Arched and anthemic, it’s pumped and primed with drama, mood, mystery, and intrigue. It’s a sound that’s strikingly similar to his old ‘80s contemporaries—Echo and the Bunnymen, Duran Duran, Depeche Mode, and the like.

The heartbreak is palatable and one can’t help but be moved by both the confession and the candor. Indeed, the poignancy is not without purpose.

Support by sparse but not stark backing, make these ballads glow and shine with a low key luster.

The details in Childers’ intricate character descriptions make this one of the finest releases of the year and an impressive introduction to a talented newcomer with striking lyrical and musical talent.

Ultimately then, See You in the Stars is as footloose and fanciful as its handle suggests. When Broudie indulges his instincts, the possibilities can become sky-high.

Like the previous set, this is another batch of slightly skewed but affectionately crafted R&B, heavily tinged by mid-’70s affectations with some blues touches. ... Most impressive though is how soulful a vocalist Dan Auerbach is.

It’s a taut and intense collection of songs that connect just as well without the visuals of the play they were predominantly written to accompany. GOWV displays once again that Steve Earle is one of America’s most captivating, unvarnished, provocative and talented singer/songwriters.

Seven albums on, Isbell’s achieved a rarified status, one that indulges a need for creativity as well as contemplation. Reunions reminds us that it’s the rare artist that succeeds at both.

The combination of the macabre subject matter and the celebratory music feels akin to last spring’s Pile, an album by Houston, Texas’ A Giant Dog. But where that band explodes with party-friendly garage rock, Shovels & Rope let things sizzle a little bit longer.

With increasingly assured songwriting, Natalie Prass demonstrates that she is on top of her game in the here and now.

It’s not just an impressive, even unprecedented comeback, but one that resonates with the vitality and dizzying power of X’s finest music.

In a word, Abigail Washburn's City of Refuge shines. It is a folk-pastiche that draws on all of Washburn's past successes and crafts them together into a lovely and sometimes mysterious work of art.

Even though On Air-Live At The BBC Volume 2 might not be the most revelatory release, it’s still a couple of hours’ worth of The Beatles in their prime, and that makes it essential listening.

Fortunately, there is some respite with “June 21” and “The Aphorist,” both of which allow the raucous proceedings to take a brief pause. Yet even there the turgid trappings aren’t entirely abandoned. There’s a clear sense of foreboding imbued in each of these offerings and the darkness and doom continue to linger throughout.

From His Head to His Heart to His Hands shows that what Bloomfield did accomplish in his short life was not just sizeable but downright seismic.

Live From Atlanta is a more effective career retrospective for the alt-country stalwarts than any formal greatest hits compilation could ever be.

Gritty yet determined, assertive but still steady, Joseph offers a stealth-eyed glimpse of a world seemingly on the verge of collapse. Salvation may be elusive, but clearly Joseph won’t give way to the inevitable just yet.

Nothing approaches rock, or even rock oriented. Rather Melua keeps her expressive, mellifluous voice focused on mood and atmosphere, letting the songs and orchestrations do the heavy lifting.

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.

One Day is easy listening at its finest, instilled with the fresh finesse and supple sensitivity that only a genetic bond can bring.

Melodies take longer to reveal themselves and choruses don’t have the natural hooks Loveless has crafted before. Which just means you’ll need to spend additional time exploring the songs, mulling them over, absorbing the lyrics and letting their more elusive charms sink in.

Between the quality of the songs (five written or co-penned by Raitt, an unusually high number), the relaxed yet taut performances and Bonnie’s characteristic smooth whisky drawl, the appropriately titled Dig In Deep is another distinguished and near perfect entry into a classy, bulging catalog that has seen few missteps.

Boy in a Well remains a missed opportunity for The Yawpers to raise their lyrical game, one that could easily have been rectified with more attention to packaging and explanatory details that are mysteriously and frustratingly MIA.

By compiling these often difficult to find sides, we get an intimate glimpse into talents of Joe Strummer many haven’t heard before. If anything it makes his untimely 2002 death at just age 50 even more tragic. But at least we have his music, and the stunning 001 is a near perfect summation of it.

A fierce backing band, Okkervil River lends them drama, tension and a cinematic pomp that underscores the miraculous nature of Erickson's recovery.

The album is so beautifully performed and meticulously crafted that its heartfelt, smooch-ready nature will likely result in at least a few babies born nine months after release.

The disc is only 42 minutes long, but he’s pushing the envelope in so many directions, you’ll likely get dizzy playing this through for the first time. Regardless, there’s enough of a method to his madness for those open minded enough who enter this occasionally dark, always circuitous musical tunnel to enjoy, or at least appreciate, the ride.

It’s as strong an album as Cantrell has ever released--even if it took nine years to get here.