For nearly a decade, Los Angeles based Ramona Gonzalez (aka Nite Jewel) has slowly but steadily been perfecting her distinctive brand of homespun, lo-fi, bedroom R&B.

The stars ultimately aligned in the assembly of contemporary classical music composer Nico Muhly with friends Sufjan Stevens, Bryce Dessner, and the multidimensional James McAlister for their collaborative project with a far reaching theme.

London Grammar gained prominence in 2013 with a memorable appearance on Disclosure’s debut album Settle, followed by their debut album If You Wait.

It’s natural to be seduced by contemporary apparatus of sound sculpting that intensifies the listening experience. Then you hear a band like Big Thief and recognize the potential power in balanced unison of guitar, drum and voice and that these essential means of expression are the most direct conductors of the passions of musical souls.

Sounding like a mix of Joy Division and Cocteau Twins on speed, Swedish rockers Agent Blå tread a path between shoegaze and post-punk.

When they’re having a bad day, what gets the four members of Phoenix out of bed, because for the rest of us it’s the gloriously buoyant pop-rock they’ve been practising for nearly two decades now.

Unlike other recent albums of Glen Campbell’s that combined covers of ‘60s and ‘70s tunes with more modern material by songwriters like Paul Westerberg, this features Campbell covering 12 of his all-time favorite songs by writers like Jimmy Webb, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, and others.

When Benjamin Booker sings, he sounds like a train trying to squeeze through a blocked tunnel. His voice is a potent weapon, a gravel inflected rasp deployed with unerring accuracy.

Saint Etienne prove they are still capable of pop greatness. Stylistically more diverse (see the Latin flavor of “Dive,” and the dustings of ‘60s baroque pop sprinkled about the album) and using more real instruments than on previous outings, the London trio pay homage to the suburbs from which they sprang.