Anne Vertin

Falling vastly short of the sensual allure implied by its title, “Magic Mike’s Last Dance” stumbles on multiple accounts, proving that all dances come to an end — some more gracefully than others.

Though “Disenchanted” seeks to rekindle the magic of its precursor, it falls short on almost every front.

While Titanic Rising envisioned waves of turmoil crashing on the horizon, Mering’s fifth full-length project places her directly in the eye of the storm — the looming consequences of capitalism, ecological degradation and modern technology have finally caught up with the world.

Now, his third full-length project Smithereens, released Nov. 4, finds Joji inconsistent and disorganized as he continues down a path to finetune his artistic identity.

Instead of radiating the warmth of the star atop a Christmas tree, the album feels more like a tarnished, long-forgotten ornament sitting in the corner of the attic.

If When We Were Friends provided a reflective snapshot of fading teenage nostalgia, the band’s sophomore album crafts a time capsule overflowing with apprehension for the uncharted future.

Now, with their seventh album, The Car, the band is swiftly darting out of the fast lane and meandering onto a winding road of elegant experimentalism.

With Midnights, rather than reinvent herself through a new tale, Swift strives to rediscover her identity through strikingly vulnerable reflections.

As Bollinger continues her upward ascent, garnering nearly 1 million monthly listeners on Spotify, finding these private, independent outlets becomes all the more important.