Increasingly ignored amidst the exploding trip-hop scene, Massive Attack finally returned in 1998 with Mezzanine, a record immediately announcing not only that the group was back, but that they'd recorded a set of songs just as singular and revelatory as on their debut, almost a decade back. It all begins with a stunning one-two-three-four punch: "Angel," "Risingson," "Teardrop," and "Inertia Creeps." Augmenting their samples and keyboards with a studio band, Massive Attack open with "Angel," a stark production featuring pointed beats and a distorted bassline that frames the vocal (by group regular Horace Andy) and a two-minute flame-out with raging guitars. "Risingson" is a dense, dark feature for Massive Attack themselves (on production as well as vocals), with a kitchen sink's worth of dubby effects and reverb. "Teardrop" introduces another genius collaboration -- with Elizabeth Fraser from Cocteau Twins -- from a production unit with a knack for recruiting gifted performers. The blend of earthy with ethereal shouldn't work at all, but Massive Attack pull it off in fine fashion. "Inertia Creeps" could well be the highlight, another feature for just the core threesome. With eerie atmospherics, fuzz-tone guitars, and a wealth of effects, the song could well be the best production from the best team of producers the electronic world had ever seen. Obviously, the rest of the album can't compete, but there's certainly no sign of the side-two slump heard on Protection, as both Andy and Fraser return for excellent, mid-tempo tracks ("Man Next Door" and "Black Milk," respectively). © John Bush /TiVo

It's curious that Night Life -- the first album Thin Lizzy recorded for Mercury, the first album to feature guitarists Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson, the album that in many ways kicked off their classic era -- is in many ways a complete anomaly within their catalog. It's a subdued, soulful record, smooth in ways that Thin Lizzy never were before and rarely were afterwards. To be sure, the title Night Life is accurate but not in the sense of this providing a soundtrack for a night out on the town -- quite the opposite actually. This is the soundtrack for an intimate night in, either alone or as a pair, since it has moments ideal for either contemplation or seduction. There are still some moments of tough, primal rock & roll -- there's the funky workout of "It's Only Money" and the nasty "Sha-La-La," both excellent showcases for Gorham and Robertson -- but they stick out among the jazzy, soulful whole, even if they never quite disrupt the mood. And it's that mood that's so appealing about Night Life -- it's a warm, soulful sound that resonates in ways Thin Lizzy's earlier records didn't. And it's not just because of the feel of the music, either, it's due to Phil Lynott's increasing growth as a songwriter. Much of this is quite sentimental -- especially the closing "Dear Heart" -- but it's never saccharine or sappy, it's big-hearted and effecting, best-heard on the gently propulsive, utterly addictive opener "She Knows" and the easy-rolling jazzy "Showdown." These may be the high-water marks on this album, but they're not the only highlights, they're just the most immediate, representative signs of the charms of this underrated gem of a record.© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo

This 13th studio album from the German speed/power metal sextet is the follow-up to 2018's Apocalypse and sees them return to Nuclear Blast after 15 years with Frontiers Records. Here they tackle the usual range of controversial subjects via their super-tight riffing, melodic triple-guitar attack, and screeching vocals. Produced by bassist Mat Sinner and mixed by long-term collaborator Jacob Hansen (Volbeat, Evergrey, Heaven Shall Burn), it includes the singles "Along Came the Devil" and "Crucify Me."© John D. Buchanan /TiVo

It's curious that Night Life -- the first album Thin Lizzy recorded for Mercury, the first album to feature guitarists Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson, the album that in many ways kicked off their classic era -- is in many ways a complete anomaly within their catalog. It's a subdued, soulful record, smooth in ways that Thin Lizzy never were before and rarely were afterwards. To be sure, the title Night Life is accurate but not in the sense of this providing a soundtrack for a night out on the town -- quite the opposite actually. This is the soundtrack for an intimate night in, either alone or as a pair, since it has moments ideal for either contemplation or seduction. There are still some moments of tough, primal rock & roll -- there's the funky workout of "It's Only Money" and the nasty "Sha-La-La," both excellent showcases for Gorham and Robertson -- but they stick out among the jazzy, soulful whole, even if they never quite disrupt the mood. And it's that mood that's so appealing about Night Life -- it's a warm, soulful sound that resonates in ways Thin Lizzy's earlier records didn't. And it's not just because of the feel of the music, either, it's due to Phil Lynott's increasing growth as a songwriter. Much of this is quite sentimental -- especially the closing "Dear Heart" -- but it's never saccharine or sappy, it's big-hearted and effecting, best-heard on the gently propulsive, utterly addictive opener "She Knows" and the easy-rolling jazzy "Showdown." These may be the high-water marks on this album, but they're not the only highlights, they're just the most immediate, representative signs of the charms of this underrated gem of a record.© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo

Natalie Hemby has Grammy and ACM awards and five No. 1 songs—but you might not know who she is. Until recently, the Nashville-raised songwriter has mostly been behind behind the scenes, writing with and for the star-studded likes of Little Big Town, Lady A, Jon Pardi, Kelly Clarkson, Carly Pearce, Keith Urban, Toby Keith, Lady Gaga (for the A Star Is Born soundtrack), Kacey Musgraves (including that singer's signature "Rainbow") and, frequently, Miranda Lambert (including "Bluebird"). In 2019, she and her lovely alto stepped into the spotlight as a member of the supergroup quartet the Highwomen, along with the much more high-profile Brandi Carlile, Maren Morris and Amanda Shires. Although Hemby released her debut in 2017, it's her new album that will surely bring her the attention she deserves. Like her Highwomen compatriots, she comfortably blurs the lines of country, rock and pop. Hemby has said she was influenced by the Lilith Fair scene of the late '90s, and she would absolutely fit in on a lineup with Paula Cole, Joan Osborne, Shawn Colvin and—especially—Sheryl Crow. In fact, Crow feels like the patron saint of this record, especially on songs such as the pedal steel-haunted "New Madrid," canyon-rocking "Heroes" (with excellent Joe Walsh-esque guitar) and jangling "Pinwheel." If it seems like this album should be called, I don't know, Wednesday Night Music Club, hey, it's a big compliment. Pins and Needles also raises a fascinating question about how much a songwriter informs a performer versus writing for them. The title track has a badass bluesy strut to it, and when you find out it was written with (and, originally, for) Brothers Osborne, it makes perfect sense. The same goes for "Banshee," which applies a mischievous, slinky guitar to a story about a widowed ghost trying to steal the narrator's love, and the self-deprecating sass (given a caramel-rich tone by the Allman Brothers' Chuck Leavell on Hammond B3) of "It Takes One to Know One"—both written with Miranda Lambert. You can totally imagine those acts performing the songs, but Hemby owns them with remarkable charisma. Catchy "Radio Silence" is made for a heartbreaking TV-drama breakup scene, and the swaggering "Hardest Part About Business" (with banjo courtesy of Hemby's husband and producer, Mike Wrucke) is like a modern update of "9 to 5" office politics: "Hear no evil but you're gonna see/ It's better if you work alone/ Because the hardest part about business/ Is minding your own." And if Crow doesn't cover the slow-burn "Last Resort," it's a crime. © Shelly Ridenour/Qobuz

Third Quartet is the third album by this rather astonishing group of musicians under guitarist and composer John Abercrombie's leadership. His collaborators: drummer Joey Baron, violinist Mark Feldman, and bassist Marc Johnson are all accomplished leaders in their own rights, but as they team with Abercrombie, something unusual, unwieldy, and utterly transformative takes place. Feldman is such a worthy foil for the guitarist. The call is the response in tunes like "Banshee" and "Wishing Bell," the counterpoint in "Tres," and the gorgeously simple harmonic extrapolations in "Number Nine," with its spacious and slippery melody, accent each man's greatest strength. For Feldman it's in the ear. He doesn't simply follow Abercrombie, he underscores him, he journeys from him and illumines his violin's particularly colorful tonalities in contrast to Abercrombie's warm and buttery tone. The ensemble symbiosis is at its height on tunes like Ornette Coleman's "Round Trip," which is begun by Baron and followed by Johnson, followed by Abercrombie and then Feldman. That said, the ensemble interplay near the end of tune, stretching Coleman's lyric line to the breaking point, is almost breathtaking. The other cover here, following immediately after, is Bill Evans' "Epilogue." Here, the sheer tenderness and emotion of Evans' composition are evident from the moment Abercrombie and Feldman begin playing together. Feldman's nearly modal approach to the actual head is startling at first, but the pacing, and Abercrombie's trademark sparse phrasing, are where the genius that is Evans' displays itself. Abercrombie and Feldman re-read the tune through its mode, and Johnson's skeletal playing of the changes keeps its from being entirely spectral. Baron's cymbal washes here are especially poignant. It feels more like an elegy, but there is no doubt that is its intention. This is a most welcome and beautiful addition to this particular group's musical language as well as their catalog.© Thom Jurek /TiVo

On Pure Rock Fury, Neil Fallon's narratives provide potent commentaries on popular culture, even as he distances Clutch from more explicitly political musicians by remaining cynical and critical, rather than committing to political action: "At times I'm even tempted to seek the advice of Dr. Laura, but I ignore her/So I take a deep breath and count to ten/Ain't gonna let it get under my skin." Fallon's lyrics remain deliberately vague regarding what precisely the problems are, and draw from myth, literature, and pop culture as they navigate psychedelic landscapes reminiscent, at times, of songs by Black Sabbath or Monster Magnet. Whether singing road songs such as "Sinkemlow" or the anthemic title track, Fallon emerges as the premier wordsmith of stoner rock on Pure Rock Fury. At the same time, unrelenting, driving grooves compel the listener effortlessly into Fallon's landscapes as deep, wide-open riffs swagger beneath wailing solos and pounding rhythms, again recalling the specter of Black Sabbath. Clutch's usual lineup is supplemented with number of cameos, including Scott Weinrich of Spirit Caravan. If Fallon's lyrics are obscure regarding the problem, on thing is made clear: "Pure rock fury is the ultimate solution." This album delivers on its promise and then some as Clutch does what they do best -- and the best they've ever done it.© Rich Goldman /TiVo

While critics found it easy to lump Animal Collective in with the freak folk scene after the strumming madness of Sung Tongs, Feels may cause them to revise their opinions -- slightly. First, this is more of a rock record, especially early on; the frequent cymbal crashes and pounding drums leave little doubt. Second, Feels has less of the aimless meandering of many artists in the freak folk scene. AC can, and do, explode at any second, and their whirl of musical ideas -- mostly naturalistic, such as intricate vocalizing or tribal drumming -- can become dizzying, but gleefully so, not in a disorienting way. (Imagine Fiery Furnaces condensing an entire album down to three minutes and you'll begin to understand the sound of the second song, "Grass.") So, while the folk tag has become less of an issue, freak still applies with no doubt. A core strength of the group is its ability to sound invigorated and bracing when exploring territory often surveyed in the past. Rock music can be a constraining form, especially at this late date, but the group sounds freer than ever before, almost as though they've never bothered with rock in their lives, and have only happened upon a bare few LPs before beginning their recording career. (If so, one of those would have been by Mercury Rev, although Animal Collective are much less patient in building to a climax -- "The Purple Bottle" has at least a dozen of them.) As on Sung Tongs, the first half is active, direct, and punchy -- nearly overloaded with production and ideas -- while the second half explores quiet, abstract moods, often with only a few tremulous vocals accompanied by autoharp. © John Bush /TiVo