The Highlights:

Midlake – For The Sake Of Bethel Woods

★★★☆

Released on Bella Union

The Texas band’s latest is a strange mixture between blissed-out indie prog like Grizzly Bear and finger-tapping melodies a la John Grant.

Mattiel – Georgia Gothic

★★★☆

Released on ATO Records

Thick, tough rock ‘n’ roll that isn’t afraid to thirst on Jeff Goldblum or interpolate classic Dylan.

Papooz – None Of This Matters Now

★★★☆

Released on Half Awake

A svelte trip down a Seventies light-rock oriented roadway, full of smooth signifiers of tension and release.

Pinch Points – Process

★★★★

Released on Exploding in Sound

Bang ahead Aus punk with just the right bounce and attitude. “Goddamn good shit,” as they say.

Dirty Sound Magnet – DSM III

★★★★

Released on Dirty Sound Magnet

Progressive psychedelic rock, heavy in all the right places and capable of sudden squalling guitar storms.

Brad Mehldau – Jacob’s Ladder

★★★☆

Released on Nonesuch

Rush-obsessed prog-jazz that isn’t afraid to get messy? It can be inchoate in parts but it always manages to get itself back together in the end.

The Rest:

oso oso – sore thumb ★★★☆ (Triple Crown)

Yumi Zouma – Present Tense ★★★☆ (Polyvinyl)

Babeheaven – Sink Into Me ★★★

Chalk Hands – Don’t Think About Death ★★★ (Dog Knights)

The Ninth Wave – Heavy Like A Headache ★★★ (Distiller)

Why Patterns – Regurgitorium ★★★☆ (Human Worth)

Maggie Gently – Peppermint ★★★ (Refresh)

RXKNephew – On The Run From Area 51, Part 2 ★★★☆

Emapea – Dreaming Zone ★★★ (Hip Dozer)

Blue States – World Contact Day ★★★☆ (Memphis Industries)

Thumper – Delusions of Grandeur ★★★☆ (Reckless Records)

Ecko Bazz – Mmaso ★★★ (Hakuna Kukala)

Stabbing Westward – Chasing Ghosts ★★★ (COP)

Little Boots – Tomorrow’s Yesterdays ★★★☆ (On Repeat)

Soft Replica – Only Ever In Dreams ★★☆ (3681727 Records)

Raw Poetic & Damn the Fudgemunk – Laminated Skies ★★★ (Def Presse)

All Them Witches – Live On The Internet ★★★ (New West)

Charli XCX – Crash ★★★ (Asylum)

Lord Jah-Monte Ogbon – Here, There & Everywhere ★★★☆ (Good Felons)