Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes third full-length album feels even rougher than last year's Here. However, the band is going in a slightly more retro direction, embracing the sonic palate of 60s psychedelic pop.
While Autopsy is sounding much heavier on The Headless Ritual, these death metal veterans just didn't seem to put in the songwriting effort that they did on their last full-length, Macabre Eternal.
Even though I'm not completely in love with the new James Holden album, I am impressed by the simultaneously primeval and futuristic vibe he's been able to evoke on most of the tracks here.
Jay-Z returns to putting out rap albums with Maga Carta... Holy Grail, and raps about as well as you'd expect at this point in his career over some pretty fresh production.
New York rapper Joey Bada$$ follows up his infamous 1999 mixtape with a collection of tracks that feel more like a sequel from Pro Era's recently released PEEP: The aPROcalypse mixtape. Still a solid effort, though.
Chicago experimental rock group Locrian creates some evocative sounds on a rough recording. I just wish their melodies and songwriting were as gripping as their moody, apocalyptic aesthetic.
Smith Westerns' Soft Will shows the Chicago band upping their recording quality, and really showcasing the big melodies and choruses that were hidden under some of the muck on their last record, Dye It Blonde.
