Apart from his collaborator Arto Lindsay, Thiago Nassif’s ‘Três’ much unlike anything else you’re likely to hear from a very broadly defined pop realm that includes its rogue elements.

The underrated ‘Flavors of Entanglement,’ issued 10 years ago today, found Alanis Morissette in a moment of fearless introspection. Critics be damned.

Walter Becker could knock out a catchy jingle like “Just One Season” with probably about as much effort as it takes most of us to write something clever on a greeting card.

‘Blow Your Mind’ doesn’t sound anything like what you might expect from someone who did a farewell tour not so long ago. This, in fact, is Wilko Johnson near his best.

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.

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.