A major leap forward for an artist whose previous work now seems like a warm-up for the dizzying heights The Navigator strives for, and often achieves.

An intriguing offering, it also finds them expanding their appeal in a very distinctive way. More earthbound than ever, these seductive melodies ought to find them dialing into an audience that’s been targeted by any number of other contemporary combos who are paying heed to today’s multi-cultural mainstream.

It may not have a story of a lost classic, but it has the music of a freshly discovered treasure.

In listening to this remarkable audio document, the thing that stands out most assuredly is the remarkable chemistry these two artists shared, as evidenced through a set of songs culled from the pair’s shared love of gospel, R&B, folk, and other archival sources.

Ultimately, although ‘Like The River That Loves The Sea’ flows slowly towards its ultimate destination, it makes the journey worthwhile. The grace and beauty Shelley shows throughout gives reason for a celestial celebration.

It’s all quite exquisite, gorgeous, charming… and a little bland. Each selection confines to the group’s established low key vibe. But that gets monotonous after a while, even as instruments drift in and out of the mix and tracks such as “Song of the Bell” and “I Lie Awake” up the energy and guitar reverb to include delicate, slightly edgy psychedelics.

Tempest is fantastic, but being impressed by Dylan is old hat. That he still finds ways to surprise us is an achievement beyond all comprehension.

It’s all very much an artifact of its short era and is best appreciated as such. But Press Color captures a vibrant moment in New York City’s historically rich music history that can never be replicated. Even with its obvious flaws and retro vibe, it still feels creative, pulsating and oddly inspirational.

It’s Prince as few have heard him: inspired, unrestrained, playing for no one but himself and the engineer who pushed the record button. Clearly this isn’t for everyone. But those looking for a glimpse into the artist, mostly pre-global fame, working out new and old material, will find it an invaluable and unique addition to his already bulging catalog.

The punchy songs and spontaneous performances are contagious in their jittery energy.

American Love Song expertly and movingly shows how the overarching U.S.A. theme can encompass triumph and tragedy from one moment to the next.

It’s impossible to overstate how marvelously moving and purely enjoyable the end result is, paving the way, we hope, for a follow-up.

Whether couched in the hush of his delicate acoustic finger-picking or amped up with a bit of tempo and electricity, sooner or later, his words demand attention.

This long-awaited comeback of sorts for Cooder is a joyful, intense and occasionally humorous experience that any Americana fan will enjoy.

Jurado manages to fill Visions Of Us On The Land full of musical surprises, but the unfettered emotion that sneaks in toward the end is the most welcome surprise of all.

It’s Holland at her most beautiful; that’s something worth savoring.

At only 36 minutes, it’ll leave you wanting more, convinced that Parker’s previous set was no fluke and that his career as an electrifying singer-songwriter has just begun.

Presley’s latest album is a masterclass in songwriting that shows the singer’s limitless potential.

The dichotomy of Jones’ softer touch with material subtly flowing into darker, more ominous territory and instrumentation that expands her palette into moodier areas provides Pick Me Off the Floor with its tensest moments. Perhaps she hasn’t gone far enough since the tone of the ballad-heavy album could use a little more juice to mix things up. But the eclectic, always classy Jones tweaks even the most unruffled tracks here with enough of an edge to keep things interesting.

Longtime fans who have patiently waited for this resurgence will be thrilled with results that gently tug at the boundaries of their established sound. But even listeners new to the Freakwater experience can start here and work backwards through a rich catalog dedicated to the darker roots of Americana.

The band has never been less than classy fun and the jaunty, delightful Hey! Merry Christmas! doesn’t stray from that by keeping the season alive and well with a holiday album you’ll be returning to each year.

The live 25-song audio concert is a solid performance, but the just above bootleg sound is compressed and tinny. The band plays only a few songs from their IRS days while reprising all but three Monster tunes. The hours worth of mostly instrumental demos, where a Stipe-less trio tests riffs and grooves without actual songs behind them, are pleasant but forgettable. ... Fans will be intrigued by the crisper sound of the [remix] where Stipe’s vocals and Peter Buck’s guitar – cranked up for the majority of the disc – are better defined.

A sturdy but far from a revelatory example of Creedence rolling through a dozen hits and album tracks without much fuss and virtually no connection with the audience for a meager 42 minutes.

Never Will (pre-order here) proves the tough gal persona she established on that stunning debut was no fluke or act. It shows she’s got plenty of raw talent to keep her career growing as another capable, no BS rootsy country infused woman who has charged into the charts and is likely to stay there.

The thoroughly engaging Scandalous certainly satisfying one's hunger for some stick-to-your-ribs rock 'n' soul music. The band, however, seems approaching a crossroads. They definitely demonstrate their skills at successfully reviving these retro sounds but they are still striving to find their own special voice.

Like many a great singer-songwriter, Snider possesses neither an exceptional voice or above average guitar skills. What he does bring to the party, though, is his own inimitable point of view: a wry, self-deprecating, seemingly slightly stoned, hilarious, and authentic persona.

As enjoyable as the album may be, this band needs an audience of excited, cheering fans to transform these songs from 1s and 0s into transcendent experiences.

This melodic yet dynamic punk seems to have been created in the early '80s, a high compliment and one the band is likely to embrace far more than the realization that the disc's title is impossible to fulfill.