ELA MINUS DÍA (Domino) — For her sophomore full-length release, Ela Minus decided to go deeper. Much as the Colombia native had already established her formidable artistry with her earlier releases, she knew there were room for more vulnerability — more personal revelation — in what she created. DÍA represents five years of self-examination, and her craft and creativity show signs of fierce fortification. She embraces the sense of possibility that’s opened up by her electronic-based music and makes songs that send listeners spinning like a a Tilt-A-Whirl. The discombobulation comes from tracks such as the spacey, exploratory instrumental “Abrir Monte” and the Björk-ian “IDK.” Lest that sound too arty and distancing, Ela Minus is plenty committed to developing irresistible grooves. There’s a house wave that crests and recedes in “I Want to Be Better,” and the missing link between Laurie Anderson and Janelle Monae is right there in “Idols.” The lyrics deliver their own dizzying punch, often peeling back disappointments and self-incrimination sensations that are all too relatable for anyone who’s spent time wondering how they can move forward in better, stronger ways. Artistically, Ela Minus is managing just that sort of enviable progress. In addition to the cuts already mentioned, consider these plusses: “Broken,” “QQQQ,” “Onwards,” and “Combat.”

EX-VÖID In Love Again (Tapete) — It’s been long enough since the band Joanna Gruesome took their final bows on stage that the time has likely come to shunt nostalgia aside and celebrate the acts that were spawned from that ending. The sophomore release by Ex-Vöid gives ample incentive to simply enjoy the here and now. Former Gruesome cohorts Lan McArdle and Owen Williams — along with bandmates Laurie Foster (bass) and George Rothman (drums) — fill In Love Again with pert and piquant indie rock songs that trade on lovelorn feelings to create something that feels like tough-minded triumph. The bottom-heavy thump of the title cut is like ballast that keeps a buffeted ship steady, a sensation that mystically extended across the whole album as Ex-Vöid romps freely through stylistic diversions that are familiar yet all their own. They sound a little bit Judybats and a little Allo Darlin’ on “July” and employ an affecting shoegaze wash to “Pinhead.” After a string of songs that fiercely announce themselves, the band wraps it all up with “Outline,” an airy folk song that eventually lets crunchy power chords mount another invasion. May Ex-Vöid last a good long time. Prepare to fall for the following tracks: “Swansea,” “Sara,” and “Down the Drain.”