FLOOD

The Brooklyn shoegazers forgo an understandable sense of hopelessness for an open-ended, soulfully uplifting conclusion on their sonically eclectic fourth album.

The San Francisco quartet hits the perfect balance of intimacy and exhibitionism on their short-but-sweet third album of harmony-based indie pop.

The noise-rock outfit’s relatively brief final album features their tightest material in their three-decade career while capturing their most critical characteristic: contrarianism.

The Glaswegian chamber-pop quartet’s comeback record finds the group nestling back into its comfort zone, soothing the soul like the band used to.

After developing their confidence and honing their sound over the course of a decade, the Kentucky hardcore quintet pushes boundaries in a big way on their third full-length.

Following last year’s release of their debut album, the LA band continue to push forward their dreamy grungegaze romps on a six-song EP.

The Virginia sludge quintet’s fifth album exhibits their penchant for probing the innards of metal and reconstructing it into a seamless new visage.

The Toronto noise-punks’ fifth LP sees their familiarly angular guitars working through melodies that range from ear-sweetening to atonal, furthering the mystery that is the band METZ.

Their sophomore album sees the Leeds-based trio overcoming grief over instrumental flourishes that recall yesteryear while artfully resisting the lure of entering a time machine.

After a relatively long wait, Matt Pike’s sludge-metal outfit returns with their most adventurous, pigeonhole-smashing, and idiosyncratic release to date.

As they wrap up their current set of dates supporting their new album, Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein discuss how their unique eleventh LP is the product of unique circumstances.

The Canadian punks’ Polaris-winning sophomore LP proved that hardcore could stray outside of its traditionally narrow confines without sacrificing the band’s reputation within the genre.

The Modesto lo-fi outfit proves there’s still plenty of life yet in the twice-retired project as they ambitiously venture into uncharted waters.

The remastered 2008 LP is rounded out with B-sides and BBC live recordings which further immerse the listener in the time period.

The Canadian duo blossoms into their own on their soft and breezy sophomore collection of hypnagogic folk pop.

The Alabama Shakes vocalist’s larger-than-life-sounding voice dominates her sophomore solo album as she addresses themes of self-empowerment, self-motivation, and moving on.

Justin Pearson breaks down the themes and collaborations that formed his second full-length with the deeply experimental synth-punk project.

The DC garage-pop band throws caution to the wind on their fourth album, which sounds as fresh as a debut as they tear through 13 songs in what feels like the time it takes to flip to Side B.

Moving at a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it speed that never ceases to captivate, the post-punk quartet makes a case for appreciating life and all its wonders at breakneck speed on their second LP.

Remixed and remastered, the post-hardcore group’s 2013 LP sounds crisper here, with a cleaner separation of sound that does far more justice to the tight performances by each band member.