Mariah Carey

Me. I Am Mariah... The Elusive Chanteuse

Def Jam

R&B

The singer's first proper studio album since 2009 is deeply nostalgic and scattered, highlighted by collaborations with Miguel and Mike WiLL Made-It.

— Andy Kellman

Sharon Van Etten

Are We There

Jagjaguwar

Pop/Rock

Inventive arrangements and daring leaps of style make this indie singer/songwriter's fourth album a triumph.

— Fred Thomas

Robyn / Röyksopp

Do It Again

Cherrytree Records / Royksopp / Universal

Pop/Rock, Electronic

The longtime collaborators reunite for a mini-album of electronic pop that's as playful and sophisticated as their best work on their own.

— Heather Phares

Hercules & Love Affair

The Feast of the Broken Heart

Moshi Moshi Records

Electronic

Featuring an all-new cast of vocalists, including John Grant, Andy Butler and company's third album is muscular and stripped down.

— Andy Kellman

Cher Lloyd

Sorry I'm Late

Epic

Pop/Rock

The British X Factor diva's sophomore album of swaggering, infectious pop.

— Matt Collar

Haunted Hearts

Initiation

Zoo Music

Pop/Rock

On their debut album together, Dee Dee of Dum Dum Girls and Brandon of Crocodiles make beautiful music of a hazy and noisy nature.

Bruce Robison / Kelly Willis

Our Year

Premium / Premium Records

Country

On their sophomore duet outing, this husband and wife deliver a soulful take on traditional (not retro) country music.

— Thom Jurek

Ben Frost

A U R O R A

Bedroom Community / Mute

Avant-Garde, Electronic

Composed in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, this dark, menacing set is the enigmatic composer's masterpiece thus far.

— Thom Jurek

Lee Bains III / Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires

Dereconstructed

Sub Pop

Pop/Rock

Second album from these fiery Alabama rockers wins points for songs and energy, but loses them for ragged production.

— Mark Deming

Seun Kuti / Seun Kuti & Egypt 80

A Long Way to the Beginning

Knitting Factory Records

International

With Robert Glasper as co-producer, the youngest son of Fela Kuti delivers an incendiary, angry, innovative new phase in Afrobeat.

— Thom Jurek

Owen Pallett

In Conflict

Domino

Pop/Rock

Pallett's fourth long-player exists somewhere in between the sugary opulence of Kishi Bashi and the chilly refinement of Homogenic-era Björk.

— James Christopher Monger

Trash Talk

No Peace

Odd Future / Trash Talk Collective

Pop/Rock

Fifth album from these hardcore purists is impressively furious, but is troublingly short on effective songs and vocals.

— Mark Deming

Napolian

Incursio

Software

Electronic, Pop/Rock

Debut album from instrumental hip-hop producer that follows in the footsteps of some of the greats of the genre.

— Fred Thomas

Amy LaVere

Runaway's Diary

Archer Records

Pop/Rock

On her first offering in four years, the singer, songwriter, and bassist delivers a fine, rootsy, concept record about restlessness.

— Thom Jurek

Various Artists

Sound of Siam, Vol. 2: Molam & Luk Thung 1970-1982

Soundway

International, Pop/Rock

The second brilliant volume in Soundway's luk thung and molam series focuses on the evolution of the music in Bangkok through the 1970s.

— Thom Jurek

The Ready Set

The Bad & the Better

Razor & Tie

Pop/Rock

Machine-driven emo-pop that draws from all aspects of modern pop and is loaded with bubblegummy hooks.

— Tim Sendra

They Might Be Giants

Idlewild: A Compilation

Idlewild Recordings

Pop/Rock

They Might Be Giants look back at their independent years with a sprawling compilation of singles, rarities, and reinvented classics.

— Gregory Heaney

Kiss

Kiss 40 Years: Decades of Decibels

Mercury Records / Universal

Pop/Rock

One song from each release, including comps and live albums, makes for a decent, but not the best, Kiss collection.

— David Jeffries

Various Artists

Our Vinyl Weighs a Ton [Blu-Ray/CD]

Stones Throw

Rap, Stage & Screen

A documentary charting the rise of one of hip-hop's most innovative labels and its founder, DJ and tastemaker Peanut Butter Wolf.

— Gregory Heaney

Hundred Waters

The Moon Rang Like a Bell

OWSLA

Pop/Rock

Sophomore release from this indie electronic collective is a carefree playground of unlikely combinations of sound.

— Fred Thomas

Chris Schlarb

Making the Saint

Asthmatic Kitty

Pop/Rock

A sharp left turn from his more ornate pop material, this album of guitar drones feels decidedly spare and wandering.

— Fred Thomas

Reuben and the Dark

Funeral Sky

Arts & Crafts

Pop/Rock

The full-band debut of Calgary-based indie folk singer/songwriter Reuben Bullock mixes epic road anthems with gothic gospel tones.

— Timothy Monger

Austin Mahone

The Secret

Cash Money / Republic

Pop/Rock

Ingratiating collection of EDM pop and sugary ballads from the teen idol.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Popstrangers

Fortuna

Carpark Records

Pop/Rock

The band's move to London inspired these moody, oddly endearing portraits of upheaval set to swirling psych pop.

— Heather Phares

John Fullbright

Songs

Blue Dirt Records

Pop/Rock, Country

A wonderful and at times brilliant set of intimate songs from this impressive songwriter out of Oklahoma.

— Steve Leggett

Oren Ambarchi / Richard Pinhas

Tikkun [CD/DVD]

Cuneiform Records

Avant-Garde

On this collaborative set, the two guitarists and supplementary musicians create spiraling, sprawling, hallucinatory space rock.

— Thom Jurek

Richard Pinhas / Tatsuya Yoshida

Welcome in the Void

Cuneiform Records

Electronic, Avant-Garde, Pop/Rock

This sprawling, provocative collaboration with Ruins drummer Yoshida Tatsuya is the second part in the guitarist's radical "devolution" trilogy.

— Thom Jurek

Mindi Abair

Wild Heart

Concord / Heads Up / Heads Up International

Jazz, R&B

On her first record in four years, the artist delivers a self-penned set of gritty retro-inspired tracks with a stellar guest list.

— Thom Jurek

moe.

No Guts, No Glory

Sugar Hill

Pop/Rock

Working with hip-hop producer Dave Aron, the jam band gets loose, limber, and a little acoustic on its 11th album.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Verma

Sunrunner

Trouble in Mind

Pop/Rock

Spacy, richly satisfying fusion of prog rock, psychedelia, and electronics from Chicago-based sonic experimentalists.

— Mark Deming

Watter

This World

Pop/Rock

Debut album from instrumental trio made up of members from Grails and the legendary Slint.

— Fred Thomas

Wrangler

LA Spark

Memetune

Electronic

Stephen Mallinder, Phil Winter, and Benge come together for an excellent throwback electro-industrial effort.

— David Jeffries

Donna Regina

Holding the Mirror for Sophia Loren

Karaoke Kalk

Pop/Rock

The veteran German electro-pop group teams up with Polish producer Jacaszek to deliver a dazzling record full of artistry and mystique.

— Timothy Monger

Little Barrie

Shadow

Tummy Touch

Pop/Rock

Another addictive collection of neo-psychedelia.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Luke Haines

New York in the '70s

Cherry Red

Pop/Rock

Haines completed his psychedelic trilogy with a "mythic re-imagining of the New York rock and roll scene 1972-1979."

— James Christopher Monger

Powerman 5000

Builders of the Future

T-Boy Records / Universal

Pop/Rock

Spider One and crew return with their seventh album of pulsing, adrenaline-fueled industrial metal.

— Gregory Heaney

Roll the Tanks

Broke 'til Midnight

Epitaph

Pop/Rock

Old-school punk joins forces with blue collar rock and discover they're a good team on this band's second full-length.

— Mark Deming

Sumerian Fleet

Just Pressure

Dark Entries

Pop/Rock

Dutch electro outfit dutifully revisits the sounds of mid-'80s club-friendly goth acts like Sisters of Mercy and Front 242.

— Fred Thomas

Eureka California

Crunch

Happy Happy Birthday / Happy Happy Birthday To Me Records / HHBTM

Pop/Rock

Second album from Athens, Georgia fuzz pop duo speeds by before its garagey hooks even sink in the first time.

— Fred Thomas

Ginger Baker

Why?

Motéma Music

Jazz

On his first studio record in 16 years, the legendary drummer delivers a confident, sophisticated jazz set with an excellent quartet.

— Thom Jurek

Greg Ginn / Greg Ginn & the Taylor Texas Corrugators

Gumbo and Holy Water

SST

Pop/Rock

Former punk guitar hero explores his prog/jam band influences but his primary collaborator (himself) doesn't prove inspiring.

— Mark Deming

Cradle of Filth

Total Fucking Darkness

Mordgrimm

Pop/Rock

An official total remaster of the band's third self-released demo is presented with a slew of extra and unreleased tracks.

— Thom Jurek

Crowbar

Symmetry in Black

Entertainment One / eOne

Pop/Rock

The New Orleans sludge heroes' tenth album is a more brooding but no less heavy entry in the band's punishing discography.

— Gregory Heaney

Joakim

Tropics of Love [2LP+CD]

Because Music

Electronic

The producer, and head of the Tigersushi label, offers a sweet collection of warm and soft house music.

— David Jeffries

Joey Negro

Italo House

Z Records

Electronic

A double-length set of tasteful and enduring house tracks, originally released from 1989 through 1994, compiled by the expert DJ and producer.

— Andy Kellman

Frans Brüggen / Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century

Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 5 & 6

Glossa

Classical

Frans Brüggen and the Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century give fresh and vigorous performances of Beethoven's Fifth and Sixth symphonies.

— Blair Sanderson

Thomas Hampson / Wolfram Rieger

Notturno: Songs by Richard Strauss

Deutsche Grammophon

Classical

To celebrate Richard Strauss' 150th anniversary, baritone Thomas Hampson and pianist Wolfram Rieger present a recital of 18 essential songs.

— Blair Sanderson

Cypress String Quartet / Gary Hoffman

Schubert: String Quartet D.956; Quartettsatz D.703

Avie / Avie Records

Classical

Cellist Gary Hoffman joins the Cypress String Quartet in Schubert's String Quintet, backed by an energetic reading of the Quartettsatz.

— Blair Sanderson

Alain Planès

Béla Bartók: Piano Works

Harmonia Mundi

Classical

Expertly played by Alain Planès, some of the most influential keyboard works of Béla Bartók are presented on this Harmonia Mundi CD.

— Blair Sanderson

Bernarda Fink

Mahler: Lieder

Harmonia Mundi

Classical

Bernarda Fink offers a representative selection of Gustav Mahler's art songs on this 2014 Harmonia Mundi release.

— Blair Sanderson

Danny Driver

Handel: The Eight Great Suites

Hyperion

Classical

Danny Driver plays Handel's suites on piano, and his musicality might even persuade listeners who like them on harpsichord.

— Blair Sanderson

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