Featured New Album Releases

Dwight Yoakam

Second Hand Heart

Warner Bros. / Warner Music

Country, Pop/Rock

Dwight's new millennial revival continues with the crisp, crackling Second Hand Heart.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Lila Downs

Balas y Chocolate

Sony Music Latin

Latin

The singer and songwriter's militant album about Mexico is also her most musically ambitious and emotionally intimate.

— Thom Jurek

Earl Sweatshirt

I Don't Like Shit, I Don't Go Outside

Columbia

Rap

The Odd Future member gets heavy and kicks hope to the curb on this draining, yet excellent, sophomore effort.

— David Jeffries

Charles Lloyd

Wild Man Dance: Live at Wroclaw Philharmonic, Wroclaw, Poland, November 24, 2013

Blue Note

Jazz

This breathtaking concert captures the premiere of the saxophonist's six-part suite with an international cast.

— Thom Jurek

Halestorm

Into the Wild Life

Atlantic

Pop/Rock

The arena rockers' third outing doubles down on the more radio-friendly elements that were introduced on 2012's Grammy-winning Strange Case Of….

— James Christopher Monger

The Lilac Time

No Sad Songs

Tapete Records

Pop/Rock

After a hiatus, Stephen Duffy, now wife Claire Worrall, and brother Nick Duffy return with elegant, life-affirming indie pop on an aptly titled LP.

— Marcy Donelson

Calexico

Edge of the Sun

Anti-

Pop/Rock

Recorded in Mexico City, Athens, and Los Angeles, the band returns with a set of fittingly sunwashed, footloose songs.

— Heather Phares

Reba McEntire

Love Somebody

Nash Icon

Country

After a five-year hiatus, Reba returns with a solid record that has plenty of flair but little flash.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Tom Russell

The Rose of Roscrae

South Central Music

Folk

With an enormous cast, the canny singer/songwriter delivers a magnificent folk opera of Homeric proportion.

— Thom Jurek

Beth Hart

Better Than Home

Provogue Music Productions

Pop/Rock, Blues

A distinctive, ambitious record rooted in soul and majestic, introspective ballads.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

The Wombats

Glitterbug

Bright Antenna

Pop/Rock

A smart, wry eye for the debauched, bittersweet details of twenty-something party life distinguishes the British trio's synth-heavy third album.

— Matt Collar

Stealing Sheep

Not Real

Heavenly

Pop/Rock

The sophomore outing from the Liverpool psych-pop trio pairs circular harmonies and serpentine melodies with icy electronica.

— James Christopher Monger

Dinner

Three EPs: 2012-2014

Captured Tracks

Pop/Rock

The Danish synth popper's early works make for an eccentric, romantic, highly entertaining collection.

— Heather Phares

Stornoway

Bonxie

Cooking Vinyl / HighNote Records

Pop/Rock

The Oxford quartet's expansive third LP soars thanks to more quality songcraft and some added pop muscle from producer Gil Norton.

— Timothy Monger

Ava Luna / Cindy Lou Goodman

Infinite House

Western Vinyl Records

Pop/Rock

Still brazenly strange, this Brooklyn art funk collective reins in its weirdness just slightly with a more accessible set of tunes.

— Fred Thomas

Cristina Quesada

You Are the One

Elefant

Pop/Rock

The young Spanish singer offers up a multilingual debut of pleasantly effervescent indie pop.

— Timothy Monger

Dead Moon

Tales from the Grease Trap, Vol. 1: Live at Satyricon

Voodoo Doughnut

Pop/Rock

Archival recordings of this legendary punk trio going full steam at a Portland dive bar in the early '90s.

— Fred Thomas

Delia Gonzalez

In Remembrance

DFA

Electronic

The multimedia artist returns with a fascinating set of solo piano works that move gracefully from the gallery to the dancefloor.

— Heather Phares

The Chet / E / Eels / Knuckles / P-Boo / Royal Al

Royal Albert Hall

E Works

Pop/Rock

The Eels delve into their catalog on this elegantly played and wonderfully filmed document.

— Thom Jurek

Gallows

Desolation Sounds

Bridge 9 Records

Pop/Rock

The British-Canadian hardcore unit has misery's number on their strong, but brutal fourth record.

— Timothy Monger

Greg Holden

Chase the Sun

Warner Bros. / Warner Music

Pop/Rock

The New York City-based British singer/songwriter fleshes out his folk style with producer Greg Wells.

— Matt Collar

Hank Williams III

Take as Needed for Pain [LP]

Bruc / Curb

Pop/Rock, Country

More (mostly) previously released material from the country scion, this time devoted to his punk and metal recordings.

— Mark Deming

Jerusalem in My Heart / Suuns

Suuns & Jerusalem in My Heart

Secretly Canadian

Pop/Rock

Collaborative recording between Canadian electronic explorers melds Arabic rock influences with cosmic synth programming.

— Fred Thomas

John Andrews / John Andrews & the Yawns

Bit by the Fang

Woodsist

Pop/Rock

Solo debut from Woods member merges the conversational feel of mid-period Kinks with classic psych pop influences.

— Fred Thomas

Kathryn Calder

File Under: Music

Pop/Rock

Lovely but spare collection of minimalist pop from the New Pornographers' keyboardist.

— Mark Deming

Little Texas

Young for a Long Time

Cleopatra

Pop/Rock, Country

A bright collection of amiable country-pop that relies on Little Texas' melodic strengths.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Local H

Hey, Killer

G&P Records

Pop/Rock

11 tough songs of rage and disappointment in a decaying culture from America's favorite two-man post-grunge juggernaut.

— Mark Deming

Looper

Offgrid:Offline

Mute

Pop/Rock

After taking a bit of a break from music, the Davids return with an indie folk-influenced, more melancholic version of the band.

— Tim Sendra

Looper

These Things

Mute

Pop/Rock

Career-spanning set that breaks the band's output into five themed discs and includes their 2015 album Offgrid:Offline.

— Tim Sendra

Lulu

Making Life Rhyme

Decca

Pop/Rock

A surprisingly lively and soulful album that blurs the lines between past and present.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Needtobreathe

Live From the Woods at Fontanel

Atlantic

Pop/Rock, Religious

The alt-rockers' energetic live presence is captured on this 17-track recording from a fall 2014 Nashville stop on their Rivers in the Wasteland tour.

— Marcy Donelson

Now and on Earth

Blacked Out

Epitaph

Pop/Rock

Combine six Montreal metal dudes, pop and electronic influences, and bummed-out lyrics, and you get one mismatched debut album.

— Mark Deming

Pale Blue

The Past We Leave Behind

2MR / Captured Tracks

Pop/Rock

Producer Mike Simonetti and vocalist Elizabeth Wight deliver wide-ranging, heart-on-sleeve electronic music on their striking debut album.

— Heather Phares

Peter Tosh

An Upsetters Showcase

Cleopatra

Reggae

Multifaceted compilation focusing on early collaborations between legendary reggae songwriter and Lee Perry's unstoppable studio band.

— Fred Thomas

POW!

Fight Fire

Castle Face

Pop/Rock

More fired-up, super-catchy garage rock with synths, this time with cleaner production.

— Tim Sendra

Shawn Mendes

Handwritten

Island

Pop/Rock

The teenage Vine star releases his first collection of sticky, sentimental ballads and sweet pop tunes.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Ian Black / Slug

Ripe

Memphis Industries

Pop/Rock

Former Field Music bassist makes stunning, complicated pop debut with the help of that band's Brewis brothers.

— Tim Sendra

Sven Britt / Cat Martino / Stranger Cat

In the Wilderness

Joyful Noise

Pop/Rock

The Cat Martino-led unit's debut offers up a sonically lush, emotionally charged blast of soaring, electronically induced, R&B-kissed indie pop.

— James Christopher Monger

Tal National

Zoy Zoy

FatCat Records

International

The West African group's follow-up to its 2013 breakout is an exhilarating mix of regional traditions, rock flair, and dazzling musicianship.

— Timothy Monger

The Damnwells

Rock Ridge Music

Pop/Rock

The group's original lineup reunites for an album that captures their best qualities without ignoring the passage of time.

— Mark Deming

The Mowgli's

Kids in Love

Republic

Pop/Rock

Third album of sugary, upbeat anthems from the San Francisco outfit.

— Matt Collar

The Replacements

The Complete Studio Albums: 1981-1990

Rhino

Pop/Rock

All the studio albums -- plus the Stink EP -- the Replacements released on Twin/Tone and Reprise in the '80s, presented in the 2008 remasters (but lacking bonus tracks).

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine