While some of her melodies could be a bit more defined, she's a nuanced enough performer to captivate at the most self-indulgent of times.

At a time when many musicians seem eager to gain currency from identity politics and sociopolitical events, Mangy Love satisfies by being rooted in a nuanced observer’s perspective.

The hype has reached a dangerous level. Which makes it oh so sweet that Sore delivers.

Somewhat self-indulgent, it's remarkably listenable considering some of the "instruments" used.

It’s rock ’n’ roll for 2019, though the band calls it simply pub rock. Either way, it’ll get a mosh going.

These are personal, contemporary story songs that centre on DeMent's signature plain delivery, the gospel-soul horn arrangements and the occasional wailed vocal

There's a more visceral quality that will help win over those that have been on the fence in the past.

His tendency to cram a million ideas into every song gets toned down, too, but fans of that aesthetic shouldn’t worry; the songs are as intricate and delightfully off-kilter as ever.

The best moments are some of the strongest of Gibb’s career, but too much of the material lacks the hooks and pure pop sensibility to make this the truly great album we were hoping for.

His latest, Love in Beats, is his most seamless collision yet. That harmony is thanks to the unified vision that comes with having two producers on the project: Omar and his brother Scratch Professor.

The latter half of WIXIW has enough to offset their plodding attempts to be experimental.

Despite the limited tools, he evokes everything from jazz and doom metal to techno and classical music, often simultaneously.

With summer so far away, this record’s only downside is that it lacks a hit song to help it last until July.

Conveying so much harrowing detail in such a brief time is no small feat – one reason why his music lingers long after the album ends.

The quartet is at its best when hushed, autumnal and kaleidoscopic. Still, you can’t blame them for trying to push the envelope.

It's a disappointing underachievement.

hat mix of worldly and familiar references, moods and textures ensures that The Magic Whip buzzes with urgency, even at its most serene and existential (or when Albarn rehashes his banal reservations about modern times).

While these new recordings aren't that different from the original versions, their stripped-down arrangements highlight the strong songwriting, not to mention the musicianship of everyone involved.

Los Campesinos! are hyper-literate college kids out to make big statements from microcosmic situations, but the metaphors in the overly abstract lyrics often get away from Gareth and co-vocalist Aleks.

Andy Shauf’s new songs are fictional but feel oh so real, especially if you live in Toronto and even more especially if you live in Parkdale and frequent Skyline, the diner where most of the Toronto-based musician’s new album takes place. ... There are new melodic and rhythmic risks taken.

Rather than merely rehashing sounds of yesteryear, Speedy Ortiz add modern rock ’n’ roll strokes to their take on fuzzy noise pop.

What sets Yuck apart is their excellent songwriting. It takes hooks to pull off songs like these, even if they're buried under piles of grunge, and Yuck have hooks in scores.

Along with this requisite silliness come beautiful melodies (See The Leaves), exploding rock-out sections (The Ego's Last Stand) and catchy, laid-back guitar melodies (Silver Trembling Hands).

Countless acts have shamelessly imitated the Velvet Underground, but DeMarco has come up with a new tweak to that formula, coming closer to a lighthearted Modern Lovers feel without sacrificing the edginess and darkness of the VU.

Plenty of boldface names are assisting here, but with the exception of Kendrick Lamar, who continues his streak of scenery-chewing guest verses on Nosetalgia, they stay out of the way.

Le Bon's pop sensibilities are much more pronounced, yet they don't dilute any of her wonderful weirdness.

Where the album falters is in his overly ambitious and affected vocals, which fall on the waifish end of 80s new wave.

It didn't take long to turn the novel clank and grind of Kinshasa junkyard techno assault unit Konono No. 1 into an easy-to-use formula with enormous money-making potential.