On Impersonator (Matador Records), Majical Cloudz transcends all reservations one might have about Montreal synth artists with poorly spelled names. The album is an astute examination of frontman Devon Welsh’s troubled psyche: consumed with how to be a good person, afflicted with the supreme loneliness and egotism of the artist. Set to Matthew Otto’s spare, haunting soundscapes, Impersonator makes a beautiful case for the power of vulnerability. “I’ve told you that I’ve been writing / This song is proof that I’m trying,” sings Welsh on the eponymous album opener.

Toronto’s Hooded Fang has shed members and changed its sound yet again on Gravez (Daps Records). Unlike the band’s previous surf-rock, a newly ferocious soundscape of distorted guitars and twee vocals sharpen the punky appeal of tracks like “Sailor Bull” and “Ode To Subterrania.” One hopes the band will continue to mature; the quirky, slow-burning ...