The assured, varied, and ear-pleasing Everything Harmony raises anticipation for whatever choices the Lemon Twigs will make next.

With nine songs and just over 33 minutes in length, In Between Thoughts, A New World is compact and entertaining. Even with Rodrigo favoring the electric guitar and the presence of the string section, this doesn’t feel like a radical reinvention for the duo.

Crowell proves in The Chicago Sessions that both his pen and voice are still as vital as ever.

These are deeply personal songs that chart the different kinds of emotions he’s working through, whether it’s to do with the affairs of the heart or the turmoil of the outside world; it’s also a wildly ambitious record that takes its musical cutes from Black American popular music. The sum of all these great parts makes for a thrilling listen.

Rodriguez-Lopez’s work is excellent across Que Dios Te Maldiga De Corazon, making exciting and rewarding arrangement choices. It’s not like The Mars Volta needed freshening up only seven months later, but it’s a worthwhile project.

The LP falls just short of the Orb’s most essential work. ... This is one of those Orb releases that pleasantly bides its time, waiting for that rush of inspiration that turns out to be only a parade of pretty neat ideas.

First Two Pages of Frankenstein is still obviously the National’s work and sound, but it wants to reach out more than they ever have.

It’s bursting with ideas and is, unsurprisingly, a bit of sprawl. It’s fun to hear the group exploring new musical territory, stretching their sound in ways they haven’t before. The long break between records has made for an exciting set of songs.

It’s albums like That! Feels Good! that younger generations and trendsetters should be paying more attention to, as incorporating the still-relevant past into new work is not only what can make some of the best art but some of the bravest art.

There is something to be said for alchemy, but Keep Your Courage would be better if Merchant lightened up a bit. ... The beauty of the songs here offers solace more than anguish. The fact that everything changes can be hopeful.

Pain remains a fertile ground for compelling art, but the brilliance of Rat Saw God lies in how the band also captures the resistant luminance within that pain. The characters in these songs suffer, but Hartzman draws them from places of empathy and honesty.

A lively record that snaps like a pair of hipster’s digits. The arrangements are tight. The main players (guitarist Danny Caron, bassist Ruth Davies, and drummer Leon Joyce) capture the cool vibe of the originals.

The poetic lyrics combine with the sensitive instrumentation to create a sum greater than the individual parts. The words have a more profound sensibility than their dreaminess initially coveys. The musical sounds become more complex when taken in sequence and as a whole.

The results are every bit as sublime as anything he and his partners in collective aural immersion have ever released.

While this lack of dynamic intensity may be a turn-off for some listeners, it’s clear that Horn has carefully crafted a cohesive mood and atmosphere.

The idea of being a father, bringing a child into a world as frightening as ours, is a sobering and potentially overwhelming thought. This music beautifully scores these feelings.

She’s distinct enough of a vocalist that even if some of the songs start to bleed into each other or sound a bit monotonous, her charisma and talents shine through, making even the most rote of Higher Than Heaven sound pretty special.

It does not amount to a classic statement, but I don’t think she anticipates it as such. It provides a coda for Big Time, completing a set of thoughts begun with that album’s recording. It reaffirms her rising status as a worthy successor to esteemed figures like Emmylou Harris, Patty Griffin, and Iris DeMent.

Especially remarkable about Maal’s work on Being is how thoroughly his ethos as an artist and human permeates every piece of the production. His support of younger artists feels organic amid modern electropop sounds, an essential element of his overall emphasis on collaboration.

As long as 72 Seasons is, it is somewhat redeemed by Hetfield’s openness. He lays himself bare in a way he’s never done before, a brave step for any artist who deals with mental health issues, especially in his case.

Neither breakthrough nor misstep, A River Running to Your Heart continues the spirit of quiet experimentation for which Fruit Bats are known.

Plastic Eternity will be a hit-or-miss affair for some listeners, partly due to its length. This is a generous record with 13 tracks in total. There is a feeling of fan service, which is not necessarily a bad thing after 35 years as a band, but self-caricature is avoided.

Miracle-Level by Deerhoof is as vitalizing as it is soft-hearted. The studio sound has fully revealed accomplished players interested in exploring the humanitarian capabilities of music, expressing, however vaguely or explicitly, a longing for the miraculous and a rejection of the mundane.

While elements of homage and pastiche run throughout 1982, A Certain Ratio never lose themselves in the past, and the group’s vibrancy shines throughout the record.

Fantasy is, in many ways, comfort listening; the layers of these songs form the sonic equivalent of a warm blanket. Yet this warmth, after all of M83’s successes in refining their style, wanes more quickly than it has in the past.

Democratically curated and effusing a palpable enthusiasm, the project stands as a testimony to the power of aesthetic commonality, enduring friendship, and the magic of teamwork, something we could all use more of these days.

Like the Seventh Seal, Memento Mori raises questions but never brings resolution. ... I It is a testament to their continued relevance and the unexpected wonder in remembering our shared condition.

It’s not quite as revitalized as Thrashing, but it’s also not as laid back as Open Door Policy. Finn’s stories, while often about addicts, aren’t quite as dark here as they are on his more melancholy solo albums.