James Taylor

Before This World

Concord / Decca

Pop/Rock

After a 13-year hiatus, the singer/songwriter begins to write originals again with this relaxed record.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Nate Ruess

Grand Romantic

Atlantic / Fueled by Ramen Records

Pop/Rock

The Fun. lead singer's first solo album is an effusive, melodic celebration of love.

— Matt Collar

Adam Lambert

The Original High

Warner Bros.

Pop/Rock

Reuniting with Max Martin and Shellback, the glam-disco singer creates a canny modern pop record.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Giorgio Moroder

Déjà-Vu

RCA

Pop/Rock

Collaborating with Sia, Kylie Minogue, and Kelis, among others, the dance music legend bridges the gap between disco and EDM.

— Heather Phares

Ross Birchard / Hudson Mohawke

Lantern

Warp

Electronic

Disjointed but often thrilling second album from the Kanye West co-producer and Björk remixer, featuring Jhené Aiko and Miguel appearances.

— Andy Kellman

Heartless Bastards

Restless Ones

Partisan

Pop/Rock

Erika Wennerstrom and her bandmates up their game in the studio on their fifth album, sounding especially authentic and powerful.

— Mark Deming

Robert Glasper

Covered: The Robert Glasper Trio Recorded Live at Capitol Studios

Blue Note

Jazz

Reunited with his original acoustic trio, the pianist successfully grafts stylish pop and R&B song forms onto jazz.

— Thom Jurek

Walk off the Earth

Sing It All Away

Columbia / RCA / Sony Music Entertainment

Pop/Rock

Uplifting fare that braids several genres and styles into huge singalong choruses for a stadium-friendly pop gumbo.

— Marcy Donelson

Mika

No Place in Heaven

Casablanca / Republic

Pop/Rock

Returning to '70s-inspired pop, the singer/songwriter delivers some of his most personal and confident-sounding songs yet.

— Heather Phares

Ryn Weaver

The Fool

Geffen

Pop/Rock

Weaver's debut is a savvy consolidation of all the prevailing arty pop trends of the mid-2010s.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Air

The Virgin Suicides [15th Anniversary] [Deluxe Edition]

Parlophone / Warner Music

Electronic, Pop/Rock, Stage & Screen

The duo's first foray into film music makes the most of their atmospheric qualities, resulting in a quietly unforgettable score.

— Heather Phares

Jill Scott

Golden Moments

Hidden Beach

R&B

Smartly sequenced overview of the top-tier R&B artist's Hidden Beach albums, featuring all of her charting singles from the period.

— Andy Kellman

The Dream Syndicate

The Days of Wine and Roses [Bonus Tracks]

Omnivore

Pop/Rock

Outstanding debut from the most ferocious of the Paisley Underground bands; smart garage-infused noise at its best.

— Mark Deming

High on Fire

Luminiferous

Entertainment One / eOne

Pop/Rock

After a three-year wait, the Bay Area trio come roaring back with an exquisite slab of power sludge.

— Thom Jurek

Babymetal

BABYMETAL [Bonus Tracks]

Toy's Factory

Pop/Rock

Mixing pummeling heavy metal and bubblegummy J-pop, the band's debut should be a joke but turns out to be a work of genius instead.

— Tim Sendra

Sarah Cracknell

Red Kite

Cherry Red

Pop/Rock

Nearly 15 years after her last solo effort, the Saint Etienne singer returns with a warm chamber pop album made with Colorama leader Carwyn Ellis.

— Tim Sendra

Slum Village

Yes!

Ne'Astra

Rap

The legendary Detroit hip-hop crew returns with members T3 and Young RJ now the center of the group.

— David Jeffries

Calvin Love

Super Future

Arts & Crafts

Pop/Rock

Lo-fi bedroom indie meets noir, '80s-inspired nightclub on the Canadian popsmith's second effort.

— Timothy Monger

Jaakko Eino Kalevi

Jaakko Eino Kalevi

Weird World

Pop/Rock

The multi-instrumentalist's official debut is a seductive introduction to his fog-swathed experimental pop.

— Heather Phares

KEN mode

Success

Season of Mist

Pop/Rock

Winnipeg-based noise rock group diverts from its intense hardcore-influenced sound a bit, exploring a wider dynamic range.

— Paul Simpson

Hilary Duff

Breathe In. Breathe Out.

RCA

Pop/Rock

The former starlet returns after an eight-year hiatus with a clean, pristine dance-pop record.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

David Benoit

2 in Love

Concord

Jazz

For the first time in his career, the pianist and composer cuts a full album with a collaborating vocalist, and it's a gem.

— Thom Jurek

Aaron Diehl

Space Time Continuum

Mack Avenue

Jazz

Sophisticated, accomplished collection of straight-ahead acoustic jazz from the pianist, with guests including saxophonist Benny Golson.

— Matt Collar

Active Child / Patrick James Grossi

Mercy

Vagrant

Pop/Rock

A dewy-eyed collection of late-night/early morning neo-soul ballads and chamber music-infused gospel-dream pop reveries.

— James Christopher Monger

Evan Caminiti

Meridian

Thrill Jockey

Avant-Garde, Electronic, Pop/Rock

The Barn Owl guitarist's new set of compositions were mainly written and performed on a Eurack modular synthesizer.

— Thom Jurek

Fucked Up

Year of the Hare

Deathwish

Pop/Rock

Two epic-scale songs testify to the smarts and creative ambitions of Toronto's most adventurous art-punks.

— Mark Deming

Dog Party

Vol. 4

Asian Man Records

Pop/Rock

Snarling, sassy, and self-assured poppy punk by two sisters who keep getting better with each release.

— Tim Sendra

Alpine

Yuck

Votiv

Pop/Rock

Devilishly clever sophisti-pop disguised as big-box shopping center background music.

— James Christopher Monger

Iwrestledabearonce

Hail Mary

Artery Recordings

Pop/Rock

The fourth studio long player from the Louisiana-based mathcore unit and the sophomore outing with scream/clean vocalist Courtney LaPlante.

— James Christopher Monger

Amos Lee

Live at Red Rocks with the Colorado Symphony

ATO

Pop/Rock, R&B

A vibrant, gorgeously produced orchestral showcase for the folk-soul singer recorded at the famed Colorado amphitheater.

— Matt Collar

Azure Blue

Beneath the Hill I Smell the Sea

Fika Recordings / Hybris Records

Pop/Rock

The Swedish synth pop project's third album is another sophisticated gem, this time with guitars and a raft of guest vocalists.

— Tim Sendra

Bob Collins and the Full Nelson / Bob Collins

Telescopic Victory Kiss

Jigsaw Records

Pop/Rock

Former Dentists guitarist strikes out on his own with a classic indie rock album.

— Tim Sendra

Christopher Paul Stelling

Labor Against Waste

Anti-

Pop/Rock

The Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter's sophomore outing and Anti debut draws from a wide spectrum of American roots music.

— James Christopher Monger

Hank Williams, Jr.

35 Biggest Hits

Curb

Pop/Rock, Country

Excellent double-disc set of Hank Jr.'s influential hitmaking run of the '80s.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Ken Camden

Dream Memory

Kranky

Electronic, Avant-Garde, Pop/Rock

Chicago-based space rock guitarist expands his scope a bit, adding new techniques and sounds to his cosmic explorations.

— Paul Simpson

Left Lane Cruiser

Dirty Spliff Blues

Alive / Alive Naturalsound Records

Pop/Rock

More raw, loud, and dirty blues from a band who thinks "going green" has nothing to do with the environment.

— Mark Deming

Mates of State

You're Going to Make It

Barsuk

Pop/Rock

After a long break, the duo returns with a small batch of pumped-up pop songs and lulling ballads.

— Tim Sendra

mewithoutYou

Pale Horses

Run for Cover Records

Pop/Rock

The band's sixth studio outing finds them returning to the heavy, post-hardcore sound of early works.

— James Christopher Monger

Part Time

Virgo's Maze

Burger Records

Pop/Rock

Sprawling 20-track collection of low-budget new wave pop gems from prolific songwriter David Loca.

— Paul Simpson

The Silver Lake Chorus

The Silver Lake Chorus

Six Degrees

Pop/Rock, Vocal

The chorus' debut translates original songs by several beloved indie stars into diversely arranged chorales highlighted by a Flaming Lips tune.

— Marcy Donelson

The SteelDrivers

The Muscle Shoals Recordings

Rounder

Country

Bluegrass combo travels to the soul music capital for its fourth album, which is soulful in spirit but down-home in approach.

— Mark Deming

Yukon Blonde

On Blonde

Dine Alone

Pop/Rock

Platform boots and John Hughes films not included on this high-octane, glam-charged synth pop turn for the ever-catchy, driving indie poppers.

— Marcy Donelson

The Wooden Sky

Let's Be Ready

Nevado Records

Pop/Rock

Album number four from this Canadian indie folk act is a wide-ranging set that's both ambitious and accessible.

— Mark Deming

Nick Van Bloss

Beethoven: Diabelli Variations; Sonata "Appassionata"

Nimbus Alliance

Classical

Van Bloss' reading develops organically, both within individual variations and over the course of the whole set.

— James Manheim

Iván Fischer / Budapest Festival Orchestra

Mahler: Symphony No. 9

Channel Classics

Classical

Iván Fischer and the Budapest Festival Orchestra add the Symphony No. 9 in D major to their audiophile series of Mahler's symphonies.

— Blair Sanderson

Michael Stern / Kansas City Symphony / Jan Kraybill

Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3 "Organ"; Introduction and Rondo capriccioso; La muse et le poète

Reference Recordings

Classical

Camille Saint-Saëns' Symphony No. 3 in C minor, "Organ," is increasingly programmed for sonic showcases, like this HDCD from Reference Recordings.

— Blair Sanderson

Michael Habermann

Sorabji: Piano Music

Naxos

Classical

The shorter piano works of Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji are explored on this three-CD set by Michael Habermann.

— Blair Sanderson

Penelope Crawford / Jaap Schröder / Skálholt String Quartet / Owen Watkins

Mozart: Clarinet Quintet, K. 581; "Kegelstatt" Trio, K. 498

Musica Omnia / Musica Omnia

Classical

The distinguishing feature here is it's a true historical-instrument performance. Recommended for those interested in the historical performance of Mozart's works.

— James Manheim

Gabriela Montero

Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 2; Montero: Ex Patria; Improvisations

Orchid Classics

Classical

On this album, Gabriela Montero displays three aspects of her musicianship, appearing as a virtuoso pianist, composer, and gifted improviser.

— Blair Sanderson

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