Consequences offers no shortage of rhythm-ready offerings, which ensure the enthusiasm remains at a constant peak.

The music comes across as honest, emotional, credible and convincing. ... A Few Stars Apart brings him closer to the singular distinction he so decidedly deserves.

Since the selections were cherry picked from various shows, the playing and performances are likely the finest from the tour. The audio is tough and punchy with clean separation that leaps out of the speakers. Only Ozzy Osbourne’s insistence on introducing every song slows the momentum. A short, seven minute CD single of just two songs pushes the platter total to four.

The agitated, anxious emotions that explode over Big Mess create a difficult, even grating 73 minutes, which is clearly what Elfman was aiming for. It’s a bumpy, challenging, often exhilarating, sometimes scary experience. Strap in and hang on.

Even if little here sparkles as splendidly as House’s prime era, Dreamers Are Waiting is quality, thoughtful pop from the mind of a guy who knows his way around a terrific tune.

There aren’t many surprises on Hardware, but with Gibbons now pushing into his mid-70s, should we expect any? He sells everything with his committed performance and sounds like he’s having a blast. At this late stage in his career, we shouldn’t ask for, or expect, more.

Royal Blood shifted gears and embraced a more polished sonic profile and neon color scheme for Typhoons, given that intensity and darkness reinforce its narratives in this album more zealously than its predecessors.

Ultimately, Leftover Feelings doesn’t take either artist beyond their respective comfort zones. Yet, it is an outstanding album nevertheless, simply because it’s everything one would expect from a collaboration between the two. Above all, it succeeds in eliciting emotion, which is, by definition, the standard upon which most memorable music is judged. Given that measure, Leftover Feelings is both revealing and resilient indeed.

While this album encompasses only a fraction of the total trajectory, it’s a fascinating glimpse at his his seminal sound. In that regard, The Width of a Circle is expansive indeed.

Fatal Mistakes reflects a dueling perspective, one that recognizes the difficulty of maintaining a certain standard but that is determined to reach new goals. The fact that Del Amitri succeed as well as they do is a testament to both their confidence and their talent.

Beneath this veneer of mirth and melodrama, there’s an artist who gives full reign to intrigue and intellect in equal measure.

The album captures a shared sense of both isolation and optimism with melodies and harmonies that soar assuredly, building on an ornate orchestration that allows songs such as “Deep Water Swim,” “Laughing Gas,” “No False Gods” and the title track resonate with such haunting yet harrowing designs.

Ultimately, Long Lost could be considered an opus of sorts, a fully realized work that’s epic, intriguing, expansive, and yet introspective. It’s an emotional encounter that delivers on all it promises far more often than not.

The end result is a festive power pop brew, a combination that mines instinct and intelligence. It’s fair to say then that Seeking New Gods is indeed a truly divine experience.

Perhaps a few upbeat performances would have better balanced the all-ballad program, something Hynde could surely have pulled off without breaking a sweat. Regardless, what’s here displays her ability to inject a fresh approach to Dylan’s timeless work, revealing nuances of his writing that often get overlooked in his or others’ hands.

It’s a perfect juxtaposition of earthy lyrics and frank storytelling with honest, unaffected roots music organically adding an exclamation point.

Not everything clicks—the lazy Latin shuffle “Del Rio You’re Making Me Cry” edges too close to Jimmy Buffett territory—but there’s enough that works to make this an effective posthumous effort that even perfectionist White would have been proud of.

It’s a diverse offering with Weller’s deep soulful voice splitting the difference between Bowie in his Thin White Duke phase on the funky, twisty title track (check out the tasty, offbeat clarinet), jazzy R&B on the flute enhanced “Testify” and the crunchy power pop not far from later period Jam of “True.”

The rugged Delta Kream captures the essence of what made this North Mississippi music so distinctive. While even this stellar lineup can’t truly replicate the dangerous backwoods stomp that injected a shot of adrenaline into the bloodstream of Carney and Auerbach all those years ago, it comes awfully close.

Some 42 albums on, Morrison remains as emphatic as ever. This Latest might not be his greatest, but in many ways it clearly comes close.

In Another World displays the Tricksters cranking out another 45 minutes of crackling rock and roll that belies the members’ age, extensive backstory along with a work ethic doesn’t show any signs of slowing down now. Cheap Trick is a group too smart to quit.

Taken in total, The Who Sell Out Super Deluxe Edition is in fact the ultimate box set bonanza. It’s one that any diehard devotee will not want to do without.

Headphones make the experience even more visceral since listeners can concentrate on the intricacy of the tracks. But in any environment, Flat White Moon is an inventive, original and impressive project from a band who hasn’t yet found a boundary they can’t expand.

Not everything on Final Farewell hits the mark – notably the partly spoken word We Are Here, a commentary on the impact of social media, which feels both glib and uncharacteristically unsubtle – and at just 31 minutes, it certainly doesn’t overstay its welcome. Overall though, this is a rich, warm, sometimes quite moving record which proves Peggy Seeger’s (and Dylan Thomas’s) point that old age does not have to mean going gently into that good night.

Any of these gems would sound natural emerging out of a tinny ‘60s transistor radio. That’s clearly what Waterhouse and Butler were aiming for on an organic album that feels fresh and alive while respecting and recalling the past.

Rarities alone aren’t the reason for acquisition, and in truth, the 16 tracks assembled for Assembly offer only a small taste of Strummer’s true genius. Yet, the music that is included still manages to provide an expansive overview of a career that was in full flourish at the time of his passing.

It’s difficult to see where Dry Cleaning goes after the defiant line in the sand drawn here. But for those willing to follow them, and especially frontwoman Shaw, it’s likely they will blaze an idiosyncratic path in the music sphere, similar to what they have accomplished on this rather remarkable, often powerful, and always challenging, debut.

Think Steely Dan minus Becker and Fagen’s wry, occasionally sneering lyrics, and you’re getting warm to Lake Street Dive’s approach.