Idles' sophomore LP is above all populistic: it puts complex political issues into simplistic messages.

SOPHIE's music is an outright attack on good taste. Like a Skrillex-Arca collab gone wrong, her second album makes for a painful listen, filled with sheer endless moments of vicarious embarrassment. Nonetheless, I'm glad it exists. Underneath all its bubblegum gloss lurks a deeper question: is ridiculousness tantamount to novelty in experimental music?

While Vessel's constant drive for novelty is admirable, the wild eclecticism of his third LP proves to be rather painful.

Oh look, a new EP of Animal Collective B-sides.

Objekt's Cocoon Crush is the musical equivalent of Alfonso Cuarón's Roma: it sounds amazing but has very little to say.

AOTY 2016.

Considering that Devotion features in virtually all end-of-the-year list, it's remarkably shallow, in terms of both lyrics and production.

Despite its abstraction, Klein's third EP feels very personal. Like something bigger's lurking underneath.

I dig the sonic experimentation and bleak lyrics, just the hooks are somewhat weak.

Beautiful, but fading quickly.

As well produced as Art School Girlfriend's second EP is, there's just too much of an XX vibe for it to make a splash.

PRO: Piano, nice and inoffensive.
CONTRA: Piano, nice and inoffensive.

Superb instrumentation.

Tess Roby is like an airy, Chromatics-infused version of Julia Holter. And almost as good.

RnB-ish electropop with slick but eventually shallow production.

Debut album of Julie Byrne's little sister.
(I initially had the urge to dismiss Tomberlin as just another female singer-songwriter, but her music keeps acquiring a rare, undisguised power.)

Less pop, please.

Kanye is a pretentious prick, but this EP is impressive.

New Optimism is what Pikachu listens to when he goes party.