Joseph: The ever-quirky St. Vincent is back with her 6th studio LP, and once again it lives up to the hype. Masseduction is a wonderful listening experience that features crazy guitar/synth lines, powerful drums, and St. Vincent's soaring voice. The highlight here is the single "Los Angeless." This song is easily Vincent's strongest track to date. I think she knew that single was strong, because the track before on the record, "Sugarboy," uses the exact same guitar hook as it does. And if that doesn't sum up St. Vincent, I don't know what does. And there's a lot more to like on this album, including a shockingly intimate ballad, "Happy Birthday, Johnny," a track that is as intimate as Lorde's "Liability" from earlier this year. Shifts like that ballad make this LP St. Vincent's most accessible to date, so it is definitely worth the listen, despite slowing down a bit towards the end.

Top Tracks: Pills, Masseduction, Los Angeless, Happy Birthday, Johnny

8/10

Derek: Margo stormed onto the scene in 2016 with her debut Midwest Farmer's Daughter. I was immediately enamored with the way she tackled topics that made the modern Nashville country elites gasp. Unfortunately, her follow up All American Made loses some of the impact that made her debut so special. Yes, she paints a rather grim picture of the current state of affairs in America, but it feels like she's pulling some of the punches that she previously would have let loose. Let's be real, her debut had a line about how women country artists had to give sexual favors to Nashville country execs in order to break into the scene. That's some hard hitting stuff. Nothing of the sort here, at least auto-biographically speaking, but it certainly isn't all "Friday nights and pickup trucks" in Ms. Price's America. 

Top Tracks: A Little Pain, Don't Say It

6.5/10

Joseph: Uggggggh. Cincinnati locals Walk the Moon is one of my favorite bands. Their self-titled debut and sophomore follow-up Talking is Hard are filled with wonderful jams, so both Derek and myself were eagerly anticipating the band's third LP, What if Nothing. Sadly, we were handed the biggest disappointment (for me, at least) of 2017. By far. There are a few great songs on this album, most notably "Headphones," (which may be one of my favorite singles of the year) "Kamikaze," and "One Foot," (though Derek is not as high on that song as I am) most of this LP is sorely missing the signature upbeat and fun sound that the band is known for. The band departed from their '80's-esque synths and instead replaced it with generic EDM-focused beats, and they really seem lost in this transition. The last half of this album, after "Kamikaze," is not just forgettable, it's......bad. What were they even doing? Whatever it was, it did not work. At all. I really hope the band returns to their roots in their 4th LP, because if this is a sign of things to come, then.....RIP Walk the Moon

4/10

Top Tracks: Headphones, Kamikaze, One Foot

Joseph: What's the most common thing associated with the band Greta Van Fleet? (GVF) If you haven't heard of this Michigan-based rock group, the second you listen to one of their songs, you'll think of one of the greatest rock 'n' roll acts ever: Led Zeppelin. So, how do you sound like Zeppelin while still forging your own musical path? Don't ask GVF that, because they make no attempt whatsoever to not sound like a modern-day Led Zeppelin. This formula will get them a lot of coverage/airplay, but I don't see this formula getting them as far as they would probably like. Their new double EP, From the Fires, is a great nostalgia-filled listen, but I was definitely wanting the band to do something original by the end. I enjoyed myself thoroughly from start to finish, and I look forward to the day I see this band live, (since I will never get to see Zeppelin live unless they decide to accept their $1B signing bonus) but don't go into this thinking your going to get a lot of originality. 

6/10

Top Tracks: Safari Song, Highway Tune, Black Smoke Rising

Joseph: One of the biggest singer-songwriters on the planet drops his sophomore LP here with The Thrill of it All. It's......fine. I really like the singles, like, a lot. "Too Good at Goodbyes," "Burning," and "Pray" are all fantastic songs that feature great production value with these giant choruses. But the rest of the album is mediocre, to say the least. It's extremely forgettable, and it all feels like padding so he could release the three singles. There's really not much else to say about this one. It's just another pop record where the singles are really solid, (and will receive an absurd amount of airplay) but the deep tracks are lackluster at best. Just listen to the three singles over and over again until you get tired of them, because the radio sure isn't going to let you forget them.

3/10

Top Tracks: Too Good at Goodbyes, Burning, Pray

Derek: At this point, Rivers Cuomo and gang are in the second half of their forties, and as Cuomo has aged, his songwriting has really taken a hit. While he turned the boat around briefly with Everything Will Be Alright In The End and The White Album, Pacific Daydream finds fans once again daydreaming of the glory days when Cuomo could write a decent hook and bring anything to the table lyrically. As it is, this album is a mess. Bland, soulless power pop through and through. The chorus on "Feels Like Summer", the first single, features some of the worst falsetto I've heard from Cuomo ever, yet overall it's probably one of the best songs on the album. Ouch.

Top Tracks: Feels Like Summer

3/10

Derek: The former Oasis frontman finally brings us his first solo album. At 45 years of age, it's not surprising that the "savior" of rock and roll would create dad rock, but his lack of talent in the songwriting department really makes this album a bore. At 15 songs and nearly an hour in length, I could easily cut the filler and have something listenable about the length of an EP. Lyrically, the album isn't much better. I audibly groaned on a number of occasions, and the fact that Liam is the center of attention draws the focus to this fatal flaw even more. If he was trying to one up his brother Noel with this album, he's failed miserably. Maybe you should stick to Twitter and be glad you caught lightning in a bottle with Oasis. As you were.

Top Tracks: Wall Of Glass, I Get By

4/10

Joseph: I don't really know what to say about this album other than "it's fine." It's definitely good background music to occasionally tune in to, but.....that's about it. This album sounds eerily similar to The Black Keys, to the point that a song like "Lucky Penny" could easily be mistaken for one. This also happens to be my favorite song off the LP for that exact reason. Otherwise the rest of this album is decent and fun, but mostly just repetitive rockabilly. Flip it on when you're making dinner, and forget about it the second it's done. 

Top Tracks: Lucky Penny, Desperate Love

5/10

Derek: There's a difference between ripping off a throwback sound and carving your own niche and making it fresh again. The latter is exactly what JD McPherson has done for old school rockabilly, and ever since Forecastle this album has been one of my most anticipated of the season. McPherson's vocals crooning over riff after sweet riff. Mmm baby, music to my ears and it forces you to get up and shake your hips. This is a perfect summer cruising album. While I'd agree that Lucky Penny's main riff sounds like a Black Keys track, they both pull from the similar musical roots. (T Rex,  etc.). The album does fade a bit towards the back end, but it's a solid album. Don't let the haters get you down, JD.

Top Tracks: DESPERATE LOVE, CRYING'S JUST A THING YOU DO

7.5/10

Derek: The second in Bird's Echolocations series, River was recorded on location under a bridge over the Los Angeles River. Whereas the spaciousness of Canyon, the first of the Echolocations series, barely came through the recording, River features an ever-present soothing bubbling of the river in the background. By no means is this distracting from Bird's violin playing. In fact, it occasionally plays a key role in the organic make up of the track. While this series may be only for the most hardcore Bird fans, it's no doubt another solid entry in his expansive discography.

Top Tracks:

6.5/10

Derek: The darkest album in Nika Roza Danilova's career, Okavi was inspired by a number of hardships in the goth pop singer's life over the past few years. After moving from LA back to her home state of Wisconsin, she spent the better part of a year carefully crafting the eleven songs we find here, filled with grief and despair yet featuring some of the most commanding hooks you'll hear all year. Danilova's vocal performance, although not incredibly varied from track to track, is still the perfect match with the deep, brooding synths and driving beats. 

Top Tracks: Exhumed, Soak, Siphon, Veka

8.5/10

Derek: Barns Courtney has been on my radar since his so-so opening slot for Fitz & the Tantrums a year ago. His debut full length finally dropped this past week and didn't do anything to change my initial opinion. To get an idea of what I mean, take a listen to "Golden Dandelions" and "Hellfire". These songs could easily be from bands like Young The Giant, Kaleo, or Imagine Dragons. Yes, they're catchy and have good hooks from an objective sense, but there's nothing at all that makes Courtney stand out as his own artist, and therefore he gets lost in the myriad of other artists doing the exact same thing. Honestly, if Young The Giant were to cover this entire album a la Ryan Adams  - 1989, they'd do it a helluva lot better.

Top Tracks: Fire, Golden Dandelions

5/10

Joseph: I haven't really been intrigued by a new Killers album since 2006's Sam's Town, but this one caught my eye because of the single "Wonderful Wonderful." This song is certainly a departure from the norm for the band, so I went into this album thinking that maybe this was the sign that they were going to try something new. Unfortunately, this single was the only track that offered any substance for me whatsoever, as the rest of the album (minus "The Man," which is at least ok) sounds like some B-tracks from other, sadly better, bands. They may be pretty fun to see them relieve their glory days live, but there's no doubt this group is well past their prime.

Top Tracks: Wonderful Wonderful, The Man

3/10

Derek: When the band's debut album, My Love Is Cool, blew up and the band found themselves at the forefront of a new wave of UK rock, I wondered what they would do on their sophomore album. Would they embrace the punk inspired angst or the shoegaze, psychedelic that both featured well on the album. Visions Of A Life is a half measure of both, and not in a good way. The latter style, hazy, ambient rock like "Don't Delete The Kisses" shine, while punk songs like "Yuk Foo" (how clever) fall flat of their faces. Overall, this is a pretty disappointing showing from a band that gave us so much to look forward to a few years ago. Hopefully they find their footing on their next release.

Top Tracks: Don't Delete The Kisses, Heavenward

4/10

Derek: Another neutered performance from J Roddy and gang almost cements their status in my mind as good careers wasted by dreams of fame. Their sophomore self-titled album is, to this day, one of the wildest rides in pure rock n roll released in the last decade. The mix of southern rock riffs and Roddy's Jerry Lee Lewis style piano playing was all they needed to rise to the top of the game. Since then, the piano has taken a back seat, and the southern rock that remains sounds hollow and generic compared to what used to be. In the attempt to capture more of the mainstream, they've instead alienated why fans liked them in the first place. What a shame.

Top Tracks: The Wanting, You Know Me Better
​
4/10

Joseph: I had to chime in on this one because J Roddy was once one of my favorite bands. Not anymore. Not after this trainwreck. Unlike Derek, I thought there were a few gems on their previous LP, Essential Tremors, and the band seemed to realize the album as a whole wasn't super popular so they mostly avoided it at their live shows. However with this album.....all semblance of edge and unpredictability that came with their sound is gone in favor of listener-friendly, more mainstream "rock." There isn't a single track on here that I enjoyed, and given the sheer disappointment of what was once an extremely promising return to classic Little Richard-esque rock 'n' roll vibes left by the wayside, this album is currently my least favorite LP of 2017. Maybe that will change once this pain has subsided, but few times have I felt more betrayed by a band than I do right now by J. Roddy. (Looking at you, Foxy Shazam) Please, please, PLEASE tear this one down and start again.

Top Tracks: None

1/10 

Joseph: It's not often that we cover EPs on this blog, but when you're easily the biggest name in a genre right now, and amazing at your craft, all of your work deserves to be discussed. This EP is the first bit of new material for moder jazz kingpin Kamasi Washington following his incredible LP The Epic back in 2015. The bar was set unfairly high, but I can't deny I was slightly disappointed by Kamasi's latest endeavor. Following a strong start to the EP with the tracks "Desire" and " Humility" and "Knowledge," that all bring back remnants of that 2015 LP, (unsurprisingly, the highlight of "Knowledge" was another phenomenal sax solo from Kamasi) the EP takes a nosedive in quality. "Perspective" starts out promising, but then turns into the dreaded "elevator jazz" style with a very mundane melody line the rest of the way. "Integrity" is even worse as it brings back horrific memories of hearing yet another "The Girl from Ipanema" cover in the elevator on your way to the dentist. Hard pass. These two tracks just don't have the same punch and epic-ness that we got in that 2015 LP. The final track, "Truth" is....fine, but it reused the same chord structure from "Change of the Guard," the track that led off The Epic, and that ultimately bothered me instead of consoled me. If you haven't heard of Kamasi Washington and even remotely enjoy jazz music you need to change that right now, just start off with 2015's The Epic before you jump into this.

Top Tracks: Desire, Humility, Knowledge

5/10

Joseph: As the official "Prophets of Rage apologist" between the two of us, I would think my opinion would carry a bit more weight than Derek's here because I went into this album with a naive sense of optimism. Don't worry though, because that optimism was crushed. This album is awful. No way around it. It's devoid of all sense of purpose and clearly exists just so this group has an excuse to tour and make more money. Whatever. "Living On the 110" was the only song for me that packed any semblance of a punch, (and I use that phrase very loosely) and everything else was laughably forgettable. I guess the only thing positive I can say is at least it's not as bad as that new J Roddy album.

Top Track: Living on the 110

2/10

Joseph: The Bronx is back! Following a 4 year hiatus during which the band dropped a new album for their great side project Mariachi El Bronx, the punk group is back with a new LP, and it's pretty darn good. While it can be somewhat classified as "more of the same" for the band, (minus the vocals go more scream-o this time around) I didn't have a problem with that at all. V is an energetic, sharp, head-bobbing punk album just like the band's previous endeavors. While I don't expect it to bring in any new fans, old fans will likely have fun listening to this new LP and seeing the group again next time they roll into their town. 

Top Tracks: Night Drop at the Glue Factory, Two Birds, Cordless Kids

6.5/10

Joseph: Hey, remember when the best part of Macklemore & Ryan Lewis was Ryan Lewis? I do. Take him away and what do you get? A trainwreck. One of the most generic things I've ever heard. Avoid this like the plague.

Top Tracks: None

1/10

Derek: Agree with the above, but come on, "Ain't Gonna Die Tonight" has a great vocal line from Foxy Shazam lead singer and Busted Amp favorite Eric Nally.

Top Tracks: Ain't Gonna Die Tonight

​3/10

Joseph: After loving Mutemath at Bunbury this year, I was excited to hear what Mutemath had to offer next. I wasn't disappointed. Play Dead may be the strongest LP in the band's stellar discography, and features some of my favorite music of the year so far. While the album does slow down a bit in the second half with some weak tracks, as a whole, the album is outstanding. It's just as groovy to listen to in studio as it is live, and thanks to Play Dead Mutemath has slingshoted themselves to one of my favorite bands. Well done, guys.

Top Tracks: Hit Parade, Pixie Oaks, Stroll On, War ​

8/10

Joseph: Fresh off seeing FF at the Metro, a show which will almost certainly be our top set of the year,  I was eagerly anticipating the band's 9th studio album. Dave Grohl and co. didn't disappoint mostly, dropping another solid, if admittedly safe, LP for their fans to jam along to. The first half of this album is fantastic, headlined by "Run" and "The Sky is a Neighborhood," but after that there are a lot of tracks that are....filler. Good filler, certainly, but still filler. There are a few gems later on, most notably "Sunday Rain," which is a great song featuring drummer Taylor Hawkins on lead vocals, but that's about it. At the end of the day, Concrete and Gold is a fine addition to FF's solid discography, but it offers little beyond safe and enjoyable singles.

Top Tracks: Run, The Sky Is a Neighborhood, La Dee Da, Sunday Rain

6.5/10

Derek: Rostam Batmanglij of Vampire Weekend fame left the band last year and released I Had A Dream That You Were Mine, a collaborative album with Hamilton Leithauser which took much more influence from Leithauser's former band, The Walkmen, than from Rostam. Now, on Half-Light, we see all of the Vampire Weekend influences that were a staple of Rostam's sound for the last decade. If you're a fan of Vampire Weekend, I'm sure you'll find something to appreciate here, but I found my favorite songs on the album to be most similar to Vampire Weekend's sound, so at the end of the day, what's the point?

Top Tracks: Bike Dream

5/10

Derek: There's nothing necessarily groundbreaking on Walk into a Storm that fans of The Lone Bellow haven't heard already on their first two albums, although that's not a bad thing by any stretch of the imagination. The band still has some of the strongest vocals and harmonies that I've ever heard. In fact, I'd put lead singer Zach Williams in the upper echelon of modern singers. With that high praise, you shouldn't be surprised that I very much enjoyed this album. The songs here are a little more pop-forward than their past work, but that's certainly not a dig. I'm still of the opinion that mandolin player, Kanene Donehey Pipkin should never be lead vocals on any song, but we'll give "Feather" a pass. Besides that, this album is solid from top to bottom. "Can't Be Happy for Long" sounds like it could be a Dawes track, and I'm happy to hear they took some influence from them after touring together last year.

Top Tracks: Deeper in the Water, Time's Always Leaving, Is It Ever Gonna Be Easy

7.5/10

Derek: This has to be one of the most frustrating listens of the year for me. On the one hand, there are some great jams on this album. On the other hand, the album as a whole is so completely unfocused and noncommittal that it gets difficult for me to listen to it front to back. Songs like "Habbie Doobie" soar with some great guitar licks, but after "Bondurant Women", the album takes a hard turn south both quality and stylistically. On "Dream Along", the album goes full country (not a bad thing), but the songwriting takes a big hit. By "Superstition", we're sounding like Dark Side era Pink Floyd. "TX Jelly" is a piddling jam that never really goes anywhere worthwhile to justify the four minute length. The sole highlight on the back half of the album is a great cover of the Johnny Kidd & The Pirates/ The Guess Who song "Shakin' All Over".

Top Tracks: Shakin' All Over, Habbie Doobie, Pain

5/10

Derek: At this point in Jack's career, can we just accept that pretty much everything he puts out is going to sound pretty similar to what he's already done? Nice, breezy acoustic tracks with his signature vocal style. It's another album that's great background music for the pool or the beach, but don't try to give it a focused listen because you'll be bored out of your mind after three songs.

Top Tracks: My Mind Is For Sale, Sunsets For Somebody Else

5/10

Derek: In terms of Iron & Wine material, there shouldn't be anything too surprising here. Personally, I haven't been as big of a fan of Sam Beam's project since he added more band members, but in terms of latter I&W material, this album isn't half bad. It's a pleasant listen, and at this point in his career, I think that's about all he's going for.

Top Tracks: Call It Dreaming

6/10

Derek: I could write a book about the band's last half decade+ - their breakup, live box set, and regrouping for two years of festival hopping - but the most anticipated thing since they got back together was american dream, the reunion album. The first single, "call the police", was classic LCD, a driving growing groove that fills seven minutes of sonic space in a way only they can do. Unfortunately, the remaining nine songs on the album fail to come close to that high, and what we're left with is not an American Dream, but a dream of a coherent, consistent LCD Soundsystem reunion album. Perhaps they've finally lost their edge.

Top Tracks: call the police, tonite, oh baby

5.5/10

Derek: On what's probably their best record since 2007's Boxer, The National continue to be one of the best contemporary indie rock bands in the world. For a band that's expected to produce a certain sound - droning, melodic, complex songs with lead singer Matt Berninger's distinct baritone vocals - Sleep Well Beast is filled with surprisingly great hooks, like on "Day I Die", a guitar solo (!) on "The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness", and the most punk rock song the band has released in over a decade, "Turtleneck". These twists nullify the usual one or two dud tracks The National has the tendency to release per album, in this case. But all things considered, Sleep Well Beast will go down as one of the better albums in the band's discography.

Top Tracks: Day I Die, The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness, Turtleneck

8/10

Joseph: Hey, remember when I really liked Nothing But Thieves last year at Lolla? I've been eagerly anticipating their follow-up to their self-titled debut, but what we got.....man. This just might be the most disappointing album of the year for me. A complete trainwreck of an album from a band without any semblance of an identity, Broken Machine sputters from track to track as Conor Mason and co. try and throw as many ideas as possible against the wall and only one track, the album's debut single "I'm Not Made by Design" even remotely sticks. The band is just trying to do too much here, as they refuse to accept the fact that the best thing about them is Conor Mason's incredible vocals. One track, "Live Like Animals," sees Conor pull a Twenty One Pilots and try and rap just like Tyler Joseph. It's terrible. This album should've been completely scrapped, but as is, it worries me tremendously that their debut LP was just a fluke. Please guys....tear it down and start again.

Top Track: I'm Not Made by Design

1.5/10

Derek: This new (old) Neil Young album, recorded in one night during the summer of 1976 but only released this year, is right in the wheelhouse of Young's creative peak and it shows. Unlike his recent work with Promises of the Real, this is strictly Young, singing about Native Americans, nature, inequality, and revolution. And like the rest of his records during that decade, he does it so very well.

Top Tracks: Powderfinger, Captain Kennedy

7/10

Joseph: One of The Busted Amp's favorite bands, QOTSA is back with their 8th studio album, and it is yet another strong entry to the band's discography that now spans nearly two decades. This time around the band teamed up with mega-producer Mark Ronson and his fingerprints are felt all over the LP, most notably on the first single, "The Way You Used to Do." Shockingly, though, the producer's pop influences mix well with QOTSA's riffs, and the synthesizer lines littered throughout the LP are (mostly) worthwhile additions. The 1-2-3 punch to start the album may be the best intro to any LP in QOTSA's discography, as "Feet Don't Fail Me," "The Way You Used to Do," and "Domesticated Animals" are some of the best songs I've heard all year. Unfortunately, these tracks are followed by one of the weakest tracks in QOTSA's entire discography, "Fortress," but we quickly follow that up with a solid second half headlined by "The Evil Has Landed" and closer "Villains of Circumstance." Coming in at 48 minutes, this album never overstays its welcome and is certainly one of the better LPs of the year. Well done, boys.

Top Tracks: Feet Don't Fail Me, The Way You Used to Do, Domesticated Animals, The Evil Has Landed

8/10

Derek: A soaring follow-up to 2014's masterpiece Lost in a Dream, A Deeper Understanding is the perfect next step in the evolution of the band. Gone are the hazy vocals, hiding behind the beautiful soundscapes crafted by guitars, horns, drums, and synths. Instead, Adam Granduciel has found his voice, confident and comfortable in the grandiose scope and scale of what The War on Drugs has become. 

Top Tracks: Up All Night, Pain, Holding On, Strangest Thing

9/10

Derek: What was once one of the more innovative indie rock bands of the early 2010's, Grizzly Bear returns from a five year break sounding outdated, uninspired, and completely outmatched by a good number of other similar sounding bands out there. Still, a middle of the road effort is nothing to scoff at, and Grizzly Bear, at the very least, gives us some good dinner party background music.

Top Tracks: Mourning Sound, Three Rings

5/10

Derek: The third in a series of full length releases in 2017, Sketches of Brunswick East is easily their most toned down album since 2015's Paper Mache Dream Balloon. This jazz funk inspired collaborative album with Mild High Club does nothing to inspire repeated listens, unless you find yourself trapped in an elevator. When the songs don't sound like a worse version of the flute on King Crimson's "I Talked To The Wind", they sound like funky rip offs of Unknown Mortal Orchestra.

Top Tracks: D-Day, Dusk To Dawn on Lygon Street

4.5/10

Joseph: What the hell happened here. Foster the People are back with their third LP, and it's their worst album yet. With the exception of "Sit Next to Me," this album is full of generic tracks that try unsuccessfully to mix indie rock and EDM. Some of these songs sound like something Justin Bieber would've made back in 2010. After "Sit Next to Me" this album falls off a cliff and turns into one of the worsts....experiences I've listened to all year. "Loyal Like Sid & Nancy" may very well be the worst track I've heard so far in 2017. No lie. Avoid this one like the plague.

Top Track: Sit Next to Me

1/10

Joseph: Celebrated (and controversial) rapper Tyler, The Creator returns with his first LP since 2015's Cherry Bomb, and the California rapper continues his roll. While this album is not for everyone, fans of the rapper will find plenty to like with his new album. It may even be their favorite yet, as it's bursting with wonderful sampling, great lines, and a solid guest list. Personally, I loved this first listen and admired the care that went into the fantastic mixing of the record, but Tyler, The Creator is still just outside my comfort zone. I do not expect this album to be on repeat for me as the summer goes on, but it doesn't change the fact that it is an objectively good record, and his fan-base will love where the rapper goes with this LP.

Top Tracks: Where This Flower Blooms, See You Again

7/10

Derek: This is probably the first Arcade Fire album in their entire discography that lacks the front to back listening quality that was present in everything they've released since 2004's Funeral. Four singles were released prior to the album's release, "Everything Now", "Creature Comfort", "Signs of Life", and "Electric Blue". Those are, in my assessment, the only true stand out tracks of the album. The rest, including the terrible track "Chemistry", feels like filler. Perhaps they would have been better off putting out a four track EP, but I digress. "Everything Now" is as much disco rock as the band's put out, and it's awesome. "Electric Blue" features Regine Chassagne on lead vocals as they do on one track per album. While it doesn't live up to the spectacular "Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)", it's a solid addition to her growing catalog. "Creature Comfort" is the definite high point of the album. Driving synth beats and a anthemic refrain. Absolutely gorgeous.

Top Tracks: Everything Now, Creature Comfort, Signs of Life

6/10

Derek: The long awaited debut album from singer-songwriter Joshua Ostrander finds Mondo Cozmo producing one of the best straight rock albums I've heard this decade. Full of anthemic choruses, including from lead single "Shine", catchy riffs, and complimented by Ostrander's vocals, a rough mix between Bono and Bob Dylan. There's plenty to love here. 

Top Tracks: Shine, Plastic Soul, Automatic

8/10

Joseph: Having just seen Portugal. The Man at Bonnaroo, where they slayed the late night crowd at the This Tent, I was excited to see what they had to dish out next. I really dug their previous LP, Evil Friends, and absolutely loved the first single off this album, "Feel It Still." Unfortunately, that track is also the only noteworthy track on this entire yawn-fest of an LP. Woodstock is the band's pop-iest album to date, and the transition was anything but smooth. It is extremely forgettable, and hopefully the band quickly goes back to it's previous ways with their next album. Hard pass.

Top Track: Feel It Still

​2/10

Joseph: ​Talk about a disappointment. HAIM exploded onto the scene with their solid debut album, 2013's Days Are Gone, But, despite the 4 year break between albums, the sophomore slump has hit the band. Hard. Something to Tell You is an empty LP filled with nothing but lackluster tracks. I've listened to this album several times now, because I thought, "Surely, there's more to it than this." Where's the depth that we got in their debut LP? Where's the quality songwriting we're accustomed to with the Haim sisters? Outside of "I Want You Back" and "Right Now," there's nothing of note here to the point where I'm worried their debut was a fluke. But hopefully it's just the sophomore slump.

Top Tracks: I Want You Back, Right Now

3/10

Derek: Seven years removed from their last release, BSS return with an album that's both big and beautiful, but also thoughtful and intimate. Filled with brilliantly orchestrated songwriting and socially charged topical lyrics, the group wastes no time protesting against the current social and political environment, and God knows there's plenty to talk about. 

Top Tracks: Halfway Home, Protest Song, Victim Lover

7.5/10

Derek: Two albums into their much celebrated reunion stint, The Afghan Whigs show no signs of stopping. Frontman Greg Dulli's voice is as strained and passionate as ever, the band's songwriting is fresh and packed with new, exciting ideas, and In Spades is, in my opinion, their best effort since 1993's Gentleman. The most notable addition on this album are the horns, which create a much fuller, fleshed out sound to contrast with Dulli's vocals. That juxtaposition brings the album to life and makes songs full of desperation and helplessness feel just a bit hopeful. 

Top Tracks: Arabian Heights, Demon in Profile, I Got Lost, Into the Floor

8/10

Derek: At this point, it's feels like everything Jason Isbell touches turns to gold. The Nashville Sound is the first under the "400 Unit" name since he got clean, married, and became a father. Songs like "If We Were Vampires" and "Anxiety" address these topics specifically. The newest tools on Isbell's toolbelt are the political songs scattered throughout the album, something we haven't seen as much on his previous releases. Yet Isbell keeps these as relatable and intimate as anything else, connecting it to his life as he does on "White Man's World" with raising his daughter. Isbell continues to be the best storyteller in music, and we're lucky to be witnesses to the magic he creates.

Top Tracks: Cumberland Gap, If We Were Vampires, White Man's World, Anxiety

8/10

Derek: In the 6 years since their last album, lead singer Robin Pecknold spent most of his time at Columbia University finishing up his schooling. Much has changed in the musical landscape, including the band's former drummer rising to the top of the indie world under the moniker Father John Misty. On Crack-Up, Pecknold channels the emotional headspace that he's been occupying in a series of dense, beautiful, multi-part passages. This is easily the band's least accessible album to date, and many times the album's complexities are a detriment rather than an asset. It's beautiful from an artistic sense, but the songs structures are often dense and difficult to follow. There are familiar Fleet Foxes moments, and the band's brand of progressive folk breaks through, but in terms of repeatability, treat this album as a thinkpiece.

Top Tracks: Kept Woman; Third of May/ Odaigahara; If You Need To, Keep Time On Me

6.5/10

Derek: Charting at thirty-two minutes in its entirety, Booker makes the most of his time on Witness, packing ten solid tracks into a small space. Cameo Queen Mavis Staples makes  a memorable appearance on the title track, and Booker's garage soul rock takes the driver's seat for the remainder. Banger opener "Right On You" is just as good as anything on his debut album, and the songwriting growth shown on this album solidifies him an artist to watch going forward. 

Top Tracks: Right On You, Witness, Believe.

7/10

Joseph: Imagine Dragons is back with their third studio album, and the downward spiral for them continues. 2012's Night Visions seems like so long ago, as the band struggles to find anything resembling a decent album since then. This album is undoubtedly their worst yet. Outside of singles "Whatever it Takes" and "Believer," there is absolutely nothing here of substance. And even those singles are pretty lackluster. In short, this album is one of the worst of the year so far, and one that even their fans will likely hate. Avoid like the plague.

Top Tracks: Believer, Whatever it Takes

​2/10

Joseph: What happened here? Vince Staple burst on the scene with the edgy and provocative Summertime '06 back in 2015, but his official follow-up album is a major disappointment, filled with generic party music and not much else. There are a few tracks worth listening to, most notably "Big Fish" and "Yeah Right," featuring Kendrick Lamar, which are outstanding tracks mind you, but outside of these tracks most of this album was very meh to me. Staples doesn't even have much content to talk about here. What the heck is going on in "745?" Such a terrible track. This one, unfortunately, is a hard pass for me.

Top Tracks: Big Fish, Yeah Right

3/10

Derek: The Black Keys frontman releases his first solo album since 2009's Keep It Hid. Since then, The Black Keys exploded in popularity, he got remarried, had a successful side project The Arcs, and relocated to Nashville, TN. That old school Nashville vibe is the main influence on Waiting on a Song, and you can hear the cool, breezy attitude on nearly every track. This is an old school pop album, influenced heavily by the late 60's and early 70's and featuring guest musicians from the era like John Prine, Duane Eddy, and Mark Knopfler. For those expecting a riff-heavy blues album like Auerbach put out a decade ago, you'll be disappointed. I, however, enjoyed this easy-listening summer album.

Top Tracks: Waiting on a Song, Livin' in Sin

6.5/10

Derek: The shoegaze pioneers return with their first album in nearly a decade. While still a melodic powerhouse, sending wave after wave of resonance on each track, the magic isn't quite there like it used to be. There are flashbacks of greatness, like lead single "Star Roving", which might be one of my favorite songs so far this year, but when followed by snoozefests like "Sugar for the Pill", the album quickly loses its effect. Overall, an admirable effort that is missing too many key elements to be memorable.

Top Tracks: Star Roving

4.5/10

Derek: For a band that headlined Coachella in 2013, Phoenix has been one of the biggest musical letdowns in the last half decade. Their previous album, 2013's Bankrupt! barely registered on the radar, and Ti Amo isn't much better. Filled with the worst hooks and synth lines that I've heard from the band to date, vocalist Thomas Mars sleepwalks through most of the album's 10 tracks. The Italian inspiration does nothing to help and many times I felt like I was listening to a bad perfume commercial with some exotic name. If exotic is what the band was going for, I think I'm fine right where I am.

Top Tracks: J-Boy

2/10

Derek: Having seen this material debuted at MusicNOW Festival a few years back, Planetarium is the culmination of years of waiting for an officially recorded release. Each track features a different object in our solar system. While some tracks are more fleshed out than others, the arrangements are beautiful and Sufjan Stevens' familiar vocals bring some of the more abstract pieces back down to Earth (pun intended). If one work of neo-classical indie rock could encapsulate the wonder and majesty of the Solar System, this group of artists would be the ones to do so. I think they've done a pretty (inter) stellar job.

Top Tracks: Mercury, Jupiter

7/10

Derek: Three albums into their careers, alt-J still can't decide what kind of band they want to be, and at this point, the band's lack of stylistic identity is more a flaw than a fun quirk. How can they have "In Cold Blood", which is more classically alt-J (whatever that means at this point), but then follow it up with a mediocre cover of "House of the Rising Sun" and then the pile of noisy garbage that is "Hit Me Like That Snare". What the actual fuck is that song? The rest of the album is a bore and the nasally vocals from Joe Newman only exacerbate my frustrations . Hard pass on this album.

Top Tracks:  In Cold Blood, 3WW

3/10

Joseph: One of the most anticipated albums of the year, pop icon Lorde is back with her sophomore record in Melodrama. While there are several fantastic hits on the album, including "Green Light" which is undoubtedly the biggest hit of the summer, I think this album doesn't quite reach the same level as its predecessor, Pure Heroine, does. But there's more than enough here for me to think that the magic of her debut album was no fluke. There's a LOT of good tracks on this record, and Lorde is proving herself to be worth every bit of the hype that surrounds her today. Also, "Liability" is one of my favorite tracks of the year so far. Such a gut-wrenching song.

Top Tracks: Liability, Green Light, Sober

7/10

Joseph: Holy crap this album is a banger. Undoubtedly by favorite album of the year so far, Royal Blood follows up their hit self-titled debut album with an even better record here. You don't see that too often. This album is  so well-executed and features awesome guitar hooks, great drum lines, and fantastic vocals from frontman Mike Kerr. The album loses a bit of intensity in the middle of the album, but "Don't Tell" starts the comeback that is capped off by the fantastic single, "Hook, Line, and Sinker." ​How Did We Get So Dark? proves that the band deserves its place as one of the top rock acts to see right now, and will be seeing spins from me for months to come.

Top Tracks: Lights Out; Hook, Line, & Sinker; Don't Tell

​8.5/10