Featured New Album Releases

Prince

Art Official Age

Warner Bros.

Pop/Rock, R&B

Prince returns to Warner with a slyly eccentric revival of the sound of Diamonds and Pearls.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Lady A

747

Big Machine Records / Capitol Nashville / Decca

Country

A highly polished, sharply focused set that showcases the country-pop trio at its best.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Gerard Way

Hesitant Alien

Reprise

Pop/Rock

The My Chemical Romance leader's solo debut blends futuristic rock of the '70s with the attitude of '80s college rock

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Blake Shelton

Bringing Back the Sunshine

Warner Bros.

Country

A sweet, soft, mature, and modern update of the urban cowboy aesthetic from the Voice host.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Colbie Caillat

Gypsy Heart

Island / Republic

Pop/Rock

The SoCal hippie singer/songwriter gets a sleek, stylish makeover on her fourth album.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

3rdEyeGirl / Prince

PlectrumElectrum

Warner Bros.

Pop/Rock

With his all-female backing trio 3rdEyeGirl, Prince indulges in his love of guitar.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Oasis

(What's the Story) Morning Glory? [Super Deluxe Version]

Big Brother

Pop/Rock

Anniversary edition of Oasis' breakthrough contains most of the LP's excellent B-sides plus unreleased demos and live tracks.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Yelle

Complètement Fou

Kemosabe

Pop/Rock, Electronic

The French duo's third album was overseen by pop hitmaker Dr. Luke, but remains true to their fun-loving, totally left-field pop ways.

— Tim Sendra

Robin Gibb

50 St. Catherine's Drive

Reprise / Rhino

Pop/Rock

A collection of material the Bee Gee completed between 2006 and 2008, a few years before he was diagnosed with cancer.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Melissa Etheridge

This Is M.E.

M.E. Records / MLE / Universal Music

Pop/Rock

On this independent release, the singer/songwriter shakes things up by adopting a number of contemporary production trends.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Lucinda Williams

Down Where the Spirit Meets the Bone

Highway 20 Records

Pop/Rock, Folk, Country

The singer/songwriter's first album for her own label is a grand-scale exploration of heart, soul, mind, and groove.

— Mark Deming

The History of Apple Pie

Feel Something

Marshall Teller

Pop/Rock

Their second album is a nice progression that adds some depth and feel to the band's already impressive shoegaze revivalism.

— Tim Sendra

Electric Youth

Innerworld

Secretly Canadian

Pop/Rock

Debut album from the stars of the Drive soundtracks features a full array of rain-slicked, melancholy electropop tunes.

— Tim Sendra

Tove Lo

Queen of the Clouds

Island

Pop/Rock

Swedish singer/songwriter follows her hit "Habits" with more winningly confessional electro-pop.

— Heather Phares

Sam Amidon

Lily-O

Nonesuch

Pop/Rock, Folk

Guest guitar work from the always innovative Bill Frisell contributes to what may be this experimental folksinger's best work.

— Fred Thomas

Bonnie "Prince" Billy

Singer's Grave/A Sea of Tongues

Drag City / Palace Records

Pop/Rock

The first substantial album from Will Oldham in three years is full of upbeat revisions of the subdued folk tunes from his 2011 effort Wolfroy Goes to Town.

— Fred Thomas

Martin Carr

The Breaks

Tapete Records

Pop/Rock

First album under his own name by ex-Boo Radleys/Brave Captain leader is full of the rousing guitar pop that made those two bands great.

— Tim Sendra

Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives

Saturday Night/Sunday Morning

Superlatone

Country, Religious

The sacred and the profane dialogue through blues, gospel, honky tonk, and rockabilly boogie on this solid double-album.

— Thom Jurek

Seth MacFarlane

Holiday for Swing!

Republic

Holiday, Vocal

The Family Guy creator brings his Frank Sinatra tribute home for the holidays on this retro effort.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

ABBA

Live at Wembley Arena

Polydor

Pop/Rock

Live album culled from ABBA's four-night stand at London's Wembley Arena during their 1979 tour.

— Matt Collar

Alice Gerrard

Follow the Music

Tompkins Square

Pop/Rock, Country, Folk

The traditional singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist delivers an inspired offering produced by M.C. Taylor

— Thom Jurek

Charlie Haden / Jim Hall

Charlie Haden/Jim Hall

Blue Note / Impulse!

Jazz

This is an unassailable recording made during the Montreal Jazz Festival in 1990; one of the pair's earliest duet meetings.

— Thom Jurek

The Script

No Sound Without Silence

Columbia

Pop/Rock

The Irish trio's fourth studio album of anthemic, lyrical rock infused with Celtic spirit.

— Matt Collar

Electric Wizard

Time to Die

Spinefarm Records / Witchfinder

Pop/Rock

This set brought founding drummer Mark Greening back into the fold and results in a back to the brutal basics approach.

— Thom Jurek

Herb Alpert

In the Mood

Shout! Factory

Easy Listening, Jazz

The iconic trumpeter's electronic-tinged follow-up to his Grammy-winning 2013 album.

— Matt Collar

Luke Winslow-King

Everlasting Arms

Bloodshot

Blues, Pop/Rock, Jazz

Fourth album from this blues and jazz revivalist shows he can play with fire and skill while sounding like a true gentleman.

— Mark Deming

Fumaça Preta

Soundway

International, Latin, Pop/Rock

The mad, twisted debut by this international project dishes up head-on collisions between garage psych, funk, samba, and tropicalia.

The Rural Alberta Advantage

Mended with Gold

Saddle Creek Records

Pop/Rock

The indie rock trio's third long-player is big enough for arenas, but it's made for barns.

— James Christopher Monger

Genesis

R-Kive

Atlantic / Rhino

Pop/Rock

Ambitious Genesis retrospective that contains three solo cuts apiece from all five original members along with highlights from throughout the band's career.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Holly Johnson

Europa

Pleasure Dome

Pop/Rock

The former Frankie Goes to Hollywood singer returns with his first album in 15 years.

— David Jeffries

Various Artists

Celebrating Jon Lord: The Composer

Eagle

Classical, Pop/Rock

Illustrates just how much vision Lord really had for a classical/rock fusion, and in retrospect, how Deep Purple personified that vision.

— Steve Leggett

Lydia Ainsworth

Right from Real

Arbutus Records

Pop/Rock

Gorgeous debut from Canadian producer offers avant garde vocal sampling, minimal electronic beats and a coldly beautiful pop core.

— Fred Thomas

Christopher Owens

A New Testament

Turnstile

Pop/Rock

The former Girls frontman's sophomore solo outing is a straight up country gospel record.

— Timothy Monger

Elizabeth Shepherd

The Signal

Linus Entertainment

Jazz, Pop/Rock

On her return to original material, the Canadian pianist and songwriter delivers a striking new direction. Lionel Loueke guests.

— Thom Jurek

Estrogen Highs

Hear Me on the Number Station

Trouble in Mind

Pop/Rock

Lo-fi noise pop obsessives deliver just enough fine songs to make this worthwhile, but add too much slop to make it a winner.

— Mark Deming

Ausmuteants

Order of Operation

Goner Records

Pop/Rock

Third album from these synth punks is cleaner and smoother, but it's still the frantic nexus where punk and new wave meet.

— Mark Deming

Violent Soho

Hungry Ghost

Pop/Rock

The hard-hitting Aussie grunge revivalists adopt a punchier tone on their sophomore outing.

— James Christopher Monger

Ólöf Arnalds / Skúli Sverrisson / Gunnar Örn Tynes

Palme

One Little Indian

Pop/Rock

The Icelandic singer/songwriter's fourth outing is as pure as powdered snow, yet bubbles over with fairy mischief.

— James Christopher Monger

Steve Arrington

Way Out (80-84)

Tummy Touch

R&B

An appealing anthology from the Dayton funk great that combines classics with previously unreleased and recently completed material.

— Andy Kellman

Pieta Brown

Paradise Outlaw

Red House Records

Pop/Rock, Folk

Recording at Justin Vernon's studio, the songwriter-producer delivers her most intimate, understated, and generous recording.

— Thom Jurek

Populous

Night Safari

Bad Panda Records / Folk Wisdom

Electronic, Pop/Rock

Andrea Mangia returns with a collection of globally minded fantasias full of surreal sonic depth.

— Heather Phares

JEFF the Brotherhood

Dig the Classics

Warner Bros.

Pop/Rock

Dynamic duo JEFF the Brotherhood tackle songs from artists like My Bloody Valentine and the Wipers on this covers EP.

— Gregory Heaney

Jimbo Mathus

Jimmy the Kid

Big Legal Mess Records / Fat Possum Records

Pop/Rock, Blues, Country

The singer/songwriter and guitarist's first foray into country and country-rock makes for one of his best recordings.

— Thom Jurek

The South Seas / John Southworth

Niagara

Tin Angel

Pop/Rock

A glowing pastiche of sunset-driven '70s soft rock and heady, jazz-tinged chamber pop with a distinct Canadian twist.

— James Christopher Monger

Kat Edmonson

The Big Picture

Masterworks / Sony Masterworks

Jazz

The Texas singer/songwriter's '60s pop-influenced third studio album, with production from Mitchell Froom.

— Matt Collar

Ed Motta

AOR

Tummy Touch

Pop/Rock

The Brazilian renaissance man leaves his own mark on the '70s pop standard with this polished gem.

— Thom Jurek

Paul White

Shaker Notes

R&S

Electronic

Predominantly low-key, instrumental, and organic, a surprising detour from a figure known for sample-based and psychedelic rap productions.

— Andy Kellman

Ritual Howls

Turkish Leather

Felte

Pop/Rock

Dark Detroit trio polishes its sound without sacrificing any mood or menace.

— Heather Phares

Ruby Fray

Grackle

K Records

Pop/Rock

Emily Beanblossom's alter ego goes deeper into witchy, ethereal rock on her second album.

— Heather Phares

Ry Cooder

Soundtracks

Rhino / Warner Bros.

Blues, Latin, Stage & Screen, International

Seven film soundtracks by the renowned guitarist are repackaged in this box set; it's fine music recycled without imagination.

— Mark Deming

The Limiñanas

I've Got Trouble in Mind: 7" and Rare Stuff 2009/2014

Trouble in Mind

Pop/Rock

Excellent collection that gathers up some very worthwhile stray tracks from the French garage pop band.

— Tim Sendra

The Pine Hill Haints

The Magik Sounds of the Pine Hill Haints

K Records

Pop/Rock

Crackling energy and eerie themes come through in high definition from this long-running, spooky, rockabilly act.

— Fred Thomas

Trigger Hippy

Rounder

Country, Pop/Rock

A fine Southern roots rock debut from a Nashville supergroup that boasts Joan Osborne and Jackie Greene as lead vocalists.

— Steve Leggett

Torch Runner

Endless Nothing

Southern Lord Records

Pop/Rock

Torch Runner's devastating third album proves that when it comes to catharsis, there's no such thing as a free lunch.

— Gregory Heaney

Team Spirit

Killing Time

Vice / Vice Music / Vice Records / Warner Bros.

Pop/Rock

The Brooklyn quartet's debut is a classic mix of riffy power pop, pop-punk snarl, and '90s fuzz.

— Timothy Monger

Sea Oleena

Shallow

Lefse Records

Pop/Rock

A master class in elegant, slow-building dream pop from this lovely Montreal-based artist.

— Timothy Monger

Sick of It All

Last Act of Defiance

Century Media

Pop/Rock

Sick of It All return to take on our distracted modern society with an album of timely and muscular hardcore.

— Gregory Heaney

St. Christopher

Forevermore Starts Here: Anthology 1984-2010

Cherry Red

Pop/Rock

Career-spanning collection of drama-filled, endlessly melodic indie pop from one of the style's best, and most under-rated, practitioners.

— Tim Sendra

Jiří Bělohlávek / Czech Philharmonic / Garrick Ohlsson / Alisa Weilerstein / Frank Peter Zimmermann

Dvorák: Complete Symphonies & Concertos

Decca

Classical

This Decca set of Antonín Dvorák's complete symphonies and concertos is a triumph for Jirí Belohlávek and the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra.

— Blair Sanderson

Daniel Hope

Escape to Paradise: The Hollywood Album

Deutsche Grammophon

Classical

The result here is a fine outing that will satisfy anyone in the mood for big film themes, but also those seriously interested in film music.

— James Manheim

Simon Trpceski / Vasily Petrenko / Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra

Tchaikovsky: Piano Concertos 1 & 2

Onyx / Onyx Classics

Classical

For those looking for a Tchaikovsky Concerto No. 1 without any banging of the keys, or for a rising pianist, this release fills the bill.

— James Manheim

Tokyo String Quartet

Beethoven: The Complete String Quartets

Harmonia Mundi

Classical

The critically acclaimed Tokyo String Quartet recorded its second Beethoven cycle between 2005 and 2008 for Harmonia Mundi.

— Blair Sanderson

Alban Gerhardt / Sunwook Kim / Wu Wei / Myung-Whun Chung

Unsuk Chin: 3 Concertos

Deutsche Grammophon

Classical

Conductor Myung-Whun Chung fully draws out the works' often exacting textures. Recommended beyond circles interested in contemporary Asian developments.

— James Manheim