Jennifer Nettles

That Girl

Mercury

Country

Sugarland's female half goes solo and delivers an ambitious set of original tunes produced by Rick Rubin.

— Thom Jurek

Rosanne Cash

The River & the Thread

Blue Note / Decca

Pop/Rock, Country, Folk

The moods and legacies of life in the American South inform these 11 songs from the gifted singer and songwriter.

— Mark Deming

Sharon Jones / Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings

Give the People What They Want

Daptone

R&B

Reigning queen of classic soul revivalism shines on her fifth album of powerful, horn-heavy grooves.

— Fred Thomas

Mary Chapin Carpenter

Songs from the Movie

Concord / Rounder / Zoë Records

Pop/Rock

Revisiting her catalog with a symphony orchestra and choir, the songwriter tastefully and gracefully revisions her songs.

— Thom Jurek

Hiss Golden Messenger

Bad Debt

Paradise of Bachelors

Pop/Rock

The reissue of this lost album and spiritual classic contains bonus material and the original versions of well-known songs.

— Thom Jurek

James Vincent McMorrow

Post Tropical

Vagrant

Pop/Rock

On his sophomore effort, the Irish singer/songwriter turns in a stunner of a 21st century electronic soul record.

— Thom Jurek

Mark Lanegan

Has God Seen My Shadow? An Anthology 1989-2011

Light in the Attic Records

Pop/Rock

Excellent overview of the singer's post-Screaming Trees work, including twelve previously unreleased selections.

— Mark Deming

Blank Realm

Grassed Inn

Fire Records

Pop/Rock

These streamlined, hook-laden songs make Blank Realm's fourth full-length some of the band's finest music.

— Heather Phares

Painted Palms

Forever

Polyvinyl

Pop/Rock

Debut album from indie electronics duo melds tones of warmth and isolation.

Switchfoot

Fading West

Atlantic

Pop/Rock

Inspired by the band's love of surfing, Fading West is a passionate, sunshine-soaked return to form.

— Matt Collar

Lone Justice

This Is Lone Justice: The Vaught Tapes, 1983

Omnivore

Pop/Rock

1983 demos, recorded live to two-track, capture the band when they were the toast of L.A. in spirited, organic form.

— Mark Deming

Lucinda Williams

Lucinda Williams

Lucinda Williams / Thirty Tigers

Folk, Country, Pop/Rock

This wonderfully remastered reissue of her 1988 classic self-titled album contains a second disc with a 1989 concert and six bonus cuts.

— Thom Jurek

Autistic Youth

Nonage

Dirtnap Records

Pop/Rock

The hard-driving Portland punks' third album is strong and streamlined with elements of '80s hardcore and classic American punk.

— Timothy Monger

Cherry Glazerr

Haxel Princess

Burger Records

Pop/Rock

Debut full-length from the mostly teenage, mostly weird L.A. group that blends grunge and garage into an oddly creepy, but tuneful, sound.

— Tim Sendra

Neck Deep

Wishful Thinking

Hopeless Records

Pop/Rock

Debut album from Welsh pop-punk band sounds almost freakishly like an American group, but with precious little originality.

— Mark Deming

The Crystal Method

The Crystal Method

Tiny E Records

Electronic

The Crystal Method add a bit of dirt and grime to their flowing, club-ready sound on their self-titled fifth album.

— Gregory Heaney

Tinsley Ellis

Midnight Blue

Heartfixer Music

Blues, Pop/Rock

On his second self-released album, the Georgia guitarist and band offer a searing, diverse set of electric blues.

— Thom Jurek

Chris Wilson

It's Flamin' Groovy!

Proper / Twenty Stone Blatt

Pop/Rock

Former Flamin' Groovies vocalist reunites with several of his former bandmates but delivers inconsistent results.

— Mark Deming

Jon Pardi

Write You a Song

Capitol / Capitol Nashville / Universal Music

Country

Right in the Luke Bryan/Jason Aldean school of how to make country radio-ready summer hits.

— Steve Leggett

Self

Subliminal Plastic Motives

Fat Possum Records

Pop/Rock

Largely overlooked at the time of its mid-'90s release, this album blends grunge guitars with Beck-like sample-based pop.

— Fred Thomas

Supersuckers

Get the Hell

Acetate

Pop/Rock

All rock, no filler on the ninth album from these veteran troublemakers, including an almost unrecognizable Depeche Mode cover.

— Mark Deming

Kazuki Yamada / L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande

Bizet: L'Arlésienne Suites

PentaTone Classics

Classical

The highlight here is Fauré's Masques et Bergamasques, Op. 112, the very epitome of French grace in its four compact, old-style dances.

— James Manheim

Osiris Trio

Verklärte Nacht: Arnold Schönberg, Karl Wegel

Challenge Classics

Classical

Either of these works might bring something exciting to any piano trio program, and the Osiris Trio deserves credit for unearthing them.

— James Manheim

Ellie Dehn / Richard Hawkins / Jupiter String Quartet / Yolanda Kondonassis / Spencer Myer / Alexa Still

Ravel: Intimate Masterpieces

Oberlin Music

Classical

This is a lovely set of contrasting chamber pieces that creates an unusual and logical program that is superbly executed.

— James Manheim

Antonio Pappano

Sacred Verdi

Warner Classics

Classical

The Chorus of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia excels here, aided by Pappano to realize the full dynamic range.

— James Manheim

Manfred Honeck / Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

Richard Strauss: Don Juan; Death and Transfiguration; Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks

Reference Recordings

Classical

Richard Strauss' Don Juan, Death and Transfiguration, and Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks receive the finest sound on this hybrid SACD.

— Blair Sanderson

Tasmin Little / Andrew Davis / BBC Philharmonic Orchestra

The Lark Ascending

Chandos

Classical

Tasmin Little explores lush and lyrical works for violin and orchestra by British composers of the early 20th century.

— Blair Sanderson

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