Featured New Album Releases

Coldplay

Ghost Stories

Atlantic / Parlophone

Pop/Rock

A slow, sweet, and lush collection of comfort music from the increasingly melodic arena rock band.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

The Roots

...And Then You Shoot Your Cousin

Def Jam

Rap

The group's grim follow-up to Undun is a brief but substantial -- and guest-filled -- examination of self-destruction and materialism.

— Andy Kellman

Conor Oberst

Upside-Down Mountain

Nonesuch

Pop/Rock

Oberst's first major-label LP is also his brightest, slickest record to date.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Oasis

Definitely Maybe [Remastered] [Deluxe Edition] [With Book]

Big Brother

Pop/Rock

Expanded 20th Anniversary edition of Oasis' debut contains all of the B-sides from the LP, the Whatever single and a host of live tracks and demos.

Miles Davis

Take Off: The Complete Blue Note Albums

Blue Note

Jazz

Superb anthology of the innovative jazz trumpeter's mid-'50s recordings for Blue Note.

— Matt Collar

Jolie Holland

Wine Dark Sea

Anti-

Pop/Rock

The singer/songwriter, buoyed by three guitarists, horns, reeds, and two drummers, deftly and provocatively explores American roots music.

— Thom Jurek

Brantley Gilbert

Just as I Am

Valory

Country

A powerful modern outlaw country album from the rebellious singer.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Yann Tiersen

∞ (Infinity)

Mute

Pop/Rock

Inspired by Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and his home base of Brittany, the composer's eighth album is one of his most ambitious and heartfelt.

— Heather Phares

R.E.M.

Complete Rarities I.R.S. 1982-1987

Capitol / EMI

Pop/Rock

Digital-only compilation of B-sides, demos, and live tracks from R.E.M.'s I.R.S. years; includes all of Dead Letter Office and bonus disc from 2006 hits comp.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

R.E.M.

Unplugged 1991/2001: Complete Sessions

Rhino / Warner Bros.

Pop/Rock

The entirety of the group's 1991 and 2001 MTV Unplugged sets, including unreleased material.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Archie Bronson Outfit

Wild Crush

Domino

Pop/Rock

Combining the feral power of its early work and the danceable feel of Coconut, the group synthesizes its past into a brilliantly realized present.

— Tim Sendra

Billy Joel

A Matter of Trust: The Bridge to Russia

Columbia / Legacy / Sony Legacy / Sony Music

Pop/Rock

Document of Joel's 1987 voyage to Russia, featuring an expanded version of his 1987 concert LP and a documentary of the tour.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Trans Am

Volume X

Thrill Jockey

Pop/Rock

The trio's aptly named tenth album samples virtually all of the eclectic sounds they've pursued over the years.

— Heather Phares

Roy Orbison

Mystery Girl [Deluxe Edition]

Sony Legacy

Pop/Rock

The 25th anniversary edition of Orbison's 1989 comeback contains several unreleased demos and a DVD with videos.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Afrojack

Forget the World

Def Jam

Electronic

Snoop Dogg, Sting, Wiz Khalifa, and Wrabel join the Dutch EDM DJ on his debut album.

— David Jeffries

Le Butcherettes

Cry Is for the Flies

Ipecac / Nadie Sound

Pop/Rock

Three years after their debut, this band emerges with an equally powerful but more musically accomplished and poetically militant follow-up.

— Thom Jurek

Kae Tempest

Everybody Down

Big Dada

Rap

The performance poet/rapper makes his Big Dada debut with a stunning concept album.

— David Jeffries

Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band / Kenny Wayne Shepherd

Goin' Home

Concord

Blues

Recorded in his hometown, this set is a comfortable and guest-laden return to the blues where it all started.

— Steve Leggett

Mr. Scruff

Friendly Bacteria

Ninja Tune

Electronic

The Manchester-based producer returns with an economical effort that's funkier and firmer than previous forays.

— David Jeffries

Phillip Phillips

Behind the Light

19 Recordings / Interscope

Pop/Rock

Sweet and slick collection of AAA pop, referencing both the Dave Matthews Band and Mumford & Sons.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Comet Control

Teepee Records

Pop/Rock

Impressive debut of heavy metal shoegaze psych from former members of Quest for Fire.

— Tim Sendra

Plaid

Reachy Prints

Warp

Electronic

The pioneering electronic duo's sixth album distills and updates the brainy whimsy of their late-'90s heyday for the 21st century.

— Heather Phares

Pujol

Kludge

Saddle Creek Records

Pop/Rock

Underneath the sonic clutter, the Nashville band's second offering for Saddle Creek is sensitive, earnest, and awfully catchy.

— Timothy Monger

John Doe

The Best of John Doe This Far

Yep Roc

Pop/Rock

This 21-song collection cherry-picks the best moments from the solo catalog of the founder of X; includes two new recordings.

— Mark Deming

Smoke Fairies

Full Time Hobby

Pop/Rock

The most sensual, stately, and singular set of songs conjured by the duo thus far.

— James Christopher Monger

Syd Arthur

Sound Mirror

Harvest / Virgin EMI

Pop/Rock

The prog- and psych-leaning Canterbury foursome up their game with an impressive sophomore release.

— Timothy Monger

Chatham County Line

Tightrope

Yep Roc

Country, Folk

Sixth album from this bluegrass-inspired North Carolina quartet finds them exploring new sounds with their usual excellence.

— Mark Deming

Bo Ningen

III

Stolen

Pop/Rock

Third album from this Japan-via-London psych act moves from manic explosions to melancholic space rock explorations.

— Fred Thomas

Emma Ruth Rundle

Some Heavy Ocean

Sargent House

Pop/Rock

A dense and brooding midnight black slab of post-folk goodness from the Marriages' and Nocturnes' frontwoman.

— James Christopher Monger

FKA twigs

EP2

Young Turks

Pop/Rock, R&B

Tahliah Barnett's second handful of trip-hop-tinged songs is even more musically lush and lyrically raw.

— Heather Phares

Haley Bonar

Last War

FKLG / Graveface Records

Pop/Rock

A propulsive set that finds the sweet spot between the earthy Americana of Neko Case and the rich electro-dream pop of Frankie Rose.

— James Christopher Monger

The Brian Jonestown Massacre

Revelation

A / A.

Pop/Rock

The 14th full-length by this legendarily obscure rock genius heads deeper into the psychedelic black hole.

— Fred Thomas

Les Big Byrd

They Worshipped Cats

"a" Recordings / A.

Pop/Rock

Fantastic debut from Swedish psych outfit melds one-chord Krautrock riffs with dark-hearted rock & roll.

— Fred Thomas

Hank Thompson

Songs for Rounders/At the Golden Nugget

The Omni Recording Corporation

Country

Two-fer containing Thompson's two best-known, and arguably best, LPs.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Hank Williams

The Garden Spot Programs, 1950

Omnivore

Country

Four long-lost 1950 radio broadcasts from the country icon are released for the first time on this album.

— Mark Deming

American Football

American Football [Deluxe Edition]

Polyvinyl

Pop/Rock

An incredible hybrid of jazz-influenced chops and wide-eyed emo-pop from ex-Cap'n Jazz folk -- reissued with a wealth of bonus tracks.

— Fred Thomas

Bottin

Punica Fides

Bear Funk

Pop/Rock, Electronic

Turning away from his Italo-disco fixation, the Italian producer returns with a poppier, fresher, and more House-inspired sound.

— Tim Sendra

Lonesome Shack

More Primitive

Alive / Alive Naturalsound Records / Alive Records

Pop/Rock, Blues

Languid and subtle (maybe too languid and subtle) blues-informed indie rock from this Seattle trio.

— Mark Deming

Hedley

Wild Life

Capitol / Universal

Pop/Rock

A slick, tawdry, and endearing collection of every pop sound of 2013/2014.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Hollis Brown

Hollis Brown Gets Loaded

Alive / Alive Naturalsound Records

Pop/Rock

A fun and rootsy spin on N.Y.C.'s greatest ever rock band by a young band that's pretty good in its own right.

— Steve Leggett

Miss Fortune

A Spark to Believe

Sumerian Records

Pop/Rock

Post-hardcore quintet Miss Fortune offer up a surprisingly self-aware take on the breakup record with their Sumerian Records debut.

— Gregory Heaney

The Capsules

The Long Goodbye

Saint Marie

Pop/Rock

Dallas-based dream pop stalwarts deliver one of their strongest and most cohesive records to date.

— Timothy Monger

The Everymen

Givin' Up on Free Jazz

Ejrc / Ernest Jenning

Pop/Rock

The second album from these New Jersey show stoppers is a big, heartfelt set of rock that covers many eras and styles with gusto.

— Mark Deming

Chilly Gonzales

Re-Introduction Etudes

Éditions Bourgès R. / Gentle Threat

Pop/Rock, Easy Listening

A collection of easy-to-learn piano lessons geared toward the lapsed player and delivered with a sense of humor.

— Fred Thomas

Dave Specter

Message in Blue

Delmark

Jazz, Blues

Specter's guitar playing swings, bites, and slides through everything, singing its heart out.

— Steve Leggett

Oren Ambarchi / Randall Dunn / Stephen O'Malley

Shade Themes from Kairos

Drag City

Pop/Rock

After completing a soundtrack, this trio further investigates abstract notions of time, dynamic, and texture in compelling long-form works.

— Thom Jurek

Original Soundtrack

The Fault in Our Stars [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]

Atlantic

Pop/Rock, Stage & Screen

A solid collection of heartfelt pop songs that feel genuinely connected to the film, and not just cobbled together for the sake of commerce.

— James Christopher Monger

RBTS Win

Palm Sunday

Tidal Prism

Pop/Rock

Melodic, hypnotic, psychedelia-and-hip-hop-infused debut from the North Carolina duo.

— Matt Collar

Third Coast Kings

West Grand Boulevard

Record Kicks

R&B

The third studio effort from these Michigan soul and funk revivalists is a catalog of good grooves from all across the U.S.A.

— Mark Deming

The Doors

Weird Scenes Inside the Gold Mine

Elektra

Pop/Rock

Early best-of collection more focused on the band's dark side than their ubiquitous hits.

— Fred Thomas

Various Artists

Brownswood Electr*c 4

Brownswood

Electronic

The fourth roundup of new electronic producers from Gilles Peterson's label is highlighted by Glenn Astro and Louis Futon.

— Andy Kellman

Various Artists

Hyperdub 10.1

Hyperdub

Electronic

Hyperdub's second half-old/half-new compilation, featuring Burial, DJ Rashad, Kode9, and more, demonstrates the eclectic label's still-thriving state.

— Andy Kellman

Mr. Thing

Strange Breaks & Mr. Thing, Vol. 3

BBE

R&B

A few years after Vol. 2, the former Scratch Pervert returns with another assortment of mixed (and unmixed) funk and soul obscurities.

— Andy Kellman

Various Artists

Tropical Disco Hustle

Cultures of Soul

Reggae

In the '70s, Trinidad and Tobago, the Bahamas, and Jamaica all caught Saturday Night Fever, and here's the funky proof.

— David Jeffries

War

Evolutionary

Avenue Records / Universal

R&B, Jazz

After a 20-year silence, Lonnie Jordan and company return with a brand new studio album.

— Thom Jurek

Morgan Kibby / White Sea

In Cold Blood

Crush Music / Songs

Pop/Rock

The debut from M83 collaborator Morgan Kibby is a hammering power-synth attack that works in spite of itself.

— Timothy Monger

Fazil Say / Gianandrea Noseda / Frankfurt Symphony Orchestra / hr-Sinfonieorchester Frankfurt (Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra)

Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 3; Piano Sonatas, Op. 111 & Moonlight

Naïve

Classical

This is a stirring and often thrilling recital in which Say interprets all three works in original ways.

— James Manheim

Bright Sheng / Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra

Bright Sheng: The Blazing Mirage; The Song and Dance of Tears; Colors of Crimson

Naxos

Classical

This release, with Sheng conducting the impressive Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, offers several contemporary works that make a good introduction to his style.

— James Manheim