Despite some slightly draggy moments, On My Way is still another solid effort.

Earle's polemics are much stronger than the work of your typical "protest" songwriter, and this is a better focused and more passionate work than Jerusalem.

Directness is key to her appeal: there are no greys in Carrie's music, only blazing primary colors. Appropriately enough, Storyteller gleams with steely assurance, perhaps the toughest and boldest record yet but one that hardly soft-pedals her softer side.

While nowhere near as focused as 2009's White Lies for Dark Times, Give Till It's Gone does possess moments when all of Harper's gifts as a writer and guitarist are evidently clear.

While it doesn't sound at all the same, fans of Robert Fripp's Frippertronics (Let the Power Fall) or Henry Kaiser's guitar-with-delay work (It's a Wonderful Life, Where Endless Meets Disappearing) should really enjoy this.

All in all, Hungry Ghosts is another solid album from one of pop's most versatile and charming bands.

If he sometimes sounds like he leans too hard into his rasp, this vocal tic is mitigated by those songwriting skills and the supple sound of Cobb's production, elements that turn Encore into a minor gem.

All told, Forward Motion Godyssey isn't quite as much fun as Post Animal's debut, but they still deliver that characteristic warmth as well as uncommonly sharp hooks, fills, and theatrics of a nature that should delight air guitarists and drummers everywhere.

Black Radio creates an entirely new context for popular music in its near erasure of boundaries. It is the sound of the future--even if no one knows it yet.

The talent, both of Rock and his guests (which, besides El-P, also include Ron Sonic, John Darnielle from the Mountain Goats, Breezly Brewin', and Cage) is impressive, and makes None Shall Pass an album that deserves a lot of attention, both inside and outside the hip-hop world.

What he isn't, however, is an album-oriented artist, and that's clear on Startin' Fires, his fifth studio release. There's a little bit of everything here, and that's part of the problem.

If the band had explored their bluesy leanings more, Light Me Up could have been a small-scale revolution, but even as it stands now, it's still a wicked good record.

A truly engaging listen, Tree Bursts in Snow should see the band build on their unexpected transatlantic exposure.

Where the band's last effort was rooted in their past, Last Act of Defiance has its feet firmly planted in the present with a message that feels both important and timely, making for a solid album that shows Sick of It All aren't just going through the motions.

Maybe his previous effort, 2013's I Am, flowed better and came with more of a sense of purpose, but this loose LP is still well above satisfying and features highlights that stand with the man's best.

There was never any doubt that Bret McKenzie knew how to write a good song, and on Songs Without Jokes, he's more than capable of doing so outside of the framework of an outwardly imposed narrative or feeling obligated to make the listener laugh.

However they dress up their music, it remains easy to connect with and this album proves it.

His influences are worn lightly, the melodies remain inventive, and there is a real elegance to Sinkane's music. Hopefully next time he'll get back in the driver's seat.

Brightest Blue's main disc is Goulding's deepest emotional journey yet, a triumph of empowerment and self-discovery.

Even in these more saccharine moments, however, it's hard to dismiss the album's optimistic spirit. With Rain Before Seven..., Penguin Cafe acknowledge grief and loss but prefer to express joy and positivity.

It's always fun to see where Smith's muse will take him next, but this kind of simple and true album is where he is at his best.

Even when the Johns' sentiments are morbid, I Like Fun's music seizes the joy of the moment.

While it's unlikely to define its own era, it calls forth some classic elements from a prior era to great effect, and with some top-notch songcraft to boot.

A debut that sounds a lot like New York urbanites the Rachel's and the Clogs, but a little more dangerous.

While Radio Music Society may play better to younger pop audiences than more die-hard jazzheads, this program is so diverse and well executed--despite a little overreaching--it's anybody's guess.

After decades of giving us good and even fine work, he's finally treated the faithful to a masterpiece.

The softly spooked-out acid folk of The Pirate's Gospel is a captivating debut from Alela Diane, whose enthusiasm and ability for a then-extremely-fresh learner on guitar is quite something.

Asking for Flowers leaves no doubt that Kathleen Edwards has arrived and made an album that's funny, startling, poignant, and (once again) worthy of repeated play.

The Soft Pack allows this band an almost completely clean break with their past while showing they’re dynamic no matter what they’re called.

Though there are a few missteps ... the document's strengths supersede them in a powerful and inviting way.

A compelling and rich move toward adulthood from one of the underground's most prolonged and complicated adolescents.

Even though they don't quite have the fire that they used to, this more fully realized sound shouldn't have much trouble keeping their fans happy.

Ultimately, though, it is just this diverse stylistic quality, both in the source material and Elling's arrangements, that make The Brill Building Project one of his most interesting albums.

II is the kind of crafted album you just don’t expect from a supergroup or side project as it matches, and maybe even tops, the work of its individual parties.

While it's nice to see Rowe explore more, all the stylistic gymnastics leave Madman feeling, at times, a bit disjointed. Despite this, the album is easily the singer's most accessible and eclectic record to date.

The album sounds like it was spontaneously recorded and bashed out on cheap instruments onto a malfunctioning tape deck, and there are several tracks that cut off or feel like the tape has been smudged. Even as the music barely holds together, it still sounds like something Moothart obsessed over and poured all his conflicting emotions into.

Jay Arner may be something of a misanthrope, but he cares enough to make great pop records for the world at large, and Jay II's juxtaposition of form and content only makes its pleasures more intriguing.

Most bands really want everyone to know how extremely hard they are struggling to create their art, but with these guys it feels like they just showed up at the studio and started playing, and the album magically was done. It's an approach that might not work for everyone, but so far the guys in Hooten TC have pulled it off for the second time in a row.

Wild Cat is a wild ride from one of the best hard rock bands treading the boards today, and it's a fine introduction to their high-octane style and certain to please loyal fans.

Stace still has the lyrical facility and way with a melody that made Harding a potential Next Big Thing in the '90s, while also gaining some seasoning that shows he's not simply chasing past glories.

Be Here Now never loses sight of the bigger picture. It's a fist and an open palm, but it certainly knows which side it's on.

Many of these tracks have been released before, and there are few revelations for loyal fans, but Under Cöver is an enjoyable reminder of Motörhead's ability to bend any song to their will, even as they let some of the personality of the originals shine through.

The energy level is high and restless, in a near-permanent state of agitation, heightened with machine beats that judder and bounce, synthesizers that plink and probe, and Williams' animated protestations. The rollicking temperament gives all the material, and that includes "Don't Don't Do It!," regarding the fatal police shooting of Keith Scott, a replayable quality.

Equal part greasy, Sabbathy hymns ("Shipwreck," "Orca") that connect with the subtlety of a windpipe massage, and epic, semi-orchestral blasts of Spaghetti Western art-rock ("Curse of the Red Tide," "Ballad of the Deep Sea Diver"), Legend of the Seagullmen delivers all the thrills of a big-budget B-movie with the sonic might of a broadside cannon.

Through a Wall is as smart, powerful, and articulate--or simply as good--as punk rock gets in the 2010s.

At 13 tracks, and the more forgettable ones clustered in the second half, the album could have benefitted from some trimming, but it ends elegantly, with a reassuring title track that seems to promise further growth.

Tucker's previous few albums contained some of his most stripped-down, direct material, but here he goes for a bigger, grander sound, and the results are no less powerful.

They work to offer yet another unruly, unpredictable dimension in Mastodon's complex musical persona. Simply put, Medium Rarities is a must for fans.

Mist's classical inclinations take full form on "Once a Year," a brief, yet languorous chamber piece that, as with all of Bring Backs, underlines his wide-ranging taste.

"Moonstar" has a country-rock air in its nearly spoken word verse not to mention its harmonica break, "Look What You've Done" is given a sleek New Wave gloss, and "Sound of My Voice" bops along on a rhythm reminiscent of the Strokes' "Last Night." These mild departures are highlights, but Texas deliver their signature pop-soul with precision and style on the rest of Hi, offering the familiar while never quite sounding stiff.

Cherry Stars Collide is a worthwhile deep dive into the lucid, spaced-out realm of alternative music.

Yay! is not actually retro, nor less lyrically provocative or musically adventurous. It is, simply, the latest necessary creative gambit from these sonic psychonauts.

Hard-Fi's desire to create something solid enjoyable in the midst of everyday monotony is what makes Stars of CCTV an enjoyable first effort.

Voices is filled with catchy, emotion-packed songs that will sound great booming out of radio speakers, soundtracking late nights spent alone and wondering, and anytime some really powerful modern pop is needed.

While the world might miss the raw energy and exuberance of their earlier work, the more precise and mature band found on Exister is still as effective, and is definitely one that fans will want to stop and catch up with.

Bodega aren't doing anything new or unusual, as the easy-to-grasp reference points make clear, but they make it all sound factory-fresh and super-fun--and because of those two factors, fans of any of the bands mentioned above will likely find Endless Scroll quite worth checking out.

A necessary addition to the collection of Belle & Sebastian fans, indie pop fans, and music lovers.

Blak and Blu's production (by Rob Cavallo and Mike Elizondo in collaboration with Clark) is too polished and processed for its own good, but if this album isn't likely to change your life, it will make an hour of it a lot more interesting, and there's no arguing that Gary Clark, Jr. is a talent strong enough to match his record company's hype.

While Whirr never quite nail the Ride drum sound, MBV wooziness, or arid Slowdive mystery that they're going for on these tracks, the results are still strong, weaving a deeply textural sound that drifts along like a lazy canoe ride on the hottest day of the year.

His productions are just the right balance of lush and gritty, blending rich string arrangements by Miguel Atwood-Ferguson and lovely harp playing by Lara Somogyi with modular synth swells and soulful organs.

Second Nature steps firmly into a more mature adult alternative realm befitting the subject matter, without abandoning playfulness or high-contrast dynamics (or bandmates Dan Molad and Peter Lalish, who appear here) in the process.

This set is welcoming, open, and warm: it invites fans of all of his musical pursuits along for the ride.

Every number is given a slick electronic gloss that pushes it in the direction of adult contemporary MOR. Far from being a detriment, however, that's the strength of Unapologetically: It remains vibrant and fresh even though it sounds measured and mature.

Famous faces Drake, Future, Kid Cudi, Big Sean, Lil Baby, and Skepta also appear, but there's so much quality content to wade through on Slime Language 2 that their turns aren't even the most notable.

Gordon and Nace never followed an obvious path with Body/Head's prior releases, but bringing in Dilloway presents entirely new possibilities that they use with fascinating, often haunting results on Body/Dilloway/Head.

The notion of Kinky Friedman as a reflective song stylist might take some getting used to for some fans, but The Loneliest Man I Ever Met shows he can pull it off better than most would expect, and if his singing is a long way from perfect, the heart and soul are present at all times.

With straightforward readings from the Bordeaux Aquitaine National Orchestra under Romain Dumas, this is highly listenable stuff and one of the stronger entries in the pop-to-classical crossover canon.

It expands their sound, delves into some new sonic textures, and cements Dee Dee's place as one of the more interesting and expressive vocalists around.

It might not be the best album Vetiver have made, but it's the most consistent and beguiling.

Like Ryuichi Sakamoto's async, Finding Shore seems to find magic in everyday objects and scenes.

The Afterman: Ascension is so ambitious it's actually a bit of a mess, but with so much here that works, this small lapse in focus can easily be forgiven.

Get Back isn't pretty--this is a sloppy, wet kiss of a record that leaves a little sick on you--but it's heartfelt enough to win you over and dangerous enough to wish you had told someone before you got into the car with it, which is what rock & roll in its purest form should be.

Discounting Losing's debt to the past, this is a high-grade garage rock record chock-full of emotionally honest, melodically engaging tunes. It may feel a little too familiar for those who experienced the '90s alt-rock boom firsthand, but those who didn't will no doubt be able to extract and enjoy its vibrancy.

When he sticks with the slide guitar, Martsch's combination of downhome blues and meandering indie-rock is a winning one.

Freeway delivers a strong album that should lay to rest the speculation that his unique vocal style -- alternating between a scratchy crack and an anything-but-gruff shout, filtered through a consistently high pitch -- would have difficulty remaining tolerable across a full album.

Sure, there's a couple of tracks that fall flat - Young Zee and Obie Trice feel strained - but it all flows well, and it's all strong.

It's a little artier than Heathen, but similar in its feel and just as satisfying.

Magic Time is one of those rare, intermittent Van Morrison records that consciously offers a bird's eye view of everywhere he's been musically and weaves it all together into a heady brew.

At this point it seems that Rainer Maria are much more modern rock than emo, but that doesn't mean that Catastrophe Keeps Us Together isn't a good album.

Royksopp remain among the best at middlebrow dance-pop, crafting music that can and will rule the supermarket aisles while still having a shelf-life longer than the canned ham you'll find there.

Jonny's 2011 self-titled debut is a collection of bright, literate, and catchy '60s-influenced pop.

Viers' simple, honest delivery helps to keep the mood fun, yet stable and sweet, without the inevitable sugar rush.

Tiden may be listened to passively and with great enjoyment, but to do so would be to miss its sense of invention and adventure.

Morrison delivers each of these songs with attentiveness; the material is consistently presented with finesse. Nothing further is required.

The songs are definitely there, Phillipps' wonderfully light vocals are as strong as ever, and the sound is a perfect example of how to make a record that sounds as big as a stadium while still being driven by real emotion.

Where it differs from the debut is in lyrics that are heartfelt but deliberately less personal than Me.

Vynehall's DJ-Kicks plays like a set by adventurous college radio DJs eager to show off every record that's been exciting them lately.

The quiet and gently unfolding "18 to 1" stands as the album's prettiest and most tonally pleasing cut, though for the patient listener, there is plenty of magic throughout the set as these two masters intertwine their ample talents.

While the bulk of the album may be less infectious than that tune ["How Could I"] or the record's defiant predecessor, Temple's wonky mix of pop, rock, and hip-hop hooks remains engaging and recognizably theirs.

Hvarf/Heim isn't the album to mark a musical departure for Sigur Rós.

Held in Splendor shows that Quilt are defined, but not confined, by their affinity for the sounds of the '60s. Instead, they're using it in ways that may be slightly more down to earth but also cover more ground.

The next best thing to sitting in on a Sonic Youth jam session, In/Out/In distills the band's essence so brilliantly that fans will fall in love all over again.

Singing, however, is always what Toots has done best, and Got to Be Tough confirms that he takes a back seat to no one when he steps up to the mike, and its arrival is a joyous occasion.

If this is indeed his final offering as a songwriter, it is a fine, decent, and moving way to close this chapter of the book of his life.

While the appealing rawness of their early material is occasionally missed here, the strides forward that the group makes on this album more than make up for it.

Unlike many bands that have tried similar ways to change things up, Hospitality make all the right moves on Trouble, and not only equal their impressive debut but surpass it both sonically and emotionally.

The duo [are] at the top their game, effortlessly weaving the past into the future (and vice-versa) with undeniable skill and refreshing amounts of empathy.

There's a lot to love here, especially on some of the more idiosyncratic offerings like "Airfield" and "Shinrin-yoku," but listeners expecting to bloody themselves in the electronicore, stadium-screamo assault of past outings might want to take a pass.