New York City’s !!! claim their many years on the road have made them older and wiser. But older and wiser doesn’t always mean better.

It’s always exciting when soul music gets a new nightingale, with a distinct swag from his own select persuasions. When the likes of D’Angelo, John Legend, and Leon Bridges appear, a warmth enters the air around the speakers they call through and the vibe turns groovier.

Given John Darnielle’s love of death metal, we knew Goths’ day would come. What we didn’t expect is the canvas to be so pop-forward. Goths is vivid and light on its toes, as it runs the gamut of various “goth” personalities both historical and fictional, showcasing one of Darnielle’s greatest carnal sins—his ability to glean color from unexpected places.

Compiling a best of collection is a tall task for any band. Doing so for a band with an eclectic and shapeshifting sound that has endured through three decades is nearly impossible.

Either Norwegian artist Sondre Lerche isn’t quite old enough or he refuses to allow youth to be wasted on the proverbial young. Pleasure, Lerche’s latest full-length, arrives in full regalia, a dazzling (and dizzying) display of bleeps and bloops, bells and whistles.

Borrowing from the repetitive minimalism of Philip Glass and the ambient stylings of Brian Eno, Penguin Cafe’s Arthur Jeffes carries on the tradition that began with his father’s Penguin Cafe Orchestra back in 1976.

For legendary composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, the value in creative engagement is bending and transitional, derived from different inspirations at each new point of departure.

Every outing with Wooden Wand—stage name for James Jackson Toth—is an adventure. His music ranges all over the place, centering around a mix of folk, country, and rock, but not without the occasional detour through psychedelia or free jazz.

Over the course of three (and a half with the inclusion of Occult Architecture Vol. 1) previous albums, Moon Duo have found a fascinating middle-ground between out-there experimentation and tightly constricted music.