Fudge hardly resembles a low-budget effort, nor is it truly anomalous in the context of Kiwanuka's catalog. It largely consists of plaintive ballads -- fully formed hybrids of soul, folk, and roots rock teeming with heartache, doubt, and weary resolve

Dopamine Chamber is larger than life in a way that very few bands can achieve, and although it dives into feelings of digital isolation, it manages to feel like a collective experience

Depending on the type of listener, She's the Best has all the makings of becoming the fan-favorite album in his catalog

With Do Not Dare to Dream, Teenage Fanclub have made an album of gentle defiance, like a warm cup of tea on a late fall day

It all goes down relatively easily given Mud's big melodies, catchy hooks, busy arrangements, and less serious breathers, but for listeners who want all the feels, they are there for the taking

Another rock-solid, thoughtful set from guitarist/songwriter, one whose mirrored anxiety is partly offset by the hope and determination of tracks like "Beyond the Rain" and the rousing "Fire with Fire"

Even among their peers and other noise rock circles they are a singular force to be reckoned with

Hotel Usona is a stunning merger of form and content, and a State of the Union address as important as it is fiery

Not once does the album sound like a Jungle album fronted by Leon Bridges

His most powerful and thoughtful album to date

These are anthems purpose built around groove and lyrical flow, so immediately hypnotic and catchy it doesn't really matter where the song goes after it starts, just as long as it keeps pumping through the speakers

Although it features undermined sentiments like, "I got through, and I’ll be fine/Still I wish someone had been there at the time," it ultimately looks forward. Perhaps most impactful, however, is that The Gem finds an audible comradery in its group performances

While trying to find and assert herself, the song has her imagining walking down the aisle to Beethoven's Für Elise, even though no one, including her, would pick it as a wedding song

It has all the passion and imagination of their early work which, when paired with the melodic gifts and flair for performing that has never flagged, makes Apples for Isaac proof that the band is still capable of making vital music, maybe even some of the best of their career

Day and Night's blissfully eclectic pop will convince devoted fans - and maybe even a few cynics - that happy endings still exist

It celebrates Midwest emo's fiery, brooding, and ultimately empowering spirit so faithfully that it's well worth shouting along to

Full of engaging, low-key hooks and Massey's weary, sympathy-provoking vocals, Melodie remains on theme throughout, closing on the more anguished "Slip Away," a frustrated electric guitar ballad that leaves the singer alone with her post-breakup emotions

Here Because of Hope lives up to its title. This music, even at its most reflective, questioning, and intimate, is consistently hopeful -- in parts even joyous while delivering innovation, resonant emotion, and flawless execution

This branch of Beck’s discography is more like a genre unto itself, a particular type of melancholy that grows deeper as its starting points become more nostalgic with time

The Chrome Hearts adapt perfectly into their role as an understated backing band, and Young presents some new reflections, some wandering thoughts, some beautifully tender moments, and a few welcome references to older versions of himself