Lana Del Rey could have retired after the cinematic grandeur of her 2019 high-water mark Norman Fucking Rockwell! That album's imaginative songwriting, finely crafted performances, and exceptional production served as a realization of the magnificence promised by earlier efforts, and the deepest look yet at Del Rey's stormy inner world. Subsequent albums suggested a little bit of a comedown after such heights. Both released in 2021, Chemtrails Over the Country Club felt like an NFR! bonus reel, while Blue Banisters played like a mixtape of solid but random song ideas. Ninth album Did you know that there's a tunnel under Ocean Blvd finds Del Rey returning to the powerful level of song sculpting she reached on NFR!, and feels like a strong step forward as much as it does a worthy follow-up to her best record.

Berry Gordy, Jr. once said "Don't bore us – get to the chorus," which basically sums up most of pop music. It doesn't, however, do credit to Roxette, who has crafted some of the best tunes of the '80s and '90s. This compilation exhibits what pop masters Per Gessle and Marie Fredriksson are. It sums up major hits ("It Must Have Been Love," "Joyride"), minor hits ("Church of Your Heart," "How Do You Do!"), hard-to-find cuts ("Almost Unreal" from the Super Mario Bros. soundtrack), and new material ("Stars," "Wish I Could Fly"). Every song is a gem. Whether it's aching ballads like "Crash! Boom! Bang!," A/C/pop like "Dressed For Success," or techno/dance like "Stars," the two never miss a beat in terms of production, vocals, or lyrics.

Annabel Mehran's black-and-white cover photo for Steve Gunn's The Unseen Inbetween is a portrait of the guitarist and songwriter seemingly on the move. It evokes those found on early- to mid-'60s recordings by Bob Dylan, Koerner, Ray & Glover, Jackson C. Frank, Bert Jansch, and others. Gunn has shifted his focus considerably. Rather than simply showcase his dazzling guitar playing, he delivers carefully crafted, uncharacteristically tight and well-written songs with guitars, keyboards, strings, reeds – and percussion – translating them without artifice or instrumental disguise. Gunn's also a more confident, capable singer than he was on 2016's Eyes on the Lines and it shows.