It’s little surprise that Hearst and Trent have taken this edgy approach given the dread and despair heaped on the world over the course of the past two years. With Manticore, they attempt to make some sense of it all.

It’s another home run for Lamarr’s trio who hasn’t made a misstep yet. Get on board and bring a friend as these guys generate the fiery funk/soul/jazz heat.

Earthling suggests Vedder can remain earthbound after all. Figure it’s his best yet.

The album’s first five songs are dire and depressing—somber, sobering, dark, and downcast. ... It remains to be seen if his audiences will want to sing along in order to maintain Mellencamp’s misery.

As with any of Jethro Tull’s early albums, The Zealot Gene demands more than a cursory listen. The intricate arrangements and articulate instrumentation result in a demonstrative display that continues to be well worthy of the Tull legend and legacy.

Change in the Show is Kane’s fourth solo album to date, and, by and large, his most satisfying as well.

There aren’t many musicians of Mayall’s advanced years still recording new music and fewer still sounding this energetic and dynamic. It’s not his finest work, but fans won’t come away disappointed either.

If you’re new to Everett’s talents, Extreme Witchcraft is a fine place to start, before working back through a catalog that has no weak entries. But this stands out as a highlight by his lyrical dexterity and the visionary Parish/Everett production partnership.

Good To Be is an album that’s sorely needed in these turbulent times when divisions and despair are clearly so predominant. In that regard, consider Good To Be a most worthy mantra to maintain.

No excuse is necessary. Costello is right back where he belongs and the rewards are that much better as a result.

The Light Saw Me provides an intriguing proposition and may in fact end up as the album that eventually gets Boland and the boys the attention they so decidedly deserve.

Calling Renewal a remarkable work doesn’t even begin to describe its full extent of prowess and sheer ability. In a word, Strings simply soars.

Ultimately, completists may debate the worth of this particular anniversary offering, due not only to the aforementioned repetition but also because of the definitive live Band recordings that accompanied the recent re-releases of The Band and Stage Fright. That said, a half-century anniversary makes any Band album well worth revisiting.

Neal Francis’ balancing act of meshing a retro mindset with a modern sensibility doesn’t always work, but when it does, his music reflects a fresh, if not always compelling, perspective.

How Barn will shape up in terms of Young’s catalog of classics remains to be seen of course. The fact that he’s willing to revisit his older material in both style and substance ensures that the continued reverence for his work will remain unabated. In that regard, he remains forever Young.

Each piece is exquisitely crafted to bring out the best in them and you get the sense that Casal would have approved.

With more than 120 of said unreleased offerings, it could be considered a must for any Mitchell fan. The concert settings themselves are worthy of note, given that they shift from small club settings to more spacious venues, including Carnegie Hall, the Paris Theatre, and the realms of the mass media, including appearances on the BBC and The Dick Cavett Show.

Expressive and emotive, it’s a work that finds delicacy and diligence operating on equal footing.

Whether one considers it an intimate experience, an organic encounter, an essential additive, or simply a cash-grab, it’s ultimately up to the listener to decide its worth.

It’s surely as powerful as, and possibly better than, the twosome’s impressive debut.

He’s a rocker with a folksinger’s soul, or perhaps a folkie with a rocker’s spirit. In either case, both sides are well represented over the course of these 15 tracks that prove Jesse Malin’s creativity is alive and well.

Only rabid Dan/Fagen fans need apply. Everyone else should hang onto their money and spin the still timeless and definitive original recordings.

It all coalesces into one of the more impressive, duskier (Am I living in a nightmare daydream? she asks in the mid-tempo title track) guitar-driven albums of the year.

There is more than enough proof in this sprawling set that Joe Bonamassa doesn’t intend to rest on his laurels or take his star status in the blues-rock genre for granted.

A few moments almost save this from moving into the “better luck next time” pile.

Ultimately, The Future represents another plateau for a band that’s quickly earned a stellar reputation for both verve and versatility. The Future draws on those accomplishments through a timeless tapestry that offers reason to rejoice.

A superb set that ranks as one of his finest.

Taken in tandem, The Million Things That Never Happened ranks as one of Bragg’s most thoughtful efforts, no small accomplishments considering the remarkable records that came before.