Featured New Album Releases

Alabama Shakes

Sound & Color

ATO

Pop/Rock

The new Southern quartet gets suitably weird on this vivid, adventurous sophomore set.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Passion Pit

Kindred

Columbia / Columbia Records

Pop/Rock

Michael Angelakos showcases gratitude and durability while still fighting demons on his ultra-carbonated and irresistible third Passion Pit record.

— Marcy Donelson

Tyler, The Creator

Cherry Bomb

Odd Future

Rap

It's free-form and frantic as the Odd Future leader offers some new sounds and new moods on his 2015 LP.

— David Jeffries

Speedy Ortiz

Foil Deer

Carpark Records

Pop/Rock

Catchy, barbed, and unabashedly feminist, the band's second album builds on the best of Major Arcana and the Real Hair EP.

— Heather Phares

They Might Be Giants

Glean

Idlewild Recordings

Pop/Rock

The band sounds darkly funny, romantic, and revitalized on this collection of some of the best tracks from the revived Dial-A-Song service.

— Heather Phares

Built to Spill

Untethered Moon

Warner Bros.

Pop/Rock

The long-runnning, guitar-happy indie rock heroes show no signs of age or wear on their eighth studio album.

— Tim Sendra

Maná

Cama Incendiada

Warner Music

Latin

On their first album in nearly four years the Mexican rockers expertly balance pop accessibility and rock & roll swagger.

— Thom Jurek

Wire

Pink Flag

Pop/Rock

Much like Red Barked Tree, the band's self-titled album delves deeper into sardonic, melancholic pop full of atmosphere.

— Heather Phares

The Alchemist / Oh No

Welcome to Los Santos

Mass Appeal

Rap, Stage & Screen

Two hip-hop producers inspired by the GTA5 video game offer an excellent genre-blending collection.

— David Jeffries

Yelawolf

Love Story

Polydor / Shady / Slumerican

Rap

The Shadyville rapper returns with his long-delayed sophomore effort.

— David Jeffries

San Fermin

Jackrabbit

Downtown / Downtown Records

Pop/Rock

Sophomore album sees indie chamber pop act moving away from the dense classical trappings of their debut.

— Fred Thomas

Ryan Adams

Live at Carnegie Hall [LP]

Blue Note

Country, Pop/Rock

Two full, intimate sets performed in the fall of 2014, right after the release of his eponymous 2014 LP.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Nicki Bluhm / Nicki Bluhm & the Gramblers

Loved Wild Lost

Little Sur Records

Pop/Rock

San Francisco country and blues singer makes one of the best '70s Marin County country-rock records in decades.

— Mark Deming

Cyrus Chestnut

A Million Colors in Your Mind

HighNote Records

Jazz

The jazz pianist pairs with bassist David Williams and drummer Victor Lewis for his colorful, swinging HighNote debut.

— Matt Collar

Ben Williams

Coming of Age

Concord

Jazz

Sophisticated, jazz, fusion, and R&B-infused sophomore album from the gifted bassist.

— Matt Collar

Jimbo Mathus

Blue Healer

Fat Possum Records

Pop/Rock

Recording in analog with Bruce Watson, the singer, songwriter, and guitarist lays out a ragged, rocking redemption tale.

— Thom Jurek

Sick Sad World

Fear and Lies

Help Yourself

Pop/Rock

Super-hooky scruff pop from Seattle delivered with tuneful swagger and introspection, like a leather-clad Beach Boys or a sweater-wearing JAMC.

— Tim Sendra

Rocky Votolato

Hospital Handshakes

No Sleep Records

Pop/Rock

The singer/songwriter emerges from an extended period of self-examination with an electric rock & roll record of hopeful poignancy.

— Thom Jurek

Mavis Staples

Your Good Fortune

Anti-

R&B

Recorded with Son Little, a rootsy EP that contains two originals and updates of two songs familiar to devout Staple Singers fans.

— Andy Kellman

Death

N.E.W.

Tryangle

Pop/Rock

The Detroit power trio surface with their first album of crunchy, all-new material since the 1970s.

— Thom Jurek

Squarepusher

Damogen Furies

Warp

Electronic

Turning away from his more nuanced material, this electronic music mastermind opts instead for blown-out fits of frantic confusion.

— Fred Thomas

Great Lake Swimmers

A Forest of Arms

Nettwerk / Nettwerk Productions

Pop/Rock, Folk

Another memorable mood piece from the Toronto folk-rock band, recorded in part in a cave in Ontario.

— Mark Deming

Allie Hanlon / Peach Kelli Pop

Peach Kelli Pop III

Burger Records

Pop/Rock

Third album of frothy and fun pop with a little punk mixed in, this time with much improved production values.

— Tim Sendra

Turbo Fruits

No Control

Melvin

Pop/Rock

'70s-influenced rockers discover pop, and the tuneful melodies and catchy hooks turn out to be a great fit.

Lightning in a Twilight Hour

Fragments of a Former Moon

Elefant

Pop/Rock

First full-length from former Field Mice/Trembling Blue Stars leader Bobby Wratten features loads of warm melancholy and sweet sadness.

— Tim Sendra

Miami Horror

All Possible Futures

Dine Alone / Haven Sounds

Pop/Rock

More song-oriented than the band's debut, a collection of retro, pastel-colored dance music seemingly conceived in a state of wonderment.

— Andy Kellman

Milky Wimpshake

Encore, un Effort!

Fortuna POP!

Pop/Rock

Fifth full-length from stalwart twee punk group sounds as inspired as their first 7"s from the mid-'90s.

— Fred Thomas

Gilla Band

The Early Years

Rough Trade

Pop/Rock

All-male Dublin noise rock quartet Gilla Band compile previously released singles on their first widely distributed release.

— Paul Simpson

Adam Torres

Nostra Nova

Misra

Pop/Rock

The Austin-based singer/songwriter's sprawling 2006 chamber folk debut gets its first proper release.

— Timothy Monger

Low Cut Connie

Hi Honey

Ardent Music / Contender Records

Pop/Rock

Low Cut Connie's second album is a rowdy revival tent that preaches the gospel of rock & roll sleaze.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Larry's Rebels

I Feel Good: The Essential Purple Flashes of Larry's Rebels 1965-1969

Frenzy / RPM

Pop/Rock

Excellent single-disc summary of the glory days of New Zealand's biggest rock combo of the '60s.

— Mark Deming

Miniboone

Bad Sports

Ernest Jenning

Pop/Rock

New York City indie pop band revels in their own cleverness on their second album, in both good and bad ways.

Mirror Queen

Scaffolds of the Sky

Tee Pee / Teepee Records

Pop/Rock

New York City stoner rock heroes reveal intelligence and technique but fall short with their songwriting on their second album.

— Mark Deming

Henry Kohen / Mylets

Arizona

Sargent House

Pop/Rock

The proper album debut by indie guitar-loop wizard Henry Kohen comes out of the gate with an arresting swagger that grows more subtle on its second half.

— Timothy Monger

Native Construct

Quiet World

Metal Blade

Pop/Rock

The Berklee College of Music trio's Metal Blade debut is a mathy, sugary sweet, geek-metal buffet with all the fixins'.

— James Christopher Monger

As It Is

Never Happy, Ever After

Fearless Records

Pop/Rock

The first British act to sign to Fearless Records offer up a polished pop-punk debut that recalls mainstream emo's early-2000s heyday.

— Timothy Monger

The Atomic Bitchwax

Gravitron

Tee Pee

Pop/Rock

Sixth album from this long-running Monster Magnet side project is technically solid if mostly uninspired.

— Fred Thomas

Various Artists

Popcorn Exotica: R&B, Soul & Exotic Rockers from the 50s & 60s

Croydon Municipal

Pop/Rock, Easy Listening, R&B

Features 22 slinky but playful pop tunes suitable for slow dancing, lounging about, and quaffing refreshing cocktails.

— Mark Deming

Zombi

The Zombi Anthology

Relapse Records

Pop/Rock

Relapse offers a reissue of the duo's excellent horror/slasher film-inspired early work.

— Timothy Monger

Sol Gabetta

Prayer

Sony Classical

Classical

Schelomo fares very well here, even with a switch in orchestra, venue, and conductor. As usual, a bracingly fresh program from this charismatic and intelligent cellist.

— James Manheim

Philippe Jaroussky / Jérôme Ducros / Quatuor Ébène

Green: Mélodies françaises sur des poèmes de Verlaine

Erato

Classical

A good deal of this material is fairly obscure and the moody playing of the Quatuor Ebène amplifies things rather than interfering. A wonderful release.

— James Manheim