It’s always a good indication that the music is working the way the artists intend for it to work when you struggle to pigeonhole it but can easily get a firm grasp of its emotional impact. Syrinx Effect ‘s ‘A Sky You Could Strike A Match On’ does just that.

Brownout’s instrumental explorations into the music of Public Enemy manage to tell a compelling, socially engaged story without using words.

The all-originals ‘Ours’ and all-covers ‘Theirs’ are both bulls eyes from Thumbscrew and a strong way to persuade the quality label Cuneiform to not give up the fight.

Billy Sherwood’s future impact on Yes comes into focus with “The More We Live – Let Go,” his first collaboration with Chris Squire.

Thollem ducks into a studio and jams with a noted, up-and-coming fusion guitarist and the drummer from an established garage-punk band.

Bart and the Bedazzled are like a cool combination of ’70s pop-singer Stephen Bishop and ’80s bands like the Style Council.

Simple, nuanced and damn near perfect, Judith Owen’s ‘RedisCOVERed’ meets and occasionally exceeds all expectations.

A comeback in the truest sense, ‘You Can’t Beat Youth’ returns the Maharajas to their garage-rock roots.

Philips is clearly that guy who is well suited for DIY, and now we know from ‘Get Along’ that even when he does something by himself two different ways, both ways are the ‘right’ way.

George Harrison’s struggle to balance a simple existence with a rock star’s hedonistic lifestyle is chronicled in the Beatles deep cut “It’s All Too Much.”