bounds better than most.

An LP as disciplined as it is versatile.

Private Space is a honeyed slice of the retro-soul with pop leanings from Durand Jones & The Indications as they continue to mine the 60’s and 70’s for inspiration.

An almost biblical journey to freedom, Tinariwen have inspired compatriots from Tamikrest to Bombino, artists that encapsulate the struggle of a people, taking it to the world through music that truly brings people together.

The beauty of Almost Free is the underlying honesty that exudes from each riff and lyric.

I Want The Door To Open stands in stark contrast to The Lamb, setting opposing goals and aiming for a different audience, but both remain uncompromising visions of West, a songwriter whose proven on top of everything else, her inventiveness.

Below a Massive Dark Land captures an amalgamation of complex thoughts and emotions.

As June continues to shape her style, it’s clear she’s zeroing in on her muse. The essence of June’s sound is perfectly captured in the album title. She transports the listener through lush soundscapes that not only leave echoes; they leave a lasting halo-like glow.

An unusually provocative piece of work.

This man long ago taught himself to recognize the lasting value in a good song and here, over the course of some fifty minutes, he deftly applies those lessons to an unusual range of his very own.

While the current lockdown has certainly affected the band, the mix of melancholy/yearning leading towards wonder/delight has always been at the heart of Dinosaur Jr.’s sound. Now those styles inform Sweep It Into Space with a vivid sense of the isolating present while gazing at hope on the horizon.

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.

It is a very groovy record, full of disco and funk beats. It was also brought to life with the help of Sonic Boom, a former member of Spaceman 3, who has also worked with Beach House. Any fan of Moon Duo or psych-rock will not be let down by Stars Are the Light.

These songs manage to uphold expectations while taking baby steps towards something the duo can call their own. The tracklist comes together like a long DJ set, ensuring bodies are moving all around while painstakingly crafting a consistency that is noticeable from the jump.

In total, Look Alive finds Guster again opting for the unexpected, a playful approach that allows them to expand their sonic terrain and meld experimentation into their rockier refrains. It isn’t an easy album to absorb in a single listen, but it does ensure that each encounter will be all the more engaging along the way.