PRINCE, Timeless (Legacy Recordings). The Prince Estate has gone back into the legendary vaults to bring us Timeless, a ten-song collection spanning the Purple One’s recorded output between 1977 and 2016. What has been pulled is, in a word, meh. There’s no doubting Prince and his skillset, but what’s presented here feels more like a collection of highly sophisticated demos. “With This Tear ..” and “The Guilty Ones” sound the most complete and release-ready. The other tunes are, as another musician once said, the map but not the treasure. Everything is headed in the right direction, but it falls a little short of its destination. Given Prince’s prolific output, it only makes sense that some of what’s in the vault may have been pushed aside with the intent of getting back to it. No doubt there’s plenty of quality material (including — hopefully — some live performances) to be found in the archives. Chances are, the next collection will clear the fence being aimed for.

MESHELL NDEGEOCELLO, Don’t Look Any Farther (Blue Note). With her soulful, smoky voice and delicious bass grooves, Meshell Ndegeocello remains one of the grooviest R&B-oriented artists out there, as she has since the nineties. This EP is a quick look at the direction she’s taking for her next album, Synonym, due October 1st. Here she teams up with singer/guitarist Luanne La Havas on a series of covers that also includes the Human League’s “Don’t You Want Me,” which deserves a place in the “covers that sound better than the original” category. Just further proof that Meshell exists on a higher musical plane. It’ll be fun to see where the full-length album takes us.

JIM JAMES, Wowed Out (ATO Records). It’s been eight years since My Morning Jacket frontman Jim James released a solo record, and it sounds like he’s been holding out on us. This collection of indie-driven, atmospheric tunes hits in just the right spot. The songs are tight and well-produced, putting us in a nice headspace while James envelops us in his Bon Iver-meets-Jam band grooves and melodies. If something can be viewed as intensely chill, this would fit the bill nicely.

DINOSAUR JR., There Near (Jagjaguwar). Never a band known for the subtlety of its sound, a Dinosaur Jr. record allows one the chance to capture the details often missed at live shows. The band’s overall sound is a study in consistency, and this album is no different. That’s okay … they make their sound very well. J. Mascis continues to be a force via both his aching and longing vocals and the heavy grooves and piercing shrieks from his legendary guitar and amp setup. There’s no doubting his message because it’s in your face! Lou Barlow and Murph (bass and drums, respectively) hold down the air-tight groove. They’re a testament to long-term rhythmic chemistry while giving their frontman full support. If you loved this band before, you’ll love them now. Newcomers are in for a good time, too.

LUDWIG GÖRANSSON, The Mandalorian and Grogu (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (Lucasfilm Ltd.) When it comes to music in the Star Wars universe, it’s all but impossible to top the works of John Williams, who started and established his legacy with the franchise in 1977. Ludwig Göransson has proven himself worthy of the task, giving a badass lead character in The Mandalorian the coolest theme since Darth Vader in The Empire Strikes Back. There’s no questioning who’s on the scene once that theme kicks in. The rest of the movie’s soundtrack is just as solid, where Göransson uses influences from multiple decades to create a timeless score. Synthesizers from the eighties collide with hip-hop elements and orchestral motifs to culminate in its own non-genre specific sound. It certainly goes places Williams never remotely considered. That’s what makes it stick out now and most likely for the foreseeable future.

STICK MEN, Let’s Thrak Again (Reel One) (Markus Reuter, Tony Levin, Pat Mastelotto). Can Stick Men be viewed as an extension of King Crimson? Perhaps. Though we would have to call this lineup the “Single Trio,” as Tony Levin (Chapman Stick), Pat Mastelotto (drums), and Markus Reuter (Touch Guitar U8) appear to have picked up the mantle of the monstrous six-headed beast that was Crimson between 1994 and ‘97, starting where the ‘95 album Thrak left off. The band is said to have redefined their individual sounds to tackle this album. The work paid off. The sound is raw, aggressive, and experimental, pushing boundaries in new and even more creative ways, starting with Thrak’s title track. This trio is in the ideal position to continue to muscle this music forward. Let’s hang around and see where it takes us.

THE DEPTH BENEATH US, Descent (3957266 Records DK). The Harrisburg, Pennsylvania-based quintet describes itself as “maximalist post-rock.” It fits, as does the Descent’s cover art. The sea is never completely calm in its delivery, opting instead for wave after wave of sonic seismic activity. Solos are rare, but that matters not. The unity and tightness of the band’s sound is every bit as thrilling. The grooves are metallic, conjuring thoughts of bands like Russian Circles. While it is heavy, Descent doesn’t bash our skulls in with the music’s weight. Just make sure you’re wearing a life preserver all the same.

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