Beach House

Thank Your Lucky Stars

Sub Pop

Pop/Rock

The duo's second album of 2015 is a more down-to-earth, diverse affair that is equally beautiful and affecting.

— Heather Phares

Trey Anastasio

Paper Wheels

ATO / Rubber Jungle

Pop/Rock

A warm, sunny, and rhythmic album that easily conjures memories of mid-'70s Dead.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Drive-By Truckers

It's Great to Be Alive!

ATO

Pop/Rock

Marathon live set recorded over three nights in San Francisco that focuses on this band's gifts as Southern rock storytellers.

— Mark Deming

The Neighbourhood

Wiped Out!

Sony BMG

Pop/Rock

The California outfit's sophomore album has all the dark atmosphere and chilly R&B swagger of a nighttime beach party.

— Matt Collar

Lionel Loueke

Gaïa

Blue Note

Jazz

Reunited with his longtime trio, the Beninese guitarist dazzles with a live-in-the-studio concert of all new material.

— Thom Jurek

Elvis Presley / Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

If I Can Dream

RCA

Pop/Rock

A collection of 21st century-created tracks pairing original Elvis vocals with contemporary backings.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

The Velvet Underground

Loaded [Re-Loaded 45th Anniversary Edition Box Set]

Atlantic

Pop/Rock

Expanded six-disc edition of the great band's swan song adds only so much to the album's legacy.

— Mark Deming

Sam Phillips

Sam Phillips: The Man Who Invented Rock 'n' Roll

Yep Roc

Blues, Country, R&B, Pop/Rock

Double-disc compilation of Sam Phillips-produced rockabilly, country, blues, R&B, and rock & roll.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Son Volt

Trace [Remastered & Expanded]

Rhino / Warner Bros.

Pop/Rock, Country

Expanded reissue of Jay Farrar's post-Uncle Tupelo debut includes a fiery 1996 live show and Farrar's songwriting demos.

— Mark Deming

G. Love & Special Sauce

Love Saves the Day

Brushfire / Republic

Pop/Rock

A guest-heavy party record that underscores the eclecticism of G. Love & Special Sauce.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Van Morrison

Astral Weeks [Remastered & Expanded]

Rhino

Pop/Rock

The Celtic soul man's Warner debut is considered a rock & roll classic, but it isn't rock & roll at all.

— Thom Jurek

Def Leppard

Def Leppard

Ear Music

Pop/Rock

A sprawling and kinetic double-length album that touches upon every one of Def Leppard's loves and obsessions.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Van Morrison

His Band and the Street Choir [Remastered & Expanded]

Rhino / Warner Bros.

Pop/Rock

Rushed out in the wake of Moondance, this relaxed, powerful, soul-driven album is among the singer's best.

— Thom Jurek

Escort

Animal Nature

Escort

R&B

A relatively collaborative round of dizzying dancefloor moves from the producer-driven disco orchestra.

— Andy Kellman

Fall Out Boy

Make America Psycho Again

Island / Virgin EMI

Pop/Rock

A full-length remix of Fall Out Boy's 2015 album featuring all the rappers.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

The Chills

Silver Bullets

Fire Records

Pop/Rock

The first newly recorded record in 19 years finds the band in fine form and just as good as when they left off.

— Tim Sendra

Edie Brickell / Steve Martin

So Familiar

Rounder

Folk

The second collaboration between Steve Martin and Edie Brickell is every bit as elegant and charming as the first.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

All Them Witches

Dying Surfer Meets His Maker

New West

Pop/Rock

On its third album, the Nashville band offers an abundance of dark, heavy grooves, spacy textures, and haunting melodies.

— Thom Jurek

Various Artists

Ork Records: New York, New York

Numero

Pop/Rock

Features 49 tracks from the archives of the label that began documenting the dawn of New York's punk and new wave scene in 1975.

— Mark Deming

Various Artists

We Love Disney

Verve

Pop/Rock, Children's, Stage & Screen

A collection of fun and pleasing covers of Disney classics by some of 2015's best contemporary talent.

— Neil Z. Yeung

Car Seat Headrest

Teens of Style

Matador

Pop/Rock

Reworking of songs from precocious lo-fi whiz Will Toledo's 11 previous albums done with a full band.

— Tim Sendra

Maserati

Rehumanizer

Temporary Residence

Pop/Rock

The band's first album in three years is a leaner, meaner affair that celebrates their rock side.

— Heather Phares

Blu / Madlib / MED

Bad Neighbor [Special Edition]

Bang Ya Head

Rap

The avant hip-hop trio reunites for a loose and fun album with numerous special guests.

— David Jeffries

Wolf Eyes

I Am a Problem: Mind in Pieces

Third Man Records

Pop/Rock, Avant-Garde

Hooking up with Jack White's label hasn't changed these trip metal warriors, who continue to deliver a bracing aural chaos.

— Mark Deming

Beach Slang

The Things We Do to Find People Who Feel Like Us

Polyvinyl

Pop/Rock

Cathartic, punky indie rock from the Paul Westerberg-influenced Philadelphia band's debut.

— Marcy Donelson

Boogarins

Manual

Other Music Recording Company

Pop/Rock

The sophomore studio long player from the Brazilian psych-pop outfit never fails to entertain.

— James Christopher Monger

Sea Power

Sea of Brass

Golden Chariot

Pop/Rock

The eclectic U.K. indie rock band teams up with a traditional British brass band for new arrangements from its back catalog.

— Mark Deming

Cheatahs

Mythologies [LP]

Wichita Recordings

Pop/Rock

London shoegaze quartet's second full-length expands on the trippy, atmospheric qualities of their sound.

— Paul Simpson

Chris Janson

Buy Me a Boat

Warner Bros. / Warner Nashville

Country

Nicely diverse and eager-to-please debut from this country songwriter turned performer.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Expert Alterations

You Can't Always Be Liked

Kanine Records

Pop/Rock

Jumpy, fun, and wiry debut album of post-punky indie pop from an excitable Baltimore trio.

— Tim Sendra

Jeffrey Lewis & Los Bolts / Jeffrey Lewis

Manhattan

Rough Trade

Folk, Pop/Rock

Renowned singer/songwriter and comic book artist turns to his home borough for inspiration on his seventh album for Rough Trade.

— Paul Simpson

J Dilla

Dillatronic

Vintage Vibez

Rap

This desirable set collects 41 rare beats from the late great hip-hop producer.

— David Jeffries

Peter Case

HWY 62

Omnivore

Pop/Rock, Folk

The great singer and songwriter shouts down the man and talks of everyday eccentrics, with some help from Ben Harper on guitar.

— Mark Deming

Rabit

Communion

Tri Angle

Electronic

The producer's debut addresses corruption and violation in violent, haunting tracks that shatter grime's boundaries.

— Heather Phares

Sharon Jones / Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings

It's a Holiday Soul Party

Daptone

Holiday, R&B

The retro-soul diva and her backing band get down for the holiday season on a set of yuletide classics and timely originals.

— Mark Deming

Sheer Agony

Masterpiece

Couple Skate

Pop/Rock

Sparkling debut album from a Montreal trio with a firm grasp on how to make killer rock & roll of all sorts.

— Tim Sendra

Shigeto

Intermission

Ghostly International

Electronic

Brief, between-albums selection of hypnotizing polyrhythms from Zach Saginaw.

— Andy Kellman

The Chap

The Show Must Go

Lo Recordings

Pop/Rock

A nightmarishly funny satire of rock and the issues facing 21st century Europe.

— Heather Phares

Young Galaxy

Falsework

Paper Bag Records

Pop/Rock

The Canadian outfit's fifth album of thoughtful, shimmering synth pop and third with Swedish producer Dan Lissvik.

— Matt Collar

Cowboy Junkies

Notes Falling Slow

Latent / Razor & Tie

Pop/Rock

Remastered versions of three Zoe-era albums plus a disc of newly recorded, unreleased songs from the era.

— Thom Jurek

Sun Club

The Dongo Durango

ATO

Pop/Rock

Recorded mostly live in the studio, the Baltimore band's infectious debut launches bright, surfy pop with a colorful, punk-edged spin.

— Marcy Donelson

Erasure

Always: The Very Best of Erasure

BMG / Mute

Pop/Rock

Three decades of synth pop from the duo are collected on this desirable and concise set.

— David Jeffries

Lalah Hathaway

Lalah Hathaway Live

eOne

R&B

Excellent set of career-spanning material performed at the Troubadour, where the singer's father recorded a like-titled set released 43 years prior.

— Andy Kellman

Laurel Halo

In Situ

Honest Jon's

Electronic

The producer's double EP delivers quietly challenging studies in asymmetric beats and buried melodies.

— Heather Phares

Martin Courtney

Many Moons

Domino

Pop/Rock

The Real Estate leader's solo debut is a mellow, psychedelic pop-flavored excursion through jangly guitars and mellifluous reflection.

— Marcy Donelson

My Disco

Severe

Temporary Residence

Pop/Rock

Australian minimalist post-punk trio switches from analog to digital recording in order to sharpen its attack.

— Paul Simpson

Pictureplane

Technomancer

Anticon

Electronic, Pop/Rock

On his first album for Anticon, Travis Egedy continues to ponder humanity's place in a technological world.

— Paul Simpson

The Thing

Shake

The Thing Records

Jazz

After a series of collaborative albums, the Swedish avant jazz-funk trio delivers a houserocking gem.

— Thom Jurek

Timmy's Organism

Heartless Heathen

Third Man Records

Pop/Rock

The Detroit garage punks up their game on their meaty debut for Third Man Records.

— Timothy Monger

Ursula 1000

Voyeur

Insect Queen

Electronic

Quirky, campy, and funky all at once, this kitschy electro album features guest appearances from Lady Bunny and Mocean Worker.

— David Jeffries

White Fang

Chunks

Burger Records

Pop/Rock

The slacker thrash-punks go big with a proper studio album and it totally works.

— Timothy Monger

Sun Ra & His Arkestra

To Those of Earth... And Other Worlds

Strut

Jazz

BBC DJ Gilles Peterson mixes a two-CD selection of Sun Ra favorites, providing an accessible entry point for novices.

— Paul Simpson

GEMS

Kill the One You Love

Carpark Records

Pop/Rock

The duo's debut album features more sleekly sensual dream pop.

— Heather Phares

John Butt / Dunedin Consort

Bach: Magnificat

Linn / Linn Records

Classical

Placing Bach's compositions within the context for which they were written yields a performance that is original in concept and satisfying in details.

— James Manheim

Michael Tilson Thomas / Boston Symphony Orchestra

Igor Stravinsky: Le Roi des Étoiles; Les Sacre de Printemps

PentaTone Classics

Classical

Michael Tilson Thomas and the Boston Symphony Orchestra recorded these Stravinsky masterpieces in the quadraphonic format in 1972.

— Blair Sanderson

Lang Lang

Lang Lang in Paris: Chopin, Tchaikovsky

Sony Classical

Classical

Evidence of continuing worthwhile work from one of the world's most popular classical artists.

— James Manheim

Lionel Bringuier / Yuja Wang / Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra

Ravel

Deutsche Grammophon

Classical

Yuja Wang is best known for playing Russian piano concertos, but her all-French album reveals her talents in a different light.

— Blair Sanderson

Leif Segerstam / Turku Philharmonic Orchestra

Sibelius: Swanwhite – Complete Incidental Music

Naxos

Classical

Segerstam and the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra come through in a pair of little-known theatrical scores.

— James Manheim

Wei-Gang Li / Peter Serkin / Shanghai Quartet / Bright Sheng

Bright Sheng: A Night at the Chinese Opera

Naxos

Classical

This album will satisfy fans of Sheng or anyone interested in the growing Chinese presence in American concert music.

— James Manheim

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