Lucinda Williams is an artist with the confidence to say what needs to be said, and the power to back it up. On This Sweet Old World, she might be repeating the words, but she's hardly repeating herself.

On the rich, rewarding Sparrow, the singer has found the perfect marriage of songs, arrangements and performances. In the process she has also crafted a captivating Southern Gothic country-soul masterpiece, one that can stand proudly next to the timeless works that inspired it.

While there are certainly moments of outright noisy abandon, Richter incorporates enough subtlety and tension into the proceedings to make these diabolical sound sculptures bleed with a raw beauty.

Mint Condition is an incredible country-folk album, not only due to crisp and clear storytelling, but Spence's mesmerizing vocals, which have a unique sound of their own, with a hint of Dolly Parton, Lee Ann Womack and Ashley Monroe mixed into one.

Guitarist Reine Fiske joins them, fitting in seamlessly: the power and energy they work up on "Skink/Fugl Fønix" could power a train. Despite some slow spots, the two volumes of Psychedelic Backfire show Elephant9 as an engaging and exciting live act, a dazzling mix of rock rhythms and jazzy interplay.

The band have put a lot of work into refining their sound and making it bigger, fuller and bolder. There's more harmony, texture and structure in every song, and the choruses are huge and uplifting.

Outside Child as a whole exhibits a lust for life in spite of its trials.

By toeing the party line--one that many critics and fans have completely rejected--Made in California paints a false picture of one of rock's most enduring and puzzling acts.

Given time to breathe, to live, to coast, with Shade, Harris has found a new stream to navigate, but with distance, it's clear Grouper doesn't have to commit to one world or another to enjoy their comforts. Maybe we don't need just one Grouper either.

Unlike their first and, let's be honest, irritatingly indulgent live recording, Sonic Death, Walls Have Ears presents Sonic Youth as resourceful, patient and secure in their esoteric songcraft.

There is craftsmanship here, but its genius lies in letting the raw quality of his sound speak first rather than arranging it into something new.

His fifth studio album, second in a scheduled trilogy of albums and first in seven years. Yet here we are, with tracks evoking previous efforts while remaining fresh to the ear.

Tracyanne & Danny is a deftly-produced, heartfelt album, highlighting both Campbell and Coughlan's best qualities, setting the bar high.

Jericho Sirens is truly spirited rock'n'roll that hits you directly, but it's also enigmatic and increasingly rewarding the deeper you dive. The arrangements are mighty and confident, while the cast of characters and scenarios are compelling and provocative, anchored by Froberg's impassioned screaming and cool articulation. Comebacks are complicated, for bands and fans too, but this is one for the ages.

Fay has lost none of his ability to capture the wonder of life in his words.

Despite clocking in at a whopping 70 minutes, Car Seat Headrest pack enough hooks in to avoid lagging, thanks to Toledo's practice with his lengthy yet phenomenal earlier albums Twin Fantasy and How to Leave Town.

Not only is Gas' Narkopop a top candidate for best microhouse album of 2017, it may also be the best drone album and the best classical album--and possibly just the best album you'll hear this year, period.

The momentum of King's Disease II's eventual first half results in some lag to the finish line, but whether it's inspired singles ("Rare"), fresh collaborations, new ideas or bejeweled one-liners ("How you expect to get love if you don't show none?"), King Nas serves up another reminder that he's no pretender to the throne. The wild ambition has just evolved into calculated wisdom.

Process was a long time coming, but the wait has resulted in one of the most assured debut albums in recent memory.

With Springtime in New York, Dylan and his archive custodians take on his most written-off period and re-write it, capturing its lost glory.

The Anthropocene Extinction is another stroke of genius by one of the best heavy bands of all time.

Generous helpings of angst and spice on Hot Between Worlds make for a raw listening experience, one which does not offer resolution or understanding, but rather a ding-dong-ditch challenge to psychic fisticuffs in the middle of the street.

Kaleidoscope Dream is a statement that Miguel has arrived.

While her peers may be filling arenas with banjo anthems, Marling has long freed herself from that particular pigeonhole and presents another collection of songs that showcases her astounding talent.

While previous instalments Muscle Up and School Daze were comprised of early, experimental college compositions, Afternooners is more focused and assured.

House of Sugar steps into volatile, subterranean moods not quite grounded in reality, flitting towards soupy daydreams and murky fantasy worlds. Giannascoli's creativity is endless and as he continues his never-ending output of mysteriously disorienting and strangely familiar songs, he's becoming stronger and weirder with every album.

While highlight "The Glass" is an undisputedly heartbreaking acoustic-tinged ditty about living the rest of your life in someone's absence, the mid-LP tracks unfortunately do little more than fill obligatory spots on the Foo Fighters spectrum.

What lingers, along with the musical brilliance and uncharacteristic openness of his 50 Song Memoir, is Merritt's humour; his distinctive baritone delivering countless witty sardonic kernels, sometimes assisted by a well-timed dramatic pause, all wrapped up in catchy, unforgettable songs.