Miley Cyrus, “Endless Summer Vacation.” There may be few tracks as instantly memorable as Miley Cyrus‘ latest hit “Flowers,” a slow-burn groove with an empowering message of independence and self-love. The anthemic song kicks off her eight studio album, one that was kept largely under wraps until its release.…

Sleaford Mods, “UK GRIM.” As an adolescent, I devoured Sue Townsend’s “The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13 3/4.” Though I was occasionally mystified by the Britishisms, wondering about pounds and quid, fortnights, pensioners and the dole, I was for the most part utterly charmed by the pastorale…

Periphery, “Periphery V: Djent Is Not A Genre.” Progressive metal stalwarts Periphery push the bounds on Periphery V: Djent is Not a Genre. While the album’s title declares djent is not a genre, well, neither is Periphery, because this band plays many genres. While they may be the godfathers of…

Manchester Orchestra, “The Valley of Vision.” As if the new Manchester Orchestra project, The Valley of Vision, isn’t enough for the ears, it ramps up the layers visually with a 180-degree virtual reality film that achieves great beauty by simply allowing the recipient to interpret it their own way.…

Van Morrison, “Moving on Skiffle.” Van Morrison wasn’t around when skiffle music first originated in the U.S. in the early 1900s, blending jazz, blues, bluegrass and folk, often played on handmade instruments like washboards, jugs and cigar-box fiddles in addition to guitars and banjos. But growing up in Northern…

Kali Uchis, “Red Moon in Venus.” The latest in a line of albums exploring love in all its forms, Kali Uchis‘ Red Moon in Venus does a great job of communicating feeling through music and production as well as through the Colombian American’s rich vocals. Red Moon in Venus…

Morgan Wallen, “One Thing at a Time.” A 36-song album is an ambitious endeavor for any artist, but that is especially true for Morgan Wallen, who’s mostly been out of the spotlight since getting caught on video uttering a racist slur early in 2021 and publicly flaunting COVID protocols before that.…

Adam Lambert, “High Drama.” Conceptually, High Drama by Adam Lambert is relatively simple: The powerhouse vocalist takes a some of his favorite songs, turns them on their head and adds a dramatic flair. There’s no particular era, artist or songbook du jour here—it’s an eclectic array. The real stars…

Shame, “Food for Worms.” The third album from U.K. punk rockers Shame is a product of the band’s own rollercoaster. Food For Worms Shame Dead Oceans, Feb. 24 8/10 Get the album on Amazon Music. The quintet found success with its 2018 full-length debut, before hitting a challenging stretch…

Gorillaz, “Cracker Island.” Centuries from now, historians will be desperate for an artifact that conveys what life was like during the twilight of Western civilization. People in the distant future will need help understanding our era’s anxious ennui. Cracker Island, the new album from Gorillaz—Blur vocalist Damon Albarn’s musical…