Grayson Haver Currin

On her sixth album, Feist's barely adorned honesty is consummate, the result of someone who has lived enough to have a story and worked enough to set it brilliantly to song. Sara Melvin & Colby Richardson/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Patrick Shiroishi — pictured here in Los Angeles — released 19 albums in 2022; at least three were standouts in their respective fields, in part because of the questions of identity they examine. Sean Hazen for NPR hide caption

Kurt Wagner performs with Lambchop in September at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. Erik Westra/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

In the metal bands Sleep and High on Fire, Matt Pike has always looked to esoteric sources. Over the last decade, however, he's found inspiration in the conspiracy theories of David Icke. Photo Illustration by Estefania Mitre/NPR; Getty Images hide caption

Meric Long of the Bay Area band The Dodos found his voice in a distinctive guitar style. While writing the new album Grizzly Peak, he watched that ability begin to slip away. Shane Tolentino for NPR hide caption

Members of This Heat — from left, Gareth Williams, Charles Bullen and Charles Hayward — in Cold Storage. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

The Mountain Goats' John Darnielle at his home in Durham, N.C., where he wrote and recorded Songs for Pierre Chuvin in 10 days. Lalitree Darnielle/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Mike Posner, photographed on September 14, 2018 in New York City. The pop artist spent much of 2019 walking across the Unites States, from New Jersey to California. Rob Kim/Getty Images hide caption

Fennesz's Agora is due out March 29 on Touch. Jack Vartoogian/Getty Images hide caption

The Glands' Double Coda is out Nov. 9 on New West Records. Sean Dungan/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Roy Montgomery's Suffuse is out Aug. 17. Maeve Montgomery-McCarthy/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Deafheaven's Ordinary Corrupt Human Love comes out July 13. Corinne Shiavone/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Dave Matthews Band performs in St Paul., Minn. in February. Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for CBS Radio Inc. hide caption

Mary Lattimore's Hundreds of Days comes out May 18. Rachael Pony Casells/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Daniel Lanois (left) and Venetian Snares' Aaron Funk. Marthe Amanda Vannebo/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Keiji Haino in a solo performance at Schl8hof in Wels, Austria on Nov. 5, 2011. Peter Gannushkin/DOWNTOWNMUSIC.NET hide caption

Superchunk's What a Time to Be Alive is out Feb. 16 on Merge. Lissa Gotwals/Courtesy of the artist hide caption