Teddy Swims amassed a big enough following through his YouTube covers of Michael Jackson, Shania Twain, and Amy Winehouse to earn himself a major label deal. After signing with Warner Bros. in early 2020, the Georgia-based singer kicked off a prolific string of one-off singles and EPs that tested the range of his powerhouse voice. After three years, he finally landed a charting hit with 2023's torchy "Lose Control," the lead single from his debut album, I've Tried Everything But Therapy, Pt. 1. Swims' music lives somewhere between vintage soul, classic rock, and contemporary pop balladry with a bit of a country kick. Surrounding his breakout single are nine more tastefully arranged songs aided by a committee of producers and hitmakers like Ammo, Julian Bunetta, and John Ryan. Emotional opener "Some Things I'll Never Know" is a dusky piano ballad that feels like a custom-built showpiece, but deeper cuts like "The Door" and "Flame" are a little more interesting, each with its own moody, late-night vibe and pleasingly organic feel. Swims' voice sounds comfortable and lived in and the songs generally serve this effect without going too far over the top into abject showiness. He's come a long way since fronting local Atlanta rock and soul bands and his experience shows on this debut.© Timothy Monger /TiVo

Across the pink-clouded groove of "Angel," Little Simz cuts a cautionary tale of music industry greed and lessons learned during her rapid ascent within it. Released barely a year after her Mercury Prize-winner, Sometimes I Might Be Introvert, No Thank You is another tightly focused effort that plays out on a slightly smaller scale, but with equally satisfying results. It's the London rapper's third straight collaboration with producer Inflo (Sault, Michael Kiwanuka) who once again proves to be the perfect foil to her compact and confident rhymes. While there are remnants of Introvert's cinematic grandeur -- the dramatic brass and strings of "Silhouette" and "No Merci" -- No Thank You is ultimately a more stripped down affair, leaving plenty of room for Simz's astute, rapid-fire incantations on mental health and societal frustration. Rarely has she sounded as sharp as on the thrilling "X" or the taut "Heart on Fire," two standouts among many. Amid the anger and disappointment there is also a celebratory bent, especially on "Gorilla," a master class in witty bravado with an impossibly cool horn blast fanfare and funky upright bass line. Like her two previous records with Inflo, the music feels fresh and organic, favoring natural drums sounds and classical instrumentation peppered with tasteful modern elements. On the more minimalist end, the drumless "Broken" explores collective trauma as Simz raps against a repeated choral mantra of "feel you're broken and you don't exist, when you feel broken and you cannot fix it." Likewise, the album's closer, "Control," is essentially an introspective piano ballad that plays like a soulful coda to this incredible trio of albums she has somehow conjured out of a tumultuous four year period. That Little Simz was able to deliver such a crafty set so soon after the career-making Introvert is impressive enough, but No Thank You stands out for its own merits.© Timothy Monger /TiVo

It even looks like something classic, beyond its time or place of origin even as it was a clear product of both -- one of Peter Saville's earliest and best designs, a transcription of a signal showing a star going nova, on a black embossed sleeve. If that were all Unknown Pleasures was, it wouldn't be discussed so much, but the ten songs inside, quite simply, are stone-cold landmarks, the whole album a monument to passion, energy, and cathartic despair. The quantum leap from the earliest thrashy singles to Unknown Pleasures can be heard through every note, with Martin Hannett's deservedly famous production -- emphasizing space in the most revelatory way since the dawn of dub -- as much a hallmark as the music itself. Songs fade in behind furtive noises of motion and activity, glass breaks with the force and clarity of doom, and minimal keyboard lines add to an air of looming disaster -- something, somehow, seems to wait or lurk beyond the edge of hearing. But even though this is Hannett's album as much as anyone's, the songs and performances are the true key. Bernard Sumner redefined heavy metal sludge as chilling feedback fear and explosive energy, Peter Hook's instantly recognizable bass work was at once warm and forbidding, and Stephen Morris' drumming smacked through the speakers above all else. Ian Curtis synthesizes and purifies every last impulse, his voice shot through with the desire first and foremost to connect, only connect -- as "Candidate" plaintively states, "I tried to get to you/You treat me like this." Pick any song: the nervous death dance of "She's Lost Control"; the harrowing call for release "New Dawn Fades," all four members in perfect sync; the romance in hell of "Shadowplay"; "Insight" and its nervous drive toward some sort of apocalypse. All visceral, all emotional, all theatrical, all perfect -- one of the best albums ever.© Ned Raggett /TiVo

After two pure party albums, the inevitable had to happen: it was time for Van Halen to mature, or at least get a little serious. And so, Women and Children First, a record where the group started to get heavier, both sonically and, to a lesser extent, thematically, changing the feel of the band ever so slightly. Where the first two records were nothing but nonstop parties, there's a bit of a dark heart beating on this record, most evident on the breakneck metal of "Romeo Delight," but also the pair of opening party anthems, "And the Cradle Will Rock" and "Everybody Wants Some!!," which don't fly quite as high as "Dance the Night Away" or "Runnin' with the Devil" because of the tense, roiling undercurrents in Eddie's riffs, especially the thudding, circular keyboard riff propelling "And the Cradle Will Rock." The very fact that a keyboard drives this song, not a guitar, is a signal of Eddie's burgeoning ambition (which would soon become inseparable from his desire for respectability), and there are already some conflicts between this somber musicality and David Lee Roth's irrepressible hunger for fun. Where that tension would eventually tear the band apart, here it just makes for compelling music, adding richness and depth to this half-hour blast of rock & roll. This is the first Van Halen album to consist entirely of original material and there's some significant growth here to the writing, evident in the winding, cynical neo-boogie "Fools" and also in the manic "Loss of Control," which gallops by with the ferocity of hardcore punk. These, along with all previously mentioned songs, are the heaviest music Van Halen has made (or would ever make), but as the album rushes toward the end Diamond Dave pulls them toward his country-blues jive fixation with "Take Your Whiskey Home" and the all-acoustic "Could This Be Magic?" giving the album a dose of levity that is welcome if not necessarily needed. Then, before the album comes a close, the band unleashes its first stab at a power ballad with "In a Simple Rhyme," where the group's attempts at melodic grace are undercut by their compulsion to rock. This may not make for a full-fledged power ballad, but this tension between the two extremes -- by their increasing songcraft and their unhinged rock & roll -- makes for dynamic music, and captures all the contrasting glories of the album in one song.© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo

After taking an extended hiatus from the album format, Norwegian electronic duo Röyksopp made a grand return in early 2022 with Profound Mysteries, the first installment of an ambitious two-parter. During their first two decades together, Svein Berge and Torbjørn Brundtland curated an impeccable guest list of mostly female Nordic luminaries to voice their sweeping downbeat and synth-pop anthems. Swedes like Robyn, Lykke Li, and Karin Dreijer have all taken memorable turns at the mike, though it's fellow Norwegian Susanne Sundfør whose wonderful latter-day contributions make her seem like the group's honorary third member. Along with Röyksopp newcomers like Astrid S and Alison Goldfrapp, Sundfør made two strong appearances on Profound Mysteries' first volume and returns here just a few months later for a pair of victory laps on the project's sequel. Where the overall tone of volume one was more haunted and windswept, this second set boasts a handful of irresistible club-driven tracks, particularly the two instrumental highlights, "Denimclad Baboons" and the slightly menacing "Control." With their growling synths and wily arrangements, both are quintessential Röyksopp bangers. Musically, Berge and Brundtland continue to subtly expand their signature mix of lush downbeat drama and clever electropop, getting cinematic and darkly funked-out, sometimes in the same song. Adding continuity to the project, Astrid S, Pixx, and Sundfør appear on both Profound Mysteries albums, with Sundfør adding another classic to their shared catalog on the excellent "Oh, Lover." Karen Harding makes her Röyksopp debut on "Unity," a rousing uptempo cut that feels like a bit of a club throwback, and fellow Brit Jamie Irrepressible loans his yearning voice to the moody "Sorry." As satisfying as its predecessor, Profound Mysteries II is yet another quality entry in Röyksopp's already sterling canon. © Timothy Monger /TiVo

Rhapsodic dancefloor intimacy became a new specialization for Jessie Ware with "Overtime," the first in a wave of tracks the singer released from 2018 up to the June 2020 arrival of What's Your Pleasure?, her fourth album. Other than "Adore You," a chiming glider made with Metronomy's Joseph Mount, each one in the series was either produced or co-produced by James Ford, consolidating and rerouting a partnership that started during the making of Tough Love. Unlike Ford and Ware's collaborations on that 2014 LP, the new material didn't merely simmer. Hottest of all, "Mirage (Don't Stop)" worked a ripe disco-funk groove with Ware's opening line, "Last night we danced, and I thought you were saving my life" -- sighed in a Bananarama cadence -- a sweet everything if there ever was one. The loved-up energy was kept in constant supply with the dashing "Spotlight," the Freeez-meet-Teena Marie-at-Compass-Point bump of "Ooh La La," and the sneaky Euro-disco belter "Save a Kiss." All but "Overtime" are included here. That makes the album somewhat anti-climactic, but there's no sense in complaining when the preceding singles keep giving and the new material is almost always up to the same standard. Among the fresh standouts, the bounding Morgan Geist co-production "Soul Control" and the dashing "Step Into My Life" recontextualize underground club music with as much might and finesse as anything by Róisín Murphy. Stylistic deviations are few, well-placed, and maintain lyrical continuity with references to the senses as they relate to emotional and physical connection. "In Your Eyes" recalls Massive Attack's "Safe from Harm" with its hypnotizing bassline, subtly theatrical strings, and aching (if less desperate) vocal. Moving in gradually intensifying and similarly slow motion, "The Kill" enables Ware to let down her guard for an unassured lover. "Remember Where You Are," a stirring finale, takes a little trip to cherish the daybreak in Minnie Riperton and Charles Stepney's chamber folk-soul garden, replete with a goosebump-raising group vocal in the chorus. One can almost smell the baby's breath.© Andy Kellman /TiVo

It seems like a minor miracle that Evanescence released their second album at all, given the behind-the-scenes toil and trouble that surrounded the aftermath of their 2003 debut, Fallen, turning into an unexpected blockbuster. Actually, so much drama followed Evanescence that it's hardly the same band anymore. Certainly, pivotal songwriter/guitarist Ben Moody is no longer with the band, leaving not long after Fallen had become an international success, and sometime after that, they lost their bassist -- leaving behind Amy Lee as the indisputable leader of the band. She always was the face, voice, and spirit of the band anyway -- dominating so that it often seemed that she was named Evanescence and not fronting a band called that -- but by the time the group finally released their long-awaited second album, The Open Door, in October 2006, there was no question that it was her band, and she has learned well from the success of Fallen. Pushed to the background are the Tori-isms that constituted a good chunk of the debut -- they're saved for the brooding affirmation of a closer, "Good Enough," and the churning "Lithium," which most certainly is not a cover of Nirvana's classic (that song never mentioned its title, this repeats it incessantly) -- and in their place is the epic gothic rock (not quite the same thing as goth rock, mind you) that made Lee rock's leading witchy woman of the new millennium. And she doesn't hesitate to dig into the turmoil surrounding the band, since this truly is all about her -- she may artfully avoid the ugliness surrounding the lawsuit against her manager, whom she's alleged of sexual harassment, but she takes a few swipes against Moody, while hitting her semi-famous ex, Shaun Morgan of Seether, directly with "Call Me When You're Sober," as blunt a dismissal as they come. To hear her tell it, she not only doesn't need anybody, she's better on her own. Yet artists aren't always the best judge of their own work, and Lee could use somebody to help sculpt her sound into songs, the way she did when Moody was around. Not that she's flailing about necessarily -- "Call Me When You're Sober" not only has structure, it has hooks and momentum -- but far too often, The Open Door is a muddle of affections. Sonically, however, it captures the Evanescence mythos better and more consistently than the first album -- after all, Lee now has no apologies of being the thinking man's nu-metal chick, now that she's a star.© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo

With Rings Around the World, Super Furry Animals took a stab at a streamlined, big-budget album, complete with guest stars and cameos. It was accomplished and accomplished what it set out to do -- namely, elevate the Furries' critical standing, making them a mainstay of Mojo readers and opening some doors in American magazines, who had previously ignored the brilliant Welsh quintet. Nevertheless, it was their least-interesting set of music released to date, often sounding constrained by its polished widescreen aspirations (not to mention its similarly cleaned-up, simplified political stance and lyrics), so it comes as no little relief that SFA loosens up on the sequel to Rings, the superbly titled Phantom Power. Teaming up with producer Mario Caldato, Jr., who helmed the Beastie Boys' comeback, Check Your Head, the Furries come up with their fuzziest record yet, abandoning the Technicolor gloss of Rings for a hazy, slow-rolling collection of elastic pop songs. Caldato facilitates the return of dance beats and hints of electronica, sometimes recalling Guerrilla in its arrangements, but his biggest contribution is to give the record a bit of dirt, grounding this music in reality. This is a mixed blessing, since it means that Phantom Power never takes off the way Radiator or Mwng or even Fuzzy Logic did in its sheer exuberance. This earth-bound feeling is all the more palpable because SFA's sensibilities are still in line with the streamlined attitudes of Rings Around the World. Their different influences and ideas don't intertwine the way they used to; they exist as separate songs. These songs are frequently very good, and display many of the band's attributes, from Gruff Rhys' ethereal yet warm voice and his sweet, enveloping melodies to the group's effortless eclecticism, grounded in neo-psychedelia but encompassing much more, including a new fascination with country-rock. It's a very good listen and there's a certain appeal to the dreamy haze of the production, particularly when it's goosed along by sighing harmonies and sweet steel guitars, sounding something like a Californian Magical Mystery Tour. That, of course, is a good thing, and Phantom Power is a very good album (and, again, compared to many of SFA's peers in 2003, it is far ahead of the pack), but it does lack some of the things that made earlier Super Furry Animals so exhilarating -- the grit, the wild abandon, the absurdity, and the sheer unpredictability, where it was impossible to tell what would happen next. Perhaps this is the inevitable result of maturity, which does make one a little bit older and a little bit slower, but it's still hard not to miss. But, at least they're still making good records, unlike some bands who enter their mature phase.© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo

Although Janet Jackson had released two records in the early '80s, they were quickly forgotten, and notably shaped by her father's considerable influence. Janet's landmark third album, 1986's Control, changed all that. On the opening title track, Jackson, with passion and grace, declares her independence, moving out of the gargantuan shadow of her brother Michael and on to the business of making her own classic pop album. The true genius of Control lies in the marriage of her extremely self-assured vocals with the emphatic beats of R&B production wizards Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. The duo was already well established in the music industry, but the practically flawless Control showcased Jam and Lewis' true studio mastery. For the better part of two years, Janet remained on the pop chart, with two-thirds of the album's tracks released as singles, including the ever-quotable "Nasty," the assertive "What Have You Done for Me Lately," the frenetically danceable "When I Think of You," and the smooth, message-oriented ballad "Let's Wait Awhile." Jackson achieved long-awaited superstar status and never looked back. © Jason Thurston /TiVo