This is middle-aged angst done right.

The quality of dialogue on display is--though well-intentioned--kitsch and sustained by hollow jingoisms. The result is something benevolent, musically interesting and occasionally provocative, but rather too one-dimensional thematically to overcome its slightness.

This album is contemplative and, maybe more important than anything else, stirs you delve into your own mind and those demons we all have.

The Midnight Sun is more of an atmospheric experience, than an emotive one. That’s less of a problem than it would seem, because the atmosphere that C Duncan has crafted is mesmerising.

At times, it’s painful, and others, it’s cathartic. The fun, party-filled days of Never Hungover Again may be over, but by the end of Cody, Joyce Manor reminds us that it’s ok to get older.

Sirens runs swimmingly from track to track, and it’s ideal to consume it without a tracklist; listening as its samples, beats, and voices travel without a map or a compass. It’s clear Jaar wanted to do something similar to what the average listener considers to be an “album”, but making a strong case for his intentions takes patience. Contrary to pop music and accessibility at large, it works well in his favor.

Channelling the vivacity of the Beatnik poets in her hurtling metre and arrestingly forensic imagery, Tempest unravels a modesty in the metaphysics all the more powerful for its naturalism.

He is undoubtedly an absurdly talented fellow, and has the creative potential to make a truly ground breaking album. This isn’t that, but it is a strong debut.

Young Billie Marten is proving that, even at the age of 17, she is charting territories and making music that will only aid her growth.

Blood Bitch an interesting step forward from previous record Apocalypse, girl. It takes the guilty, ominous tone of that record and transforms it into something transcendent.

A Seat At The Table--like the headlines of 2016--is the score of black pain, black rage, black strength and black joy. And for everyone else enjoying the enticing R&B, it's for the rest of us to quiet ourselves, listen, learn and respect.

Mykki is a well-crafted, incisive debut record that proves to be well worth the wait.

The sum of its parts adds up to Bon Iver’s most challenging work to date; 22, A Million is an album that rejects comfort and expectations in favor of provoking listeners to make new discoveries. If this challenge is taken, it is a rewarding experience that only grows in beauty with each listen.

The death enveloping Skeleton Tree doesn't get in the way of his limitless sense of emotional elaboration.

It demands your attention, grabbing your head by the hair and forcing you to listen.

Heads Up feels like an album bound to be forgotten.

Atrocity Exhibition, through assertive honesty, embraces Danny's self-assaulting cycle and this time, he's not looking for any personal help. That may be because he's making the most focused, textured music of his career instead and it's clear he's abandoned any afterthought of possible radio panhandling or herd-minded mainstream appeal.

Individually, many of his tracks are great. But the album itself can feel like a concept that has been too thought out. Despite this, Mick's message is what still makes The Healing Component worth a listen.

It’s an as surprising and unpredictable, yet unquestionably enjoyable 40 minutes of music.

On what could very well be the band’s breakthrough record, they continue to trade on the values that have won them so many fans up until now--deeply unfashionable concepts such as patience, simplicity and reliability.

It makes for an exhausting and engrossing listen, and ultimately can’t be anything but a life-affirming statement.

Beach Slang's over-the-top, music-as-cure-all formula is delivered with such heartfelt sincerity that even the most stubborn folks must feel the need to jump around.

Named both in recognition of this being the band’s fourth studio album and for the passing of lead singer Jeremy Bolm’s mother from cancer in 2014, Stage Four is a towering record. Few albums this year, if any, have felt more capable of telling such vivid, striking stories with such clarity and palpable emotion.

Although elements remain, the core of humanity and character drive this collection to an equally intriguing effect and leaves a far more immediate impression.

The casual listener is sure to find comfort in the background nature of the music at play here, and a voice this talented couldn't help but deliver an above average pop record even on autopilot. That being said, there is a wish that he'd understand the very best pop statements don't shy away from a clear personality.

It feels like a tightly wound, meticulously crafted gem of an album. When you tack on the album's intense emotional resonance, Strange Diary has vaulted itself into the conversation for the year's most powerful albums.

The success of Emotion and its predecessor, Kiss, was a product of balance. ... Side B does not find that balance, and is most instructive in the ways it illuminates her process. It lets us peek in on the misfits that are the product of every pop album, and hints at the unsexy labor of music-making.

Preoccupations is a tough, black and resilient modern rock album.