Rat Saw God is the type of kaleidoscopic album that offers up something new to appreciate with each listen. It’s a record worth hearing, recommending, and obsessing over – Google search results be damned.

While all three women may continue on to even greater heights as individuals, the record offers something so much more than the sum of its parts. It’s a covenant between three soulmates, a trio of best friends ready to carry the torch for a new musical generation.

Ultimately, for another sonically cohesive record, the thread that ties this package together is the exploration of American melancholia. ... This is where she thrives. And, thankfully, this is where Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd spends most of its time.

They’ve turned themselves into a ravenous rock deity, a masterful songwriter whose every release demands attention. And while the title of the album refers to one who Chews But Does Not Consume, it’s the kind of project that swallows you whole.

The current of honesty that runs through Endless Summer Vacation encourages the listener to press play on the record again, and the stories here get even better on a second or third listen. It’s cohesive without feeling repetitive.

TRUSTFALL is a solid entry in the singer’s now-expansive discography, if one that shows she’s playing it safe.

It’s in her own vocal and musical versatility that Polachek can create a new map to discover, and the results are nothing short of thrilling.

There’s something satisfying about seeing the band creating in their own lane here in 2023 rather than fall into the all too easy trap of trying to recreate who they may have been in the past.

Eight albums in, Gorillaz are still capable of producing a fresh, rich album that spans genres and moods, with so many different textures and sonic fabrics that they have cultivated a musical universe of their own.

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.

On Honey, Samia finds her power in being an open book.

It is an absolute monster of a record that clocks in at just over 67 minutes with a staggering 23 tracks — and boy, was it worth the wait. If Ctrl was a near-perfect debut, S.O.S might be an inch closer to masterclass status.

Indigo, which RM describes as “a sun-bleached record faded like old jeans,” feels like a gift to his own creative spirit as much as it does a gift to the listeners.

The biggest lapse on The Family, unfortunately, is that it’s one-sided. We don’t get to hear from the other members about how they feel it all went wrong. We’re not given a collage, just one vivid picture from Abstract’s perspective.

Nas saved the best for last, if this is the trilogy’s end. KDIII is the exclamation point at the end of his career’s most consistently dope stretch. It pays tribute to everything that came before it while whetting the appetite for what’s next.

It’s Redcar’s most challenging album yet, in which he addresses an entity that could be either himself, or a lover; the production still leans heavily into the delicate, baroque synth-pop and irresistible melodies he has become so lauded for, but the emphasis remains on Redcar’s vocal delivery and texturally succulent lyrics.

Her Loss isn’t always a deep album, but that doesn’t make it any less profound. Sometimes excellent rapping over very dope beats mixed with a tinge of introspection goes a long way. Her Loss is our gain.

Midnights is a record best enjoyed as its own work. It’s an undeniably rich listen, the kind of pop music that feels increasingly rewarding with each pass, and it’s an album that reminds us that Swift has countless stories left to tell.

Incredibly tight, flashy and evidently abhorrent in its messaging — we’re all doomed, but at least Lamb of God make it sound good.

The final product is an exercise in meh as he tries blending who he is with who he used to be, along with his more significant commercial responsibilities.

Though there are some intriguing highlights, The Car isn’t anywhere near the evocative heights that Arctic Monkeys have reached throughout their now-storied career — and perhaps that’s the point.

Return of the Dream Canteen is a pretty faithful second helping of Red Hot Chili Peppers as they stand in 2022. ... It’s hard not to wonder what kind of splash the album could have made had it been pared down or if there was more time between the two releases. As it stands now, though, Return of the Dream Canteen still manages to add more than it takes away.

They’ve returned with an album that feels far from the all-encompassing anxiety of their previous records, prioritizing the unity and spirit that all four members feel for each other. ... Sometimes, it’s enough to peel back the layers of old paint and put on a fresh coat. The colors may be a bit jumbled at a first glance, but when you take a step back, they’re vivid, pleasant, magnetic.

An album that has WILLOW well and truly becoming a bonafide rockstar, refusing to be boxed into one singular genre — while seeing how far each one can take her. COPINGMECHANISM is WILLOW’s most personal — and, as may coincidence may have it, hardest — record to date.

As a new release, it’s got more than enough exploratory factors to keep the band from sounding stale, but it also stays true to the sounds that have turned us all into maggots in the first place.

Fossora is filled with Björk’s reliably lush, sensual instrumentation and poetic lyricism, at times playing like a thematic and musical companion to its predecessor. ... Across its delectable slate of richly orchestrated songs, Fossora’s best tracks are also the most personal.

A raging confidence surges throughout Cool It Down, and the music showcases a band who older, wiser, more mature. It’s held together by the strength of Karen O’s lyrics, her signature voice, and the eclectic instrumentation that have made the band so loved. It’s also their most experimental effort yet, full of dramatic soundscapes that see the band push the boundaries of what it really means to be an alternative rock band in 2022.

What Sawayama has successfully captured with Hold the Girl is the healing power of pop music, and the catharsis that can come just as easily with an arena-ready banger as it can with a feral scream.