Cool It Down is a masterwork of lush production and catchy melodies that work off of one another to create a colorful and textured album that makes the 13-year wait worthwhile.

Lloyd, as he typically does, enters gently but increases his intensity to the highest levels in the four pieces, his trio mates in restrained accompaniment until Wilson first blossoms with a jagged, inspired solo followed by Clayton’s cascading, shimmering turn which builds to a crescendo. At the diminuendo, Lloyd reenters with a simple six notes, the piece fading quietly. Enough said.

On God Save The Animals, Alex G creates his best music to date. The textures are as complex as its lyrical content and it’s all strung together beautifully through intricate piano sections. Throughout this album, we see calculated risks pay off in a major way to create a colorful yet challenging album and one that requires multiple listens to fully understand Alex G’s end goal.

There was no coasting on any front in the formulation of Long Gone. “Disco Ears” is decidedly peppier all around, though hardly redolent of the environs its title suggests or the beat-laden leanings of Redman’s Elastic Band in the mid-2000s. Instead, it is, like “Statuesque,” an unpredictable progression rendered with utter fluency all around, no less in McBride’s basswork or Blade’s drum activity than the lead instruments of their long-standing comrades.

Ali is filled with amazing moments but ultimately leaves more to be desired. With two instrumental juggernauts working together the expectations of these songs were high and the ambiance that flows through the album is going to shock fans of either artist. Regardless of the lows, the collaborative album allows Touré to experiment more with his vocals and his slick guitar sections became the star of the show. Overall, Ali is an album that adds to an ambiance instead of creating one, leaving the listener expecting more.

She closes, rather surprisingly with the flamenco guitar-driven acoustic tune, “Chimayo,” revealing the nuances of her vocals, which can go almost instantly from sultry seductive tones to window-rattling power. It’s a surprisingly great touch, and at least for this writer, is the kind of tune we’d like to have heard more of on this eclectic effort.

With all its content, music, and otherwise, permeated with purposeful attention to detail and focused depth, Legacy Recordings’ Volume 7 matches the previous releases in this archive series, such as Volume 2 Live in Europe 1969.

Sunrise on Slaughter Beach by Clutch is both a celebration of what has made this such a great band and a venture into new territories. It is unmistakably a Clutch album that will have you pumping your fist and singing along. And yeah, it probably does sound better in a slightly rusty 70s muscle car, but that’s not necessary to enjoy the album.

Clearly, the group put time and effort into production (the dance/electro “Flutter Freer” and vibrating “Andy Helping Andy” both sound alive) but made an artistic choice to neuter their more rock efforts. Had the instrumentals been more invigorating this may have been an interesting choice, but as People Helping People wraps, the feeling of No Age just going through the disenchanted motions sets in.

It is adventurous and (importantly) without sacrificing the strength of the tracks themselves. Even more impressive, is that with all the risks the band takes here, the album is undeniably a Whitney record.

It’s hard not to make a comparison to a couple of acoustic gems like “Torn and Frayed” or “Moonlight Mile” by Rolling Stones. In this case, the comparison is simply a compliment. Starcrawler does not shy from exploring different sounds and genres, ultimately showcasing its talents.

An album that rebrands its creator in a genuinely bold new way, something that is attempted often but is rarely this effective. It may not be his strongest outing, but it’s easily his most rousing.

Aside from the opening track, How Do You Burn? lacks the raw intensity frequently found on early Afghan Whigs releases. But what it lacks in power, the album makes up for in intricate arrangements, dense compositions drawing upon the band’s unique alchemy of influences, and infectious beats.

She created a very enjoyable album filled with so much personality and emotion that it’s hard to deny the beauty of it. While the length does make you question what could have been, the 10-tracks presented are so masterfully done and built to be put on repeat.

There is a certain struggle to be found in these songs but it is hidden underneath her self-assured cadence. Her storytelling on this album is direct and authentic and introduces us to a new side of Archives’ creative personality.

Fans of retro soul need to get onboard Thee Sacred Souls train immediately as the group has tapped directly into that classic sound with precision and grace on their debut self-titled offering.

On the band’s first album of original songs since 2015, Martsch is back, on top of his game throughout When the Wind Forgets Your Name. Whether it was the Brazilian inspiration, Covid isolation, or just plain time for another solid BtS record, Martsch and company deliver.

The Sick, The Dying … And The Dead doesn’t have anything as epic as “Holy Wars” or “Hangar 18” or a riff as instantly memorable as “Symphony of Destruction.” But from start to finish, it offers unrelenting intensity and an outlet to channel anger and fears from a world ravaged by a pandemic, war, and economic struggles into shouting and head-banging along with Mustaine’s somewhat-fictional tales of the same. ... All these years later, the band’s music is as relevant as ever.

Burnett is not a fan of technology, modern trends, or much of anything in general in the despondent middle offering of his trilogy. As a result, The Invisible Light: Spells oozes a murky uneasiness that floats throughout the album.

While you’re trying to keep up with Jacklin’s detailed songwriting, you may miss what is going on behind her well-crafted melodies. On Pre Pleasure, her typical acoustic rock sound is intertwined with lush string sections and hints of experimentation.

Freewave Lucifer F>ck F^ck F<ck addresses the full spectrum of human emotion, it has a loose feeling without straying too far away from Barnes’ initial vision. While it may take a couple of listens to fully grasp what Of Montreal is portraying on this album, the result is a scary yet gorgeous album filled with off-kilter instrumentals and soul-stirring songwriting that will leave you feeling bewildered and enticed.

At only eight tracks, Heartmind is a perfect length to listen to multiple times. If a song doesn’t grab you the first time around, upon repeat listens the nuances that are layered throughout tend to pop out and give the listener a new appreciation for it.

The chemistry shared between The Roots vocalist and Danger Mouse on Cheat Codes is so high caliber that it’s almost impossible to believe the two artists walk amongst the common man. The term “God Level” is thrown around a bit within the hip-hop community, and once people hear Cheat Codes, that saying is going to have a new definition.

A Foul Form does a great job of capturing that fiery intensity for a brief burst of chaos.

Reset is a quick, fun album for fans of the slightly avant-garde. While there isn’t too much excitement throughout the album, the overall tone of the Rest is what will keep you coming back. It’s relaxed and just off-kilter enough to keep each song sounding fresh without trying too hard.

It’s quite conceivable Noise & Flowers will convince aficionados as well as more casual listeners of the potency of these musicians as they collaborate in the spontaneity of the moment. In so doing, it may simultaneously join Hitchhiker (recorded in 1976 and released in 2017) as one of the highlights in Neil Young’s ever-expanding discography.

A fun, invigorating ride through the carefree minds of DOMi Louna and JD Beck.

It is a statement of unwavering faith in tradition. Rather than breaking any new ground, it is a graceful and honest interpretation of these enduring compositions.