Her songwriting and lyrics are truthfully captivating and fascinatingly realistic.

It takes a few spins for the subtle charms of Life Is Fine to fully kick in, but it rewards patience. It may not quite match the sustained brilliance of seminal '80s albums Gossip and Under the Sun, but this is another fine effort.

The narrative of Dance on the Blacktop is a hard-to-swallow reality check, but flourishes in the closing "(Hope) Is Just Another Word with a Hole In It." Nearing six minutes, the song is ambitious and rewarding. When Palermo's vocals and piano come to fruition in the mix, there is a sense of optimism, as though he might be smirking at his demons.

Unlike those of many of their contemporaries, this album isn't offering much faux hard-won wisdom, and there's no late-night barstool proselytizing to speak of. Instead, Start Here channels the naïve wonder, genuine openness, and hopeful abandon of post-adolescence.

[An] energized album, full of unexpected twists and forked, enchanting melodies.

The whole album is chock full of songs that scream road trips and beach days, pulling from a grungier vision of Sheryl Crow and latter-day Liz Phair's fun-loving pop rock, shot through with a synthesised yet vulnerable twinge that was already apparent on Lahey's first two albums.

Repave is an album that crackles, sparkles and swoons in all the right places.

With The Caretaker, Rose is finding strength in self-discovery and returning to the present with delicate repose.

The 67-minute album features 25 remarkably accessible tracks.

Down to Believing can unquestionably be described as Moorer's breakup album, but this would sell short its intensely personal complexity.

While the record may not have been what she was expecting to create, it illuminates immense growth and versatility in Margaret's strength as a songwriter and as a producer.

Shame is not only hard to listen to, but also hard to swallow and hard to digest. It thought-provoking music which is guaranteed to make listeners feel uncomfortable in their own skin; what more could you want from a new Uniform album?

One of the very few bands that can combine melody with hardcore and make it pack a huge punch, BoySetsFire have crafted another excellent release.

Unlike the conceptual rock opera project that was Nostradamus, Redeemer of Souls is pure metal joy, full of surging anthems, martial stomps, unbridled passion and huge, crunchy production values.

93696 is an ongoing, turbulent act of engagement — its surging power will throttle you, blow you over with fury and ecstasy. But it will also pull you in for an embrace, to quell and allow for the chance to breathe and reflect.

By opening up their sonic palette, Third Eye Blind has highlighted their sheer strength as a songwriting unit and demonstrated that any path they take, they'll throw themselves into fully and unreservedly. Sounding both fresh and classic, Screamer is a great place for new fans to jump on, or for previously jaded listeners to give one of rock's most underrated groups a fresh shot.

Empress Of takes listeners into a rich sonic environment on Us, while placing careful emphasis on the emotional territory she ventures into. The universality Rodriguez has sought to embody the record with is present, yet the vulnerability she is known for remains.

Doubtless, the boy from Troy, NY has given his audience a lot to chew on with Madman; some of it folk, some of it rock, all of it good.

The London Sessions has a swanky premise, and finds Blige in an artistically intrepid mode. It's also one of her best efforts in recent years.

The Revenant OST is the duo’s fifth collaboration and moves like a symphonic version of their minimalist album Vrioon. To an already austere approach, Sakamoto seems to have added the resolve of a true survivor.

Exquisitely recorded (Segall might have picked up a few more tricks for his already considerable bag from Steve Albini, who had produced recent efforts) and inviting while still being mysterious, Ty Segall has another excellent stripped-down "folk" record to add to his (extremely) extensive discography.

It's the samples in particular, though, that give Reset a sort of whimsical timelessness. ... Like much of Panda Bear and Sonic Boom's best work, Reset is disorienting — an album of songs that feels cyclical and never-ending.

It's a dynamic album, one so vibrant that listeners can easily envision themselves at the Barbican witnessing all the musicians mesh in the creation of something grand.

Smart, funny, empathetic and wise, Musgraves is one of the best in the business right now--even when it seems she might be treading water.

Smart, forceful writing continues throughout as Benny's deliberate delivery slices through the horns of "Throwy's Revenge" and the frenetic synths of "Guerrero." Usual suspects Boldy James, Conway the Machine, 38 Spesh and Westside Gunn drop by, adding welcome vocal texture to Benny's predictably clear and metronome-like cadence.

Spaces is in turn haunting, energizing and overwhelmingly emotive, and a must-have for fans of the young German pianist, whether or not they've caught him live yet.

Sure, there are slight variations on the formula and some additional instrumentation (namely strings and harpsichord), but this is still Thee Oh Sees being the very best Thee Oh Sees they can be.

While it might be daunting to have close to 20 duets of mixed genres all on one album, it works for Crow and her crew. These collaborations show flair and offer a little bit of something for everyone, making Threads that much more appealing.