Throughout Masterpiece, the humbly sublime debut album from Brooklyn folk-rock quartet Big Thief, love braves through woe. As sung by the ever welcoming Adrienne Lenker, these painful yet vital songs near a height of beauty that reminds one of music’s transcendent power.

Following the nimble opener “Little Arrow,” the album starts its raw power with “Masterpiece” (streaming below), the rollicking single that deservedly drew attention a few months back with its panoramic view of searching souls. Like Bob Dylan’s generation-defining “Like a Rolling Stone” from the 1960s, this guitar-trickled song is both addicting and elegant, rough and pretty and, ultimately, lasting in its sheer soulfulness.

A series of lyrically vivid tracks named after potential lovers (“Paul” and “Randy,” for example) follows next, alongside guitar-winded cuts that briskly tackle such elusive motifs as romance and the transience of time, emitting an overall beatific aura in the process.

The type of record that has the possibility of transporting the listener to a calmer, perhaps better plain of existence, Masterpiece is not just the first offering from an intriguing new band but a preciously passionate work in and of itself. – Zach Weg

Chromaparagon, the first full length release from Long Island prog metal band Moon Tooth, features 12 high energy tracks that grip the listener with talons, and never pauses to let go. A rollicking album that never indulges for too long in any one particular (sub)genre, Chromaparagon is a powerful tour de force that not once feels tired or over-explored. Fans of stoner, doom, math rock, thrash, and prog metal will all be able to find something in this record, whose controlled chaos borders dangerously on virtuosic. The band’s raw talent on the recording is only matched by their live performances, so check them out opening for Intronaut at St. Vitus on 7/24 and Amityville Music Hall on July 25th. – Olivia Sisinni

After over a year without new releases, New York soul artist NAKAYA is finally back, and with something quite different than the folk leaning songs of her debut EP, Out of Breath.  Her new single, “Lose It Too,” is an electronic prduction that starts off slowly and subtly and evocatively builds up, highlighting the singer’s wide vocal range and expressiveness. A passionate alt R&B track,  “Lose It Too” tackles the all time classic theme of the fine line that separates friendship from love (in this circumstance with a LGBT twist), well illustrated by director Joshua Davy in the video streaming below. – Madeleine Grossman

With her latest project, Half Waif‘s Nandi Rose Plunkett has successfully bridged the ever-growing chasm between "avant" and pop, taking Radiohead’s lesson to a more intimate and less pretentious place. The band’s sophomore album ‘Probable Depths" is an intriguing blend of synth and orchestral pop full of texture and otherworldly melodies. Half Waif will be back in Brooklyn performing as a trio on June 6th at the Market Hotel, to the end of their ongoing tour throughout the US. —Henry Solotaroff-Webber

Read Half Waif’s Q&A about gear and the creative process on Delicious Audio.

The Virginia based band Avers has been making waves recently since their performance at SXSW which got the attention from listeners and critics alike. Their roots are ingrained in psych rock but have recently been delving deeper into indie rock territory. Their recent release, OMEGA/WHATEVER, boasts an amalgam of tracks ranging from quiet, droney tunes exploring the loss of innocence as we grow to more bluesy garage rock tunes with powerhouse guitar riffs and tender vocals. With reverb laden guitars, cackling feedback and plenty of distortion to spare, texture and depth are abundant creating a sense of grandness in their music. Catch them performing at DC Nine on August 3. – Adriana S. Ballester

Despite having released quality material, Allston’s Beeef is a band that’s gone under most radars, including ours until now. Their 2015 release A BEEEF EP was notable for its textbook indie rock sound that at times verged into surf, alt and folk rock territories as well. No individual component stands out about Beeef’s music, but rather it’s their chemistry, tightness and the crisp nature of their sound that allows them to create catchy songs that sound familiar and fresh at the same time. Beeef have an upcoming show at Great Scott on 7/13, and this post on their Facebook page suggests they may have new music on the way. — Henry Solotaroff-Webber 

Despite having 10 members whose ages range from 16 to 23, Teenage Halloween knows exactly the kind of music they want to play. The Asbury Park-based band takes cues from artists like Jeff Rosenstock, Elvis Costello, Defiance Ohio, and blink-182 to stir up an energetic blend of power-pop, folk, and punk . Although featuring a unique combination of instruments for a punk album like banjo, trombone, and saxophone, their latest EP It Was Weird, But It Worked never feels forced or gimmicky. Opening track “Waitress” is a brief song that calls to mind modern punk acts like Joyce Manor, while “Tiki Party” references the folk punk sound of fellow Jersey natives The Gaslight Anthem and Philly punk act The Menzingers. This summer Teenage Halloween will be playing several shows in New Jersey, the first one of which will be at Long Branch’s Brighton Bar. – John Honan

With fuzzy chords and a sound that rivals the roar of a V8 american muscle car Them Animals sounds like the kind of band that makes your friends dingy basement party feel like the best place you’ve ever been. The guitars power through creating an infectious garage rock melody tinged with a touch of blues and vocals that have been drenched in distortion. The chorus of their recent release, Losing Feeling (streaming below), burns mighty like a track doused in gasoline and set ablaze making you want to sway and jump around, bringing a pinch of unpredictable chaos to the otherwise very tight and controlled melodic party. Listen to Them Animals below and catch them live at Velvet Lounge on August 17. – Adriana S. Ballester

In recent years dream pop has become a big part of the "NYC sound" – probably only second to garage rock. Although Brooklyn-based quartet Uni Ika Ai, founded by Lucius’ Peter Lalish and Toebow’s Maia Friedman’s, can surely be categorized under the dream pop umbrella, they have the merit to steer clear from the genre’s canonized influences (Cocteau Twins, Mazzy Star and Broadcast). In “Make You Better,” the band’s first single, Friedman’s voice draws an airy, slow melody over a glittering musical background where guitars and keyboards merge into each other, like colors do in paintings by the Impressionists. Baroque and classical elements emerge here and there, and new layers come to the surface or are exhausted as the song progresses. Their debut album, Keeping A Golden Bullseye In The Corner of My Mind will be released in mid October. Uni Ika Ai will begin a residency at C’Mon Everybody on July 13th.

Even when singing about being “bored to death” or “sick in bed,” Queens-based band, Thin Lear has the ability to sound light and carefree. Even “seven days without sleep” seem like a walk in the park – a testament to endurance, surely a handy quality for any independent musician! In the Thin Lear EP Matt Longo – the man and voice behind the baroque-pop project – creates waves of nostalgia, supported by tastefully restrained melodies and his gentle voice. The record (the project’s fourth release since 2011) makes endearing references to New York City and single “Second Nature” (streaming) uses light, yet dynamic instrumentation along with subtle calipso influences.  You can catch him at Pianos tomorrow (July 9th). – Madeleine Grossman

While the two are often correlated, it’s not always necessary for music that’s catchy to be pristine as well. Boston band Earth Heart is a prime example of this: with their shout-sung vocals, swampy drums and lo-fi guitars, they do their darn best to produce a sound that’s abrasive, but thanks to the great songwriting, their music is still very satisfying. While mostly sticking to this garage pop sound on their previous tracks, such as recent single "Homesick" (streaming below), the Boston trio has shown the ability to pull off more "avant" stuff as well, like in their nearly nine minute track "BURN" from 2014. This versatility and talent should make their debut LP, due on 8/5, interesting to say the least. Earth Heart also made an appearance on WEMF radio’s Sticky Hits program on 5/28, and will be performing live at the pin Out of the Blue Too Art Gallery on July 13th. – Henry Solotaroff-Webber

Every time it seems like the emo sub-genre is finally on its last legs, a band swoops in with fresh, revitalizing sounds, and this time it’s Trenton’s own Save Face coming to the rescue with their Folly EP.  Though outwardly emo, the key to their unique sound is their subtle enfolding of other genre influences into their music and inventive dynamic shifting. Huge dynamic shifts are the name of the game in emo, but Save Face take it one step further through further contrasting their loud and soft sections in their musical makeups. Their louder sections of their songs are definitely emo, with screamed vocals, distorted guitars and the whole nine yards, but their softer sections mix in indie folk vocals, indie rock guitar, and a funky rhythm section that allows Save Face’s songs to stand out in how they are strikingly progress and diversely composed. Folly can be streamed now on Alternative Press, and you can catch Save Face live at Gold Sounds on 7/17. —Henry Solotaroff-Webber