Nickel Creek

A Dotted Line

Nonesuch

Country, Folk, Pop/Rock

Warm, friendly, and relatively traditional reunion from the progressive bluegrass trio.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Leon Russell

Life Journey

Universal

Pop/Rock

A joyous celebration of the blues, R&B, jazz, and swing that accounts for Russell's unique style.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Cloud Nothings

Here and Nowhere Else

Carpark Records / Mom + Pop Music

Pop/Rock

Equally fiery and committed, Cloud Nothings' fourth album is sustainable punk.

Manchester Orchestra

Cope

Republic / Universal

Pop/Rock

The Atlanta outfit digs into a deeply felt, post-hardcore melodicism on their fourth album.

— Matt Collar

Timber Timbre

Hot Dreams

Arts & Crafts

Pop/Rock

Timber Timbre's fifth album is a potent cocktail of menace, glamour, and vulnerability.

— Heather Phares

Arc Iris

Arc Iris

Anti-

Pop/Rock

Jocie Adams' new band debuts an album of brilliant, accessible songs that streak across pop, folk, jazz, classical, rock, and more.

— Thom Jurek

Nick Cannon

White People Party Music

Ncredible Records

Electronic

The rapper, television host, stand-up comedian, and celebrity husband adds ironic EDM artist to the list with this odd effort.

— David Jeffries

Christina Perri

Head or Heart

Atlantic

Pop/Rock

The second outing from the gal responsible for 2010's "Jar of Hearts" explores familiar singer/songwriter themes with a keen pop ear.

— James Christopher Monger

RAC

Strangers

Interscope

Pop/Rock

The prolific remixer's debut album features breezy collaborations with Tegan & Sara, Tokyo Police Club, YACHT, and Penguin Prison.

— Heather Phares

Kaiser Chiefs

Education, Education, Education & War

ATO

Pop/Rock

The fifth long-player from the Leed-based rockers treads familiar ground, but with attitude.

— James Christopher Monger

The Cats / Robert Cray / Robert Cray Band

In My Soul

Provogue

Blues

Exceptional mellow soul-blues album from the veteran guitarist.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Various Artists

Looking into You: A Tribute to Jackson Browne

Music Road Records

Pop/Rock

Subtle, measured tribute to the careful songcraft of Jackson Browne.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Various Artists

A Tribute to Ronnie James Dio: This Is Your Life

Rhino

Pop/Rock

A fitting tribute to a heavy metal legend from friends, family, and (famous) fans.

— James Christopher Monger

Mac DeMarco

Salad Days

Captured Tracks

Pop/Rock

Canadian goofball grows up alongside his lighthearted but deceptively complex pop style, offering his most consistent set of songs as he ponders aging.

— Fred Thomas

Pure X

Angel [LP]

Fat Possum Records

Pop/Rock

Third album from this Texas indie group makes a sharp turn from dark atmospherics to carefree, soul-influenced dreaminess.

— Fred Thomas

White Hinterland

Baby

Dead Oceans

Pop/Rock

Third album from this soul-inspired indie songwriter takes a turn toward darker, more insular sounds.

— Fred Thomas

Josh Thompson

Turn It Up

Show Dog / Show Dog Universal Music / Universal

Country

Long-awaited second album from the amiable country singer.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Thievery Corporation

Saudade

Eighteenth Street / ESL Music

Electronic

The acid jazz veterans up the organic content of their output with an album of Brazilian- and bossa nova-flavored songs.

— David Jeffries

MKTO

MKTO

Columbia

Pop/Rock

A slick but rambunctious and super-catchy mix of pop, rap, and dance tunes.

— Matt Collar

Los Lobos

Sí Se Puede!

Fantasy

Pop/Rock, Latin

Vintage recordings of Los Lobos paying tribute to Cesar Chavez; documents the group's earliest days as folk musicians.

— Mark Deming

Inventions

Inventions

Temporary Residence

Pop/Rock, Electronic

Members of Eluvium and Explosions in the Sky make their debut as Inventions with an album of mesmerizing, melodic post-rock.

— Gregory Heaney

The Used

Imaginary Enemy [Deluxe Version]

Hopeless Records

Pop/Rock

The sixth album from the stalwart Utah punks offers up a solid mix of anthems and power ballads.

— James Christopher Monger

Charlie Daniels / The Charlie Daniels Band

Off the Grid: Doin' It Dylan

Blue Hat Records

Pop/Rock, Country

A rip-roaring tribute to the Bard recorded by the former Dylan sideman.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Steel Panther

All You Can Eat

Open E Music

Pop/Rock

Steel Panther continue to bang the drum for hair metal on their fourth album, All You Can Eat.

— Gregory Heaney

Lacuna Coil

Broken Crown Halo

Century Media

Pop/Rock

A solid effort with a thick, crushing sound which sees the Italian metalers returning to gloomier, gothic metal pastures.

— John D. Buchanan

Chevelle

La Gárgola

Epic

Pop/Rock

Chevelle's partnership with Tool and Isis producer Joe Barresi continues to pay dividends on the band's seventh album, La Gárgola.

— Gregory Heaney

S. Carey

Range of Light

Jagjaguwar

Pop/Rock

The Wisconsin native returns with a lovingly crafted, orchestral folk nod to naturalist John Muir and the Sierra Nevada mountain range.

— Timothy Monger

Mica Levi

Under the Skin [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]

Milan

Stage & Screen

The Micachu & the Shapes frontwoman's first score and solo project is a brilliantly simple study in terror and tension.

— Heather Phares

Boozoo Bajou

4

Apollo

Electronic

Having checked many other genres off their list, Boozoo conquer ambient dub on their excellent effort 4.

— David Jeffries

Pilgrim

II: Void Worship

Metal Blade

Pop/Rock

Pilgrim revive the stark, glacial doom of bands like Candlemass on their second album, II: Void Worship.

— Gregory Heaney

Dan + Shay

Where It All Began

Warner Bros.

Country

First album from this mega-polished Nashville duo blurring the lines between country and pop.

— Mark Deming

Architecture in Helsinki

NOW + 4EVA

Casual Workout

Pop/Rock

The group's fifth album is a shiny, bouncy, happy machine that's heavily influnced by the pop sounds of the '90s, plus a little disco.

— Tim Sendra

Saintseneca

Dark Arc

Anti-

Pop/Rock

On its Anti debut, the Columbus group evolves from its indie folk roots into an ambitious indie rock unit.

— Thom Jurek

The Bamboos

Fever in the Road

Nettwerk

R&B

The group limits its use of vocalists to Ellla Thompson and Kylie Auldist in an inspired set of gritty psych pop and retro soul.

— Thom Jurek

Small Black

Real People

Jagjaguwar

Pop/Rock

Less slick and more danceable than their previous album, the EP features guest vocals from Frankie Rose.

— Tim Sendra

Band of Skulls / Matt Hayward / Russell Marsden / Emma Richardson

Himalayan

Electric Blues Records

Pop/Rock

The bluesy trio's third long-player polishes up any rough edges and dials up the swagger.

— James Christopher Monger

Hannibal Buress

Live from Chicago

Comedy Central Records

Comedy/Spoken

With a cool, swaggering delivery meeting material that's edgy and sharp, Buress ups his already great game on this hilarious album.

— David Jeffries

The Body

I Shall Die Here

RVNG

Pop/Rock

The Body collaborate with the Haxan Cloak on I Shall Die Here, an album of challenging sonic terror that looks to redefine doom.

— Gregory Heaney

Polar Bear

In Each and Every One

The Leaf Label

Jazz

Fifth record from this U.K. quintet finds them delving even deeper into experimental electronics and risk-taking production ideas.

— Fred Thomas

Jon Langford & Skull Orchard / Jon Langford

Here Be Monsters

In De Goot Recordings / Relativity

Pop/Rock

Bitter but literate tales of lives in the balance dominate this album that finds Langford in especially strong musical form.

— Mark Deming

HTRK

Psychic 9-5 Club

Ghostly International

Pop/Rock

Now a duo, this Australian group turns the page with a warm and extremely downtempo fourth album.

— Timothy Monger

Mike Dillon

Band of Outsiders

Royal Potato Family

Pop/Rock

The vibraphonist hooks up with three New Orleans musicians for a sophisticated, hilariously debauched rhythm party.

— Thom Jurek

Ausmuteants

Ausmuteants

Aarght / Goner Records

Pop/Rock

Aussie punks with a synthesizer channel Devo in ways you might not expect; dark, funny, and oddly invigorating.

— Mark Deming

Carrie Newcomer

A Permeable Life

Available Light Records

Folk, Pop/Rock, Country

The album has been released in conjunction with a book, A Permeable Life: Poems and Essays.

— Steve Leggett

Jamaica

Ventura

Relativity

Pop/Rock

The French duo's sophomore album is a fun mix of '70s-influenced soft rock and '80s New Wave pop.

— Matt Collar

Hank Williams III

Ramblin' Man

Curb

Pop/Rock, Country

Odds-and-ends collection of material Hank III cut during his years with Curb, most drawn from tribute albums.

— Mark Deming

Dan Croll

Sweet Disarray

Capitol / Decca / Universal

Pop/Rock

The long-awaited, colorful debut by the young Liverpudlian songwriter succeeds in the face of high expectations.

— Timothy Monger

Keith Allison

In Action: The Complete Columbia Sides Plus!

Real Gone Music

Pop/Rock

Expanded version of the sole solo album from this onetime teen pop star and future Raider.

— Mark Deming

Malachai

Beyond Ugly

Domino / Double Six

Pop/Rock

Bristol's sonic tricksters return with a vengeance, adding a final chapter to their Ugly trilogy.

— Timothy Monger

Pattern Is Movement

Pattern Is Movement

Hometapes

Pop/Rock

Indie duo return with their first album in six years, combining raw emotion and meticulous arrangement.

— Fred Thomas

Patti Labelle & the Bluebelles

The Complete Atlantic Sides Plus

Real Gone Music

R&B

A thorough, lovingly assembled 40-track anthology of the Bluebelles' late-'60s period on the Atlantic label.

— Andy Kellman

Martin Hoff / Staatskapelle Weimar

Humperdinck: Hänsel und Gretel

MDG

Classical

Engelbert Humperdinck's fairy tale opera, Hänsel und Gretel, has enjoyed nearly universal popularity since its premiere in 1893.

— Blair Sanderson

Martha Argerich / Claudio Abbado / Orchestra Mozart

Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 20 & 25

Deutsche Grammophon

Classical

The live sound here is impressively clear, and in general this is a marvelous statement from the last months of a great conductor's life.

— James Manheim

Julia Fischer / Milana Chernyavska

Sarasate

Decca

Classical

Violinist Julia Fischer and pianist Milana Chernyavska present a delightful recital of works by Spanish virtuoso Pablo de Sarasate.

— Blair Sanderson

Daishin Kashimoto / Konstantin Lifschitz

Beethoven: The Complete Violin Sonatas

Warner Classics

Classical

Daishin Kashimoto and Konstantin Lifschitz make their debut on Warner in a complete set of Beethoven's violin sonatas.

— Blair Sanderson

Ingrid Fliter / Jun Märkl / Scottish Chamber Orchestra

Frédéric Chopin: Piano Concertos

Linn Records

Classical

For her debut on Linn, Ingrid Fliter presents the two piano concertos of Frédéric Chopin in the hybrid SACD format.

— Blair Sanderson

Maggini Quartet

Mendelssohn: Complete Works for String Quartet, Vol. 1

Meridian Records

Classical

The Maggini String Quartet here offers up a Mendelssohn program of considerable emotional weight.

— James Manheim

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