The album's anxiety and melancholic mindset never abate, right up to and including resigned closer "Fishes," an explicitly metaphorical reference to mounted trophies. It makes for a satisfying, if unsatisfied, follow-up that both follows the appealing formula of their debut while letting loose on the full-band tracks.

V is definitely a "more of the same" album, but Föllakzoid and Schmidt's human-machine fusion of minimal techno and space rock is still a unique sound that nobody has replicated, other than them.

It's fitting that such a thoughtful work reveals more shades with each listen, and while grasping all facets of reality may not be achievable, Le jour et la nuit du réel expresses Colleen's truth brilliantly.

Highlighted by nuanced ballads, a certain amount of sass, and a dramatic title track with arena rock-ready climaxes, it features production by Alexander 23. His approach also includes touches of alt-R&B stylings on songs like "Poison Poison" that help distinguish Rapp's Beyoncé-informed mix of vulnerable and confident contemporary pop.

Despite the cockiness of its title, his songs remain pleasingly mellow and eclectic, working through a range of styles (highlife, dancehall, Afro-Cuban) and delivering memorable hooks and melodies with the confidence of his status.

Stone reveals a wide musical portrait of the ever-evolving Baroness, who seems to be embarking on a more expansive creative voyage.

Since the music he's drawing from is proudly excessive, it's hard to say Palomo overdoes it, but not all listeners may be fascinated by his meta-commentary on indulgent solo albums.

Afro Futuristic Dreams sums up Ackamoor's career and leaps forward, exploring myriad traditions, styles, and harmonic and rhythmic combinations that further musical conversations to an as-yet-unseen creative horizon.

The album is bookended by "Abandon" and "Earthbound," the two tracks with Giske, whose presence isn't obvious, submerged and seemingly elongated amid dense constructions. It all resonates more deeply with each listen.

His words are worth hearing, but the appeal of Southern Star lies in its mellow vibe. Its funk can seem as deeply felt and idiosyncratic as Leon Russell in his prime, while the backyard balladeering is as tender as James Taylor's, a combination that's cozy and endearing.

The pairing of Le Bon's netherworld production and Banhart's malleable talents makes Flying Wig a weird and enjoyable ride. It's a whole new spectrum of sounds and ideas for Banhart, but it fits as one more chapter in his oft-mutating muse.

With Nothing Lasts Forever, Teenage Fanclub have made a poignant, delicately rendered rumination on the passing of time and the enduring promise of love, all of which underscores the timeless lyricism of their work.

It shows that the sky [i]s the limit for the band and as long as they make records as carefree and positively joyful as this they will always be worth checking out.

Revamped is great fun, and fans of both sides of Lovato's sonic personality will appreciate this bonus diversion from the main catalog.

Although Black Rainbows is a uniquely conceptual work and sticks all the way out from Corinne Bailey Rae, The Sea, and The Heart Speaks in Whispers, it's at least as personal as any of the singer's first three albums.

3TEETH harness that frustration and helplessness, creating cathartic sonic therapy for anyone at their wit's end wondering if the planet will still be spinning decades from now. Thrilling and depressing, it's another wake-up call for those who aren't listening.

While it's not always as easy to listen to as yeule's previous recordings, softscars contains some of their strongest songwriting and most daring sound design, and feels like the most honest expression of their vision to date.

Recapturing the creativity that made his work stand out in the U.K. club scene around the turn of the 2010s, Playing Robots into Heaven is some of the most honest work of Blake's career.

Restlessly creative and challenging, Gentle Confrontation is James' most moving work since For You and I.

The rest of Laugh Track simmers at a precisely modulated temperature, bringing the songs to warmth slowly and steadily, which makes the ragged drone of the closing "Smoke Detector" so welcome: its insistent pulse and maze of guitars feel full-blooded and messy in a way the National has avoided for a long, long time.

Much like Disco, Tension is a master class in pop wizardry and escapist bliss. Releasing an album this expertly crafted and stunning in her fifth decade in the business is an absolute wonder to behold.

Protect Your Light expands the group's already abundant gifts. Anyone -- fan or newcomer -- open to avant jazz and spoken word will register delight, surprise, and possibly awe at the creativity and inspiration on the album.

Fans of Wilson's earlier records might struggle a bit with Eat the Worm's many directions, but before long, the album, despite its sense of adventure, slots easily into his restless, immersive, utterly imaginative catalog.

The lively setting and empathetic harmonies help turn Bluegrass into an enjoyable detour: nobody is stretching themselves, they're merely laying back and having a good time, and that's hard not to enjoy.

Releasing an album rooted in LBGTQ+ culture is an understated but clear sign of solidarity made all the more resonant because Art Dealers hits the heart, head, and groin with equal force.

Despite the preponderance of lighter tunes, the heart of the record lies in "Miles Away," a bittersweet reminiscence Secor co-wrote with Molly Tuttle and sings with Willie Watson, a founding Old Crow Medicine Show member who left years ago whose presence gives the song deep emotional resonance.

The music is lush, advanced, and welcoming, and comes off without a trace of bloat or conceit. This is easily a top pick for best albums of 2023.

Despite its anxious closing words, "I will never learn," fans of the band's prior releases are almost guaranteed to embrace Strange Disciple, and it's an excellent entry point for the uninitiated.

Sundial has a harsher tone than Noname's previous efforts, but it still contains many powerful, thought-provoking lines, and her skills as an emcee have never been stronger.

Ashnikko is part rage rapper, part feminist pop star, part disaffected rocker with emo-goth tendencies, but still somehow categorically none of the above, donning a new mask for each new expression.

GUTS is emphatic proof that Rodrigo isn't just good for a kid -- she's grown into an artist with plenty of things to say, and the confidence and eloquence to say them her way.

She makes a stylistic sharp left turn with the more reserved, acoustic-leaning The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We, a quasi-country album.

Perennial is yet another step forward for Woods, a band that continues to get stronger as their music becomes gentler and more graceful.

End incorporates a lot of the touches and techniques that made The Wilderness stand out in the group's discography, from rippling electronics to post-minimalist repetition.

Cottonwood 2's glimmers of unpredictability are its best parts, and make the more by-the-numbers tracks all the more interesting by offering a contrast.

Though Tamko continues to address uneasy subjects and feelings with her music, she sounds more assured than before on her illuminating third album.

Bryan does demand that his audience lean into the songs to discern their meaning; he gives a hint of a hook, enough to coax a second listen to unpack all the sorrows racing around in his head. Over the course of a triple album, this approach gets monochromatic, but Zach Bryan is tighter than American Heartbreak not only holistically but in its individual parts.

Gregory Alan Isokov finds the sweet spot between mystical and relatable, pairing simple folk melodies and lyrics that house profound truths.

It's a hopeful end to an album torn between the pain of loss and the celebration of the times they shared.

There's too much life and imagination in the Handsome Family's work to not find some sort of joy in it, and they're far too good at writing songs and working them up to not earn your admiration. If being bummed out allows someone to make an album as good as Hollow, maybe there's some upside to it after all.

Never less than sweet and engaging, The Loveliest Time may not be as ambitious as its predecessor, but when it comes to Jepsen's lighter-than-air pop, it just might be more consistent.

Clear Pond Road's mesmerizing sonics and songwriting make it special among her solo albums. Nearly 30 years after Hips and Makers, it offers another chance to savor the intricacies of her music as well as its power.

They expanded upon their crate-digging aesthetic, blending disco, funk, new wave, and hip-hop sounds into their own hooky, dance-ready aesthetic. Volcano is no exception and finds the duo moving through the late '80s house grooves of "Holding On," the '70s soul of "Dominoes," and clubby tropicalia of "Every Night."

Owusu could have gone any number of ways on his sophomore set, but it's a testament to his artistic conviction that he chose to make something so risky and complex. Even better, he pulled it off.

Each of the performances allows the singer's personality to shine through without obscuring Russell's inherent oddball nature.

Deeply bruised, cinematic and graceful Western music is no match for their skills and Sea of Mirrors is another triumph for the band.

For That Beautiful Feeling has a few minor surprises, but for the most part it meets expectations and ends up another solid, enjoyable entry in the Chemical Brothers' discography.

As a whole, End of the Day taps into the stillness that's flowed through Tell Me How You Really Feel and Things Take Time, Take Time, a melancholy that's as restorative as it is depressive. That feeling when not married to singing and lyrics winds up offering some measure of comfort. Free of melody, hooks or other organizing themes, this music merely floats, a soothing sound to those who share its wavelength.

Romy may have been the last member of the xx to release a solo album, but it was worth the wait: Mid Air's joyful, thoughtful version of dance music is utterly true to her.

Listening to Bird Machine is a heartbreaking, uplifting experience -- in other words, a perfect tribute to the way he moved so many people.

Just as rewarding as the deeper dives into Garson's discography, Journey to the Moon and Beyond's breadth makes it a tremendously entertaining time capsule and a must-listen for his aficionados.

Club Romantech flows like a well-curated DJ set, and by imagining the club night of their dreams, Icona Pop prove they've still got EDM-pop down to an art.

Equally experimental and accessible, brimming over with aquatic atmosphere and pointed emotional feeling, and full of familiar joys and new surprises, everything is alive is the work of a group who are done reforming and have set their sights on brilliant evolution instead.

At this point, a Pretenders album is whatever she says it is and Relentless is a good one.

In the great tradition of punk rock heroes, Jeff Rosenstock might seem ordinary to a lot of folks, but not many folks have the talent and the vision to pull off an album as good as HELLMODE, and it ranks with his finest work.

Untangling Speedy Ortiz's hyper-detailed words and sounds is always time well spent, but these fierce, surprising songs are some of their most satisfying work yet.

The first part contains some of Clay's funkiest and most psychedelic material with poetic reflections on his upbringing that leave a lot to the imagination. .... The LP's middle third is fueled by moments of deeper self-examination. Those songs are more in line with earlier Clay output like Deadpan Love. .... The latter third is where Clay and company truly stretch out.

Together they wander the landscape like a band of joyous nomads, relishing the journey over the destination.

Emotional Contracts finds Deer Tick operating at full power and making very few advancements from previous albums, seeing no need to fix what isn't broken with their meat-and-potatoes, blue-collar rock sound.

While not the project's most mind-bending or boundary-pushing album, it’s their most stunningly gorgeous, and a successful, timely countermeasure to the symbolic cover art depicting a rainbow in flames.

What gives it resonance is that the album's bones are constructed from the same elements that have made him one of the most interesting singer/songwriters of the punk generation: he's toned down his snarl and cynicism, retaining a D.I.Y. spirit while also honing his powers of observation. All of these come into play in surprising, inventive ways on Leisureland, making it one of his most distinctive records.

The songs are tough, the performances are rugged and real, and Eddie 9V is clearly on his way to greater acclaim by following the music that initially, and still, inspires him.

There isn't a weak moment here, not even a middling one. Auerbach's Easy Eye Sound is forging a unique path into the future of blues, one artist and one impeccable track after another.

Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die ((world war)) is both a pinnacle of that bold creative musical vision and a tantalizing spark of what might have been.

It's remarkable how these fusions feel bright and lively and every bit as sharp as the Americana-leaning Freedom Highway. Giddens may be emphasizing a different side of her personality--and perhaps courting a different audience--but she's made no compromises.

Georgas' conscious attempts here to be more candid in her songwriting pay off on a no-filler label debut for Lucy Rose's Real Kind Records that stands as her best to this point in her career.

Spellling & the Mystery School demonstrates how some of Cabral's best songs have taken on lives of their own since they were first written.

Taylor has made an album that's happy without being silly, and positive while acknowledging just how much of a challenge it can be. Jump for Joy is an exercise in self-help and self-care, and a few spins might help you on the road to better days. It will certainly make them easier to enjoy.

Hearing Pearl reclaim her agency with an older, wiser, and hopefully more sustainable incarnation of Be Your Own Pet is a thrill for fans old and new.

Jaguar II nudges contemporary R&B forward as it mixes inspirations spanning continents and generations.

An album of many strengths -- poetic yet folksy lyrics, charming melodies, an A-plus band, and disarming sincerity -- Haunted Mountain is another delight in a solo career that deserves to be more than a sideline of his Billboard 200-charting main gig.

The Armed get down to business, delivering a volley of potent noise-punk rockers ("FKA World," "Clone," "Everything's Glitter") that temper their myriad technical complexities with sugary, boot-stomping melodies.

A bevy of producers, highlighted by Jennifer Decilveo (Bat for Lashes, Anne-Marie) and Daniel Tannenbaum (Kendrick Lamar), do admirable, evocative work, but the songs and feeling get lost under the layers of sound, particularly at the album's hour-long running time.

Here Lydon has ideas and sounds focused on making them into something, and he has a band capable of giving him all the support he needs. It's not entirely successful, but it's not lazy, either, and at this stage of Lydon's career (and given a very trying situation at home), that's to be commended.

Everyone Else Is a Stranger is easily one of Lindstrøm's most gleeful records, and one of the easiest to recommend.

The resulting 11-song set, The Window, is a volatile one that continues a gradual shift in balance toward harsher guitar tones and more energy without shunning the ambling, jangly alt-country that has co-existed with the band's Breeders-revering alt-rock side since their full-length debut.

Road is primarily killer and only a little bit of filler, with Alice tapping into the power he harnessed in his younger days to create a surprisingly inspired collection of new material.

Barbie: The Album is a celebration as colorful and uplifting as the movie itself, and both are highly recommended.

The strongest submissions make it worth the listen, however, as it's wonderful to hear yet another generation of artists doing interesting things inspired by Drake's evergreen presence.

Even amid the emerging identities of its two star players, it hangs together as a delightfully cohesive volume. It's the sound of old friends playing guitar and singing together in a good room, a vibe that never gets old.

Despite all of these guests and shifting stylistic moods, World Music Radio holds together nicely. The production has an organic, musically experimental vibe that feels like Batiste is really bridging his jazz and pop influences. There's also a sense that he is digging deeper emotionally after a tough few years.

Live in Brooklyn 2011 is a stunning document of a veteran band challenging received wisdom and thriving in the excitement of rediscovery.

Wide-ranging yet cohesive, crafted yet genuine, Homo Anxietatem is an expansive, satisfying standout within his body of work.

On Intercepted Message he's filled the music with enough frantic energy and lyrical urgency that this clearly comes from his musical imagination, even if it explores new territory, and as a loving re-creation of the futuristic sounds of the past, it's well worth a listen.

There are experiments with ambience, risky beat switches, theatrical and hook-free pop, and orchestration that Scott has never attempted before. The multi-platinum guest features might set the album up for global conquest, but the most exciting moments come when it sounds like Scott is discovering a new way to push his craft forward.

Consciousology is the work of an artist who has tapped into something mystical and true, much like she did with Heart-Shaped Scars. Allison has made a record that stands not only with her best work but with that of experimental and inspired singer/songwriters of any era.

Ribot and Ceramic Dog push their vitriol about the state of the world to new heights, crafting an album that balances a sustained punk dread with moments of primal, yawping rage.

Old Ian Tyson and Hoyt Axton tunes do a better job of articulating his aesthetic than Wall himself, which suggests that all his period flair and plainspoken delivery are just affectations.

While nothing here increases the pulse like EP standouts such as "Dream Story" and "Infinite Wisdom," the sustained and unusual sense of solace is heartwarming enough.

A breakneck blend of craft, experience, fun, and excitement, The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons is the most concentrated dose of the band's magic since Tyrannosaurus Hives.

Like the best of Bonnie "Prince" Billy's work that came before it, Keeping Secrets Will Destroy You is the kind of record that gets played over and over until it feels like a part of the listener's personal history.

The fine track list, together with the rarity value, should make this a high priority on the purchase list of Neil Young fans or, indeed, rock fans.

Altogether, Central City is a total riot and fun as hell, the culmination of years of grinding and fighting to place New Orleans bounce on an even larger stage.

The serene hum of nature in harmony leads her to realize that "the care I neglect so often is mine" on "In Gardens," while "Science and Art" is a glowing love song to the creative instinct and humanity's undying need to express itself, whether in a song or video game. On RPG, Me Lost Me continues that tradition brilliantly.

Regret, longing, and grief fill the other songs, but Lusk's soaring, whole-hearted articulations of hope and reassurance prevent this transfixing album from being an unqualified downer.

This is as strong anything they've recorded in their forty-plus year history.

Crashing Dream ended the Rain Parade's first era on a note of disappointment, while Last Rays of a Dying Sun begins a new chapter in their story with impressive strength and vision, and finds the Paisley Underground heroes still as gifted and capable as one could hope.

[A] cleverly devised and skillfully performed album that's pleasingly nostalgic, happily (for the most part) danceable, and best of all perhaps, represents a return to form after their ill-advised foray into radio-ready modern pop.