Aphex Twin

Syro

Warp

Electronic

Anchored by bass lines that zip and glide, this is one of Richard D. James' most inviting releases, a bright progression from his Analord series.

— Andy Kellman

Tweedy / Jeff Tweedy

Sukierae

Anti- / dBpm

Pop/Rock

Jeff Tweedy teams up with his son Spencer for a set of personal, intimate songs informed by love and family crises.

Julian Casablancas / Julian Casablancas & the Voidz

Tyranny

Cult Records / Kobalt

Pop/Rock

Joined by his new band the Voidz, the Strokes frontman delivers a noisy, ambitious set inspired by '80s punk and contemporary political outrage.

Leonard Cohen

Popular Problems

Columbia

Pop/Rock

Two days after his 80th birthday, the iconic songwriter and producer Patrick Leonard deliver a riveting collection of nine new songs.

— Thom Jurek

Jennifer Hudson

JHUD

RCA

R&B

The singer's predominantly uptempo third album features three collaborations with Pharrell Williams and other neo-disco moves.

— Andy Kellman

Lenny Kravitz

Strut

Roxie / Roxie Records

Pop/Rock

An unapologetically swaggering, intoxicatingly fun collection of disco, glam, and soul that's Kravitz's best record in years.

John Mellencamp

Plain Spoken

Island / Republic

Pop/Rock

The singer/songwriter ponders mortality, his failed marriage, these modern times, and more on this hushed, intimate record.

Kenny Chesney

The Big Revival

Blue Chair Records / BNA

Country

On this big, bright record, the veteran arena-country singer refurbishes his signature sound to suit the modern era.

Perfume Genius

Too Bright

Turnstile

Pop/Rock

Mike Hadreas' bold, terrifying, and heartbreaking third album features Portishead's Adrian Utley and PJ Harvey collaborator John Parish.

Alt-J

This Is All Yours

Canvasback / Infectious Music

Pop/Rock

The 2012 Mercury Prize winners' sophomore outing does little to tarnish their reputation as choirboys with dark passengers.

— James Christopher Monger

Laetitia Sadier

Something Shines

Drag City

Pop/Rock

Sadier's third solo album balances cosmic reveries with concise orchestral pop.

— Heather Phares

Imelda May

Tribal

Decca / Verve

Pop/Rock

The Irish diva's fourth album of high-energy, '80s new wave-and punk-infused rockabilly.

— Matt Collar

Big & Rich

Gravity

B$R Records

Country

The gonzo duo leave the humor and horses behind on this finely constructed piece of adult contemporary country.

Erasure

The Violet Flame

Mute

Pop/Rock

The veteran synth pop duo attack the "return to form" album as if it weren't a cliche on this great, club-worthy comeback.

George Harrison

The Apple Years: 1968-75

Apple Records / Capitol / Universal / Universal Music

Pop/Rock

All of Harrison's six albums for Apple are remastered and boxed in this handsome set that contains bonus tracks.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Lee Ann Womack

The Way I'm Livin'

Sugar Hill

Country

A warm, intimate, and resonant career reboot from the veteran country singer.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

John Coltrane

Offering: Live at Temple University

Resonance / Universal Music

Jazz

A storied, long lost live performance recorded eight months before the saxophonist's death is restored here in full.

Jerry Lee Lewis

The Knox Phillips Sessions: The Unreleased Recordings

Life Star / Saguaro Road / Time

Country, Pop/Rock

This set of loose, drunken sessions recorded at Sun Studios in the late '70s is a throwaway to cherish.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Louis C.K.

Oh My God

Vagrant

Comedy/Spoken

Getting older blows and divorce sucks, but that doesn't mean C.K. can't make them funny, as he does on this excellent effort.

Luke James

Luke James

Island

R&B

Featuring the Grammy-nominated "I Want You," the debut from the R&B singer and songwriter involves several productions from Danja and the Alliance.

— Andy Kellman

Markéta Irglová

Muna

Anti-

Pop/Rock

A warm, Icelandic-born collection of folk-based original gospel music from the fairer half of the Swell Season.

Mapei

Hey Hey

Downtown

Pop/Rock

The Downtown-released debut from the Swedish-American rapper turned singer, made primarily with Magnus Lidehäll, displays range and shows promise.

Dan'l Boone

Dan'l Boone

Drag City

Pop/Rock

Members of Wolf Eyes, Formant, Drainolith, and the Howling Hex collaborate on a hypnotic set that plays to all of their strengths.

Otis Brown III

The Thought of You

Blue Note

Jazz

On his Blue Note debut, the noted drummer assembles a killer core band and three special vocal guests to deliver an ambitious, affirmative set.

— Thom Jurek

Gary Clark, Jr.

Live

Warner Bros.

Blues, Pop/Rock

If this is truly the past and future of the blues rolled into one, then the blues is in really good hands.

— Steve Leggett

The Drums

Encyclopedia

Minor Records / Universal Music

Pop/Rock

The duo returns after a three-year hiatus with an unpredictable set spanning Pixies-like rock and retro synth pop.

SBTRKT

Wonder Where We Land

Young Turks

Electronic

Many genres fill the London dubstep producer's second effort, but the mood remains maudlin the whole way through.

— David Jeffries

Sondre Lerche

Please

Mona

Pop/Rock

Using his divorce as inspiration and adding some fire to his sophisticated style, this is the songwriter's most impressive album yet.

S

Cool Choices

Hardly Art

Pop/Rock

Carissa's Wierd co-founder and Seattle indie rock mainstay Jenn Ghetto issue a proper and poppy breakup album.

Lights

Little Machines

Warner Bros.

Pop/Rock

Melodic lyricism, fidelity, and motherhood inform the electronic singer/songwriter's fourth studio album.

Chuck Prophet

Night Surfer

Yep Roc

Pop/Rock

Entertaining and evocative tales of a variety of heroes and rogues, with Peter Buck helping out on guitar.

Dntel

Human Voice

Leaving Records

Pop/Rock, Electronic

First album without guest vocalists from this producer known for pioneering the merger of electronica and indie rock.

— Fred Thomas

King Tuff

Black Moon Spell

Sub Pop

Pop/Rock

Third album from this glam-garage act offers heavy but catchy fare and boundary-pushing production.

— Fred Thomas

Sarah Silverman

We Are Miracles

Sub Pop

Comedy/Spoken

Soundtrack to the comic's 2013 HBO special is charming, witty, and appallingly offensive all at once.

— Mark Deming

Goat

Commune

Sub Pop

Pop/Rock

Mysterious Swedish psych outfit Goat materialize on our plain once more to deliver their second album of mind-expanding, experimental rock.

Groundislava

Frozen Throne

Friends of Friends

Electronic

Third album from former chiptune-loving artist, this time delving into pop.

— James Pearce

Whirr

Sway

Graveface Records

Pop/Rock

The band's third album is a pummeling and wrenchingly beautiful excursion deep into the noisy side of shoegaze.

— Tim Sendra

Joe Morris / Balázs Pándi / Jamie Saft / Wadada Leo Smith

Red Hill

RareNoise Records

Jazz

This quartet of skilled improvisers sparks creative anarchy in the moment -- the results are utterly thrilling.

Empires

Orphan

Chop Shop / Island

Pop/Rock

The Chicago alt-rockers embrace a new widescreen sound on their bold, major-label debut.

— Timothy Monger

Girl Tears

Tension

Sinderlyn

Pop/Rock

Debut album from a dark punk rock trio with songs that barely last longer than the time it took to read this.

— Tim Sendra

Emil Amos / Holy Sons

The Fact Facer

Thrill Jockey

Pop/Rock

Emotional turmoil and colorful home-recording techniques seep from this long-running solo project from a member of Grails.

— Fred Thomas

Johan Hedberg

Paradiset

Labrador / Labrador Sweden

Pop/Rock

Ex-member of Suburban Kids with Biblical Names returns with an album of gently mature and sophisticated indie pop.

— Tim Sendra

John Wesley Coleman III

The Love That You Own

Burger Records

Pop/Rock

Self-described "trash poet" delivers a highly enjoyable set of sloppy but inspired rock & roll with heartfelt lyrics.

— Mark Deming

Terry Malts

Insides EP

Slumberland

Pop/Rock

Brief four-song EP of energetic, lo-fi pop-punk from this Bay Area trio.

— Fred Thomas

Kasper Bjørke

After Forever

HFN

Pop/Rock, Electronic

The Danish electronic artist's fourth album is a noir-ish affair that takes place way past midnight.

— Timothy Monger

Gossling

Harvest of Gold

Nettwerk

Pop/Rock

The literate, evocative, synth pop-infused full-length debut from the Australian songwriter.

Kim Hiorthøy

Dogs

Smalltown Supersound

Electronic

Softer and smaller than usual, but the Norwegian electronica artist is still alluring on this wonderfully warm effort.

Marshall Allen / Sun Ra / Sun Ra & His Arkestra

In the Orbit of Ra

Strut

Jazz

Between Marshall Allen's brilliant track selection and the remastered sound, this set is essential for fans and a good starting place for a novice.

— Sean Westergaard

The Hollies

50 at Fifty

Atlantic / Elektra / Parlophone / Rhino / Warner Music

Pop/Rock

Features 50 songs through 50 years to commemorate a half century of one of the great British pop bands.

— Mark Deming

Lower Plenty

Life/Thrills

Mexican Summer

Pop/Rock

The Melbourne post-folk sound stylists' third album is a strange but compelling slice of lo-fi suburbia.

— Timothy Monger

Marcia Ball

The Tattooed Lady and the Alligator Man

Alligator / Alligator Records

Blues

The veteran pianist and songwriter serves up some real fine blues and boogie on this fresh batch of songs.

Martyr Privates

Martyr Privates

Bedroom Suck

Pop/Rock

Impressive debut album by a noisy Australian trio that plays it straight and simple, but with plenty of thunderingly good hooks.

Nada Surf

B-Sides

Barsuk

Pop/Rock

15 rare and unreleased tracks make their digital debut in this special collection.

— Mark Deming

Nostalgia 77 / Prince Fatty

In the Kingdom of Dub

Tru Thoughts

Reggae

The Nostalgia 77 back catalog gets the dub treatment from the underappreciated and excellent Prince Fatty.

Purling Hiss

Weirdon

Drag City

Pop/Rock

Philly noise pop band returns with a more lighthearted version of its '90s-styled melodic fuzz rock.

— Fred Thomas

Redinho

Redinho

Numbers

Electronic

Debut album from British electronic producer that shows a maturity in his songwriting.

— James Pearce

Erol Alkan

Fabriclive 77

Fabric

Electronic

Acid, old-school house, and cutting-edge indie dance come together in Alkan's excellent mix.

— David Jeffries

Walter TV

Appetite

Sinderlyn

Pop/Rock

Wild, anxious, and jubilantly strange takes on surfy freak-pop from members of Mac DeMarco's touring band.

— Fred Thomas

White Violet

Stay Lost

Normaltown Records

Pop/Rock

Washes over the listener like moonlight falling on a pillow.

— Steve Leggett

CUTS

EP1

Invada

Pop/Rock

The enigmatic producer's Invada debut is a beautifully ominous blend of shoegaze, industrial, and electronic music.

— Heather Phares

Pierre-Laurent Aimard

Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier I

Deutsche Grammophon

Classical

Deutsche Grammophon captures all the shades of what is going on here. Ultimately, Aimard's unexpected popularity may be all to the good.

— James Manheim

Alice Sara Ott / Francesco Tristano

Scandale

Deutsche Grammophon

Classical

These transcriptions are somewhat neglected and are essentially re-created in an exciting program of avant-garde music.

— James Manheim

Behzod Abduraimov / Juraj Valčuha

Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev: Piano Concertos

Decca

Classical

For this 2014 Decca release, virtuoso Behzod Abduraimov plays two great piano concertos by Prokofiev and Tchaikovsky.

— Blair Sanderson

Jean-Guihen Queyras / Alexander Melnikov

Beethoven: Complete Works for Violoncello & Piano

Harmonia Mundi

Classical

Queyras and Melnikov have an efficient, quick, tough style that beautifully fits these late sonatas.

— James Manheim

Nikolaus Harnoncourt / Concentus Musicus Wien

The Last Symphonies: Mozart's Instrumental Oratorium

Sony Classical

Classical

Harnoncourt and Concentus Musicus Wien explore the idea that Mozart's last three symphonies were composed as a single work.

— Blair Sanderson

Nina Kotova

Bach: The Cello Suites

Warner Classics

Classical

This might not be the cup of tea of those who prefer an objective reading, but it is compelling for even casual Bach listeners.

— James Manheim

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