Fair to Midland make a busy sound feel surprisingly easy to enjoy on Fables From a Mayfly. Heavy guitar, bright keyboards and large vocal melodies meet inside songs that keep …
Entertainment! makes a strong argument for leaving space in a rock song. Andy Gill’s guitar cuts in short, sharp bursts, while Dave Allen’s bass and Hugo Burnham’s drums keep …
A Eulogy for Those Still Here shows how much Counterparts can achieve without greatly changing their sound. The band's melodic hardcore remains fast, heavy and emotionally dir…
The Man from Waco feels like a collection of country stories held together by a band that know how to leave space. Charley Crockett moves between cowboy ballads, Western swing…
Kamelot make Epica a story that works without a separate explanation. This 2003 album takes inspiration from Goethe's Faust, but the music does not constantly demand a booklet…
Amputechture often moves more slowly than its busy arrangements suggest. The Mars Volta’s third studio album gives its grooves, melodies and quieter passages more room, while …
ATW gives All Them Witches a smaller, rougher setting after the larger production of Sleeping Through the War. The band recorded in a cabin outside Nashville, with guitarist B…
The Call Within makes a piano trio feel capable of the weight and sudden changes of progressive metal. Tigran Hamasyan combines forceful low notes with clear melodies, electro…
A Fistful of Peaches gives Black Honey's guitar rock a more openly personal focus. The band still use large hooks, strong bass lines and a confident vocal presence, but the wr…
Light We Made asks for a different kind of attention from Balance and Composure's earlier records. The guitars no longer carry every change through sheer force. Bass, electron…
On T H E, tricot make complicated time signatures sound completely natural. Guitars cut across each other, the drums respond to every movement, and the singing keeps the songs…
Coup de Grâce makes SeeYouSpaceCowboy's heavier music more theatrical and more melodic without removing its restless character. The San Diego band bring danceable rhythms, emo…
Little Sparrow gives Dolly Parton's singing an acoustic setting with plenty of room to move. Bluegrass forms the centre, but mountain ballads, gospel and Irish influences broa…
Time in Place makes melodic post-hardcore feel open to a wide range of ideas. Artifex Pereo bring together detailed guitars, active drums, expressive singing and keyboards tha…
Cheer makes Drug Church more tuneful without taking away their rough edges. The guitars have a larger, fuller sound, but Patrick Kindlon's hoarse delivery remains close to a s…
Big Day in a Small Town gives Brandy Clark's closely observed songwriting a brighter, heavier setting. Producer Jay Joyce brings fuller rhythms and stronger pop and rock textu…
Brandy Clark puts a clear voice at the centre of this self-titled album. Producer Brandi Carlile gives the songs a quiet, direct setting, allowing small changes in delivery to…
Off at 11 lets J.D. Simo explore the space between blues rock and freer ensemble playing. The guitarist can hold a riff firmly in place and then set off in another direction. …
The Darker Side of Nonsense makes a direct case for heavy riffs and forceful vocals. Dry Kill Logic keep the guitars substantial and the rhythms physical, with Cliff Rigano mo…
Excalibur gives Mindforce's hardcore a strong melodic and rhythmic character without reducing its weight. The songs are brief, but their riffs and leads contain enough detail …
The Eye of Every Storm draws much of its force from what Neurosis leave out. The band allow more space between heavy outbursts, building tension through quiet guitar, dark key…
Family Ties gives Charles Wesley Godwin's country-folk a broad, carefully arranged setting. His sturdy baritone remains close to the centre, while Al Torrence's production lea…
Chemical Miracle finds Trophy Eyes making their melodic side count without leaving the harsher music behind. John Floreani moves between throaty shouting and a much cleaner de…
Floral Green keeps Title Fight's punk urgency while making more room for atmosphere. The guitars are dense and melodic, the vocals can sound close to breaking, and the slower …