The resulting album feels like a genuine, cohesive artistic statement, one that often improves upon its source material rather than just paying bland tribute.

Calling Out cements EZTV in a long lineage of sad-sack pop rockers and does so with ease.

25 doesn’t necessarily meet the fire of its predecessor, but it meets its mark--a whole different undertaking when tasked from the top.

It’s much easier to think of Singer’s Grave a Sea of Tongues as Oldham highlighting the many facets of his songs, breathing new life into them and showing his versatility, rather than purely recycling them.

Even if there are some places where Queen of Me falls a bit flat, her legacy speaks for itself. The twelve tracks in this album encompass her first full release since 2017, and, if nothing else, it feels wonderful to still have Shania’s distinct voice and genuinely unique perspective in our lives.

Wanderer is neither as harrowing as Moon Pix nor as kaleidoscopic as Sun, but it shows a mature artist who rides the waves of tumultuous experience--no less excellent for containing her multitudes.

Wonderful Wonderful is likely the most self-conscious Killers album ever.

Those looking to understand the evolution of electronica across the pond will find that Barbara Barbara, we face a shining future will welcome them in nearly as much as Underworld’s debut LP.

In U2 terms,That’s the Spirit was BMTH’s Achtung Baby, where they introduced a new sound, and amo is their Zooropa, where they’ve taken that sonic evolution one step further.

Commonwealth could be Sloan’s own take on The White Album, but it feels more like their answer to Abbey Road.

Spider Bags just want to have a good time and play rock ‘n’ roll, and that lightheartedness makes Frozen Letter a standout release among the crowded garage rock market. It just may be the band’s finest material yet.

The songs on Boronia are sweet, both in message and sound, a musical snack shack on the outskirts of the sand.

Building a cohesive album from such eclectic source material is no easy task, but Calexico, drawing on the 25-year partnership between Burns and multi-instrumentalist John Convertino, put on a clinic.

Preoccupations does away with the murkiness, sounding remarkably clear in contrast to its predecessor.

Junun should be approached with a willingness to embrace new ideas. Greenwood is clearly the big audience draw here, but even fans of his solo compositions may feel a little lost. But, someone with an eager ear will find beauty in this blend of cultures and styles.

Drunk is what we’ve come to expect from Thundercat, which is to say it’s a welcome release. On his third album, he embraces his sound, stereotypes and all, so that teenage humor lights up otherwise overly-heady bass.

The challenge of teasing audience expectations and controlling an artistic persona would seem far greater. With this EP, twigs pulls it off expertly, fracturing and blurring her musical self.

It’s a consummate piece of work, and an evocative way to honor both personal and public history.

Since GINGER contains more fresh ideas than almost every great rap album of 2019 combined, once again it’s hard to pin down why it feels like such a relief when it finally ends, why traditional technicians like Dababy and Megan Thee Stallion and their fellow hype-turning-institution, Cardi B feel like they deliver more satisfying fulfillment of what they promise.

The record’s cross-section of overlapping sounds and styles is buoyed by its layout. By scattering the louder tunes from the delicate ones and the moodier, more ambient songs from the rowdy rockers, the band keeps listeners on their toes.

The music might take your breath away, if the worst of the lyrics don’t make you roll your eyes. He’s very good at what he’s good at, but he’s not what you’d call well-rounded. Still, not everyone who has something to say, says it in words.

There’s nothing new under the sun or on this record, but when the riffs are crisp and the harmonies tight, that’s a complaint that’s at least a couple of spots down the list. The Raconteurs won’t save rock and roll, but they’ll certainly help us pass the time until we find whoever will.

Suga is a solid and cohesive EP that showcases Megan Thee Stallion’s unfettered appetite for destruction; she obliterates any beat she comes into contact with without batting an eyelash. Although the majority of the project is an exhilarating listen, its own ambitions prove to be its biggest challenge.

Unsurprisingly, Blue Wave, the band’s first proper LP, sounds both old and new at once.

Due to her diverse strengths, Jacklin’s songs differ greatly--but where for some that may result in an inconsistent tone, Jacklin strengthens the album by honoring its emotional core at all costs. Tracks jump from genre to genre without losing their hypnotic quality.

Holding Hands with Jamie deftly maneuvers and manufactures its own sense and nonsense in equal measure.

With a seemingly renewed energy, Babyface is back in business with two records in the last two years, and Return of the Tender Lover sets the table for an even bigger return to the public eye forthcoming.

Tracks like “An Urn” and “Blessed Alone” are some of the best material The Body have released to date due to strong vocal performances and powerful lyrics. A few tracks feel predictable, though, and as a whole the project feels like the band dipping their toes into new territory rather than jumping all the way in.