Miracle-Level by Deerhoof is as vitalizing as it is soft-hearted. The studio sound has fully revealed accomplished players interested in exploring the humanitarian capabilities of music, expressing, however vaguely or explicitly, a longing for the miraculous and a rejection of the mundane.

While elements of homage and pastiche run throughout 1982, A Certain Ratio never lose themselves in the past, and the group’s vibrancy shines throughout the record.

Democratically curated and effusing a palpable enthusiasm, the project stands as a testimony to the power of aesthetic commonality, enduring friendship, and the magic of teamwork, something we could all use more of these days.

Like the Seventh Seal, Memento Mori raises questions but never brings resolution. ... I It is a testament to their continued relevance and the unexpected wonder in remembering our shared condition.

It’s not quite as revitalized as Thrashing, but it’s also not as laid back as Open Door Policy. Finn’s stories, while often about addicts, aren’t quite as dark here as they are on his more melancholy solo albums.

The pleasures of Continue As a Guest are worth putting in the extra work to enjoy, and after two decades of great music, Newman has earned the right to change up his style a bit.

The fuzzed-out lead guitar, the languid vocals, and the unbridled backbeat that keeps it all together nail this resemblance down, recalling Bug-era Dinosaur from the late 1980s. ... Tracks like “Wishing Well”, “Cheewawa”, and “Bainmarie” from that LP are beautifully rendered.

93696 weighs in at nearly 80 minutes, and its numerological conceit does make one suspect even the song lengths might be perfectly poised elements in some delicately balanced scheme.

While With Love From is not the most visionary pop record released in recent years, it doesn’t need to be.

The duo reaffirm their status as hyperpop ambassadors while implementing a notable mainstream savvy, including memorable beats, hook-ish melodies, and vocals that epitomize an au courant slacker vibe.

Neilson and co. still know how to get wild — their usually-yearly “SB” EPs are filled with experiments and unchecked ambition — but for all the years of waiting, V is simply a good new album from the group. At times very good, but not with the consistency they had become increasingly known for.

Though it’s easy to think of Aşk as Altın Gün’s comfort zone, it’s also clear that this album has a lot more to give in terms of energy and creativity, one that continues to seize new acid-soaked horizons.

Dickenson’s anger against America’s direction has musical muscle behind it.

The album is not only precisely what Cyrus’ discography and identity needed but perhaps what we as a culture need now.

There isn’t a single dud among the 13 songs. They’re expertly played and attractively produced by Buck. Some of them partake of a dreaminess, yearning, and even an occasional touch of sadness that complicate the album’s generally sanguine musical disposition. ... A Colossal Waste of Light really does come to sound more and more like vintage R.E.M., hence the unavoidable and unfair comparisons to Stipe.

In general, Kanaan drops her listeners off down the street from where she’s picked us up. We may recognize the surroundings, but something feels different about where we find ourselves by the time her music’s ritual magic has achieved silence.

Meg Remy and her collaborators have channeled her recognition of the communicative depth of dance music with creative, nearly flawless production. The result invites us to consider and embrace this blessed mess that is our bond and is an early frontrunner for consideration among the year’s best albums.

Your Mother Should Know is an artist at the peak of his powers, interpreting the songwriting of a group of musicians whose music will last long after we’re all gone.

Whether calming you with lush numbers like “Aerodrome” and “The Coming Days” or tickling the edges of your mind with “Thorn”, the result is another stunning record, no matter who’s pulling or plucking the strings.

A well-crafted and brilliantly performed album, it showcases a group bringing in new influences and ideas, all with an infectious sense of enthusiasm and energy. It’s an exciting third chapter for a band that, for all that assuredness, still sounds hungry.

This music is too good not to be shared. DeMent sings and writes from the heart. The 13 songs are powerful statements of love and indictments of bad behavior.

Trustfall, her latest studio effort, is the most vulnerable she has been in years in a way that doesn’t sound formulated but honest and reflective.

It’s too early to say if the era of Alien Lanes is gone for good, but it is safe to say that this group lineup has helped add another tool to Pollard’s songwriting toolbox. Not to mix metaphors, but it’s a look that they wear well. Consider the transition successful.

Yes, goddam it, Cracker Island is as good as Demon Days.

Breaking the Balls of History continues this momentum of irrepressible songcraft. Carrying the torch for three decades now, Quasi have become one of the more enduring musical collaborations out of the Pacific Northwest, and this is a peak moment in their discography.

This is his most consistent, fully realized album since Brick by Brick (1990). It’s maybe even his best in more than four decades since New Values was released in 1979.

Like their first reunion album Wonky, Optical Delusion makes a case for Orbital remaining a creative working force without actually being their best work.

Acid Arab weave sand-blown Korg synth filigrees in ways that would make Dabke keyboard titan Razen Said proud. On ٣ (Trois), their third album (of course), the pulses quake, inviting us all to the post-pandemic party.