Miley Cyrus

Bangerz

RCA

Pop/Rock

Miley's first post-Disney album transforms her into an A-list pop star who won't be ignored.

— Heather Phares

Danny Brown

Old

Fool's Gold

Rap

Detroit rapper masterfully balances technical brilliance and bizarre tangents on this smart, funny, and effortlessly stunning album.

— David Jeffries

Pusha T

My Name Is My Name

G.O.O.D. Music

Rap

Pusha makes his solo debut with a stunning effort that combines his previous work with Clipse with the angst and art of Yeezus.

— David Jeffries

Panic! At the Disco

Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die!

Fueled by Ramen Records / Atlantic / Decaydance

Pop/Rock

A thrilling combination of anthemic emo-rock, '80s-style new wave, and contemporary R&B.

— Matt Collar

Amos Lee

Mountains of Sorrow, Rivers of Song

Blue Note

Pop/Rock

Singer/songwriter Amos Lee's fifth studio album is also his first recorded in Nashville.

— Matt Collar

Joe Nichols

Crickets

Red Bow Records

Country

The neo-traditionalist country singer re-positions himself as a country-pop crossover act

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Of Montreal

Lousy with Sylvianbriar

Polyvinyl

Pop/Rock

Trading in psychodrama and electro-pop for dusty '70s FM radio vibes, this long-running indie act makes one of its best albums.

— Fred Thomas

Korn

The Paradigm Shift

Caroline / Prospect Park

Pop/Rock

Former guitarist Brian "Head" Welch returns for his first album with the band in over a decade on Korn's driving eleventh release.

— Gregory Heaney

Lissie

Back to Forever [Deluxe with Bonus Tracks]

Columbia

Pop/Rock, Country

California pop-folk artist Lissie follows up her debut album, 2010's Catching a Tiger, with a self-titled sophomore effort.

— Steve Leggett

Lee Ranaldo and the Dust / Lee Ranaldo

Last Night on Earth

Matador

Pop/Rock

Featuring Steve Shelley and Alan Licht, Ranaldo's second album introduces his new band with satisfyingly complex songs.

— Heather Phares

Kenny Rogers

You Can't Make Old Friends

Warner Bros.

Pop/Rock, Country

A return to smooth easy listening.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Various Artists

Red Hot + Fela

Knitting Factory Records

Electronic, International, Pop/Rock, R&B, Rap

This stellar transcultural dance-groove orgy is the first time the organization has devoted a second volume to a single artist's work.

— Thom Jurek

Anna Calvi

One Breath

Domino

Pop/Rock

Howling, flamenco pants-wearing, guitar-slinging Brit offers up a disquieting gem of a sophomore outing.

— James Christopher Monger

Glasser

Interiors

True Panther Sounds

Pop/Rock

Cameron Mesirow's second album explores the chambers within buildings and hearts in songs carefully engineered to hover and flow.

— Heather Phares

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.

The Speed of Things

Warner Bros.

Pop/Rock

The Detroit duo return with an album that's as nostalgic, hopeful, and complicated as the city they hail from.

— Gregory Heaney

Diego Garcia

Paradise

Concord

Latin, Pop/Rock

Garcia's brilliant sophomore album combines Latin troubadour romanticism with melodic, '60s-influenced folk-pop.

— Matt Collar

Patty Griffin

Silver Bell

A&M / Polydor

Pop/Rock, Folk

Legendary scrapped 2000 album finally gets released.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

V V Brown

Samson & Delilah

YOY

Pop/Rock

A seething breakup album, drastically different from the U.K. singer and songwriter's playful debut.

— Andy Kellman

New Found Glory

Kill It Live

Bridge Nine Records / Violently Happy

Pop/Rock

New Found Glory capture the unmistakable energy of a live punk show on their first concert album.

— Gregory Heaney

Cage the Elephant

Melophobia

RCA

Pop/Rock

A thoroughly modern rock record where the sounds of the '80s, '90s, and 2000s are alive in the present.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Cassadee Pope

Frame by Frame

Republic Nashville

Country, Pop/Rock

The kind of popular, thinly veneered pop that passes for country these days.

— Steve Leggett

RJD2

More Is Than Isn't

RJ's Electrical Connections

Rap

The left-field hip-hop producer expands his sound, chilling out on some cuts while exploring R&B on others.

— David Jeffries

Electric Six

Mustang

Metropolis / Metropolis Records

Pop/Rock

The weird world of the Electric Six continues to get stranger and darker on the band's tenth album.

— Gregory Heaney

Daniel Avery

Drone Logic

Because Music

Electronic

The debut from the U.K. techno producer is a throwback to the early-'90s glory days of well-crafted, musically challenging electronic albums.

— Tim Sendra

Parkay Quarts / Parquet Courts

Tally All the Things That You Broke

What's Yr Rupture?

Pop/Rock

More a footnote than a follow-up to their brilliant debut, this stopgap EP of experimental post-punk is still strong and lively fun.

— Fred Thomas

Ezra Furman

Day of the Dog

Bar/None Records

Pop/Rock

The fiery folk-punk provacateur's second outing without the Harpoons may be her best.

— James Christopher Monger

His Clancyness

Vicious

FatCat Records

Pop/Rock

Debut album from A Classic Education's frontman is textbook indie rock with a few nice moments of drama and danger.

— Tim Sendra

Tim Kasher

Adult Film

Saddle Creek Records

Pop/Rock

The propulsive, less opulent, electro-pop counterpart to 2010's theatrical Game of Monogamy.

— James Christopher Monger

Alter Bridge

Fortress [International Version]

Generator Records / Roadrunner Records

Pop/Rock

Alter Bridge show no signs of wear after a busy couple of years on their soaring fourth album, Fortress.

— Gregory Heaney

Lyfe Jennings

Lucid

Mass Appeal / Universal

R&B

A pleasing return from one of R&B's most consistent, down-to-earth voices.

— Andy Kellman

Anders Osborne

Peace

Alligator Records

Pop/Rock

The New Orleans' guitarist and songwriter's third Alligator full-length completes a trilogy, balancing tensions while asking new questions.

— Thom Jurek

Lucy Spraggan

Join the Club

Columbia

Folk

The first studio album from the reggae/hip-hop/folk troubadour/former X Factor contestant.

— James Christopher Monger

National Wake

Walk in Africa

Light in the Attic Records

International, Pop/Rock

The enduring, urgent, revelatory sounds of this outlaw South African, multi-racial punk band are displayed in a deluxe reissue.

— Thom Jurek

PAPA

Tender Madness

Island / Republic

Ex-Girls drummer offers up a rousing debut that suggests the E Street Band fronted by "Loser"-era Beck.

— James Christopher Monger

St. Lucia

When the Night

Columbia / Neon Gold

Pop/Rock

Atmospheric, melodic, and utterly romantic '80s synth pop-influenced debut from the Brooklyn outfit.

— Matt Collar

The Kickdrums

Thinking Out Loud

Hopeless Records

Pop/Rock

Pleasant emo-ish pop debut from Alex Fitts, who got his start making beats for rappers but is now a singer/songwriter.

— Tim Sendra

Gretchen Wilson

Christmas in My Heart

Redneck

Holiday, Country

A pleasing mix, all held together by Wilson's joyous vocals.

— Steve Leggett

Tony Bennett

Live at the Sahara: Las Vegas, 1964

Columbia / Legacy / RPM Records / Sony Legacy

Jazz, Pop/Rock, Vocal

A warm and generous show from an American icon at the very commercial peak of his career.

— Steve Leggett

William Shatner

Ponder the Mystery

Cleopatra

Comedy/Spoken, Vocal

Odd, partially campy excursion into sci-fi prog from the former Captain Kirk.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Echosmith

Talking Dreams

Warner Bros. / WEA

Pop/Rock

The debut album from the California four-piece is a bright, melodic, '80s-influenced winner.

— Matt Collar

Kitchens of Distinction

Folly

3 Loop Music

Pop/Rock

Following a 19-year absence, this quietly influential early college rock/shoegaze band returns with little change to its sound.

— Fred Thomas

The Louis Lester Band

Dancing on the Edge

Verve

Jazz, Stage & Screen

The music from the mini-series of the same name evokes the sounds and mood of early-'30s Great Britain.

— Thom Jurek

Original Soundtrack

CBGB [Original Soundtrack]

Omnivore

Pop/Rock, Stage & Screen

Wild, raucous blast soundtrack to the CBGB biopic that is one serious good time.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Steve Nieve

Together

429 Records

Pop/Rock

The composer and former Attractions keyboardist delivers a deft, elegant, ambitious collection of duets with a star-studded cast.

— Thom Jurek

Silkroad Ensemble / Yo-Yo Ma

A Playlist Without Borders

Masterworks

International

This program includes a general mix that typifies the group's genre- and border-crossing ways, with highlights including a suite by Iyer.

— James Manheim

Jonas Kaufmann

The Verdi Album

Masterworks / Sony Classical

Classical

There is plenty here for opera scorekeepers to dig into, and it's likely Kaufmann will come out very well with them.

— James Manheim

Renée Fleming / Sebastian Lang-Lessing

Guilty Pleasures

Decca

Classical

It is not only the creamy tones but the sense of fun and accomplishment that makes Fleming such a joy here.

— James Manheim

Elina Vähälä / Jaakko Kuusisto

The Red Violin: Concertos by Corigliano & Kuusisto

BIS

Classical

The novelty in this release lies not necessarily with the performances by American-Finnish violinist Vähälä, which have little to object to, but with the program.

— James Manheim

Vladimir Ashkenazy / Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra

Shostakovich: The Execution of Stepan Razin; Zoya Suite

Ondine

Classical

In no way is this collection a cornerstone Shostakovich release, yet there isn't a dull moment on it.

— James Manheim

Avison Ensemble / Pavlo Beznosiuk

Arcangelo Corelli: Chamber Sonatas, Opp. 2 & 4

Linn / Linn Records

Classical

The Avison players achieve a sparkling liveliness in the fast movements that few other groups seem to manage with period strings.

— James Manheim

Rizan Sa'id / Omar Souleyman

Wenu Wenu

Ribbon Music

International

On his first studio album, the Syrian dabke master teams with producer Kieran Hebden in a driving, sonic, tour de force.

— Thom Jurek

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