Jeff Buckley

You and I

Columbia / Legacy / Sony Music

Pop/Rock

A covers-heavy collection of solo recordings cut early in 1993, just after Jeff Buckley signed to Columbia.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Pete Yorn

ArrangingTime

Capitol / Virgin EMI

Pop/Rock

Pete Yorn reunites with his early producer R. Walt Vincent but decides to explore mature, melancholy pop on this satisfying return.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Emmy the Great

Second Love

Bella Union

Pop/Rock

The songwriter's fourth LP refers back to the heart health of her debut, First Love, while lightly updating her sound with electronics.

— Marcy Donelson

Lucius

Good Grief

Mom + Pop Music

Pop/Rock

Guided by the tandem vocals of Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig, the quintet's boisterous sophomore LP embraces an '80s dance-pop palette.

— Marcy Donelson

Mexrrissey

No Manchester

Cooking Vinyl

Latin, Pop/Rock

Delightful tribute to the music of Morrissey by an all-star cast of Mexican musicians led by Camilo Lara of Mexican Institute of Sound.

— Tim Sendra

The Wild Feathers

Lonely Is a Lifetime

Warner Bros.

Pop/Rock

The Nashville roots rockers' sophomore outing dials back on the twang and introduces elements of psych, pop, and anthemic alt-rock into the mix.

— James Christopher Monger

Brian Fallon

Painkillers

Island / Virgin EMI

Pop/Rock

The Gaslight Anthem frontman has found a way to distill his band's fiery nostalgia into something a little more refined, but no less affecting.

— James Christopher Monger

Into It. Over It.

Standards

Triple Crown Records

Pop/Rock

Breathtakingly performed and arranged emo-pop that's heavy on the emotion and light on the drama, while still being hooky and sometimes even fun.

— Tim Sendra

Bent Shapes

Wolves of Want

Slumberland

Pop/Rock

The Boston band's excellent sophomore effort blends pop smarts with nervy, literate post-punk.

— Timothy Monger

Gavin James

Bitter Pill

Capitol

Pop/Rock

The Irish balladeer's debut studio LP is essentially a studio version of his Live at Whelans with two new songs, "Remember Me" and "Bitter Pill."

— Marcy Donelson

Cardiknox

Portrait

Warner Bros.

Pop/Rock

An exuberant, uplifting, '80s synth pop-tinged debut from the New York duo.

— Matt Collar

The Cars

The Elektra Years: 1978-1987

Elektra / Rhino

Pop/Rock

All six of the Cars' studio albums are newly remastered on this handsomely produced set.

3 Doors Down

Us and the Night

Republic

Pop/Rock

A reconstituted 3 Doors Down decide to look on the sunny side of life on Us and the Night.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

The KVB

Of Desire

Metropolis

Pop/Rock

The duo dives deeper into electronics, with eclectic and promising results.

— Heather Phares

Palehound

Dry Food

Heavenly

Pop/Rock

A beguiling debut full of vulnerable introspections and weird abstractions.

— Timothy Monger

Beau

That Thing Reality

Kitsuné / RED Music Solutions

Pop/Rock

A surprisingly visceral, '60s folk and '70s punk-infused debut from the Greenwich Village duo.

— Matt Collar

Mind Spiders

Prosthesis

Dirtnap Records

Pop/Rock

This group's fusion of garage punk guitars and new wave electronics is more powerful than ever on its fourth album.

— Mark Deming

The Feelies

Only Life

Bar/None Records

Pop/Rock

Reissue of the group's spacious but potent third album includes four downloadable bonus tracks.

— Mark Deming

The Feelies

Time for a Witness

Bar/None Records

Pop/Rock

New liner notes and downloadable bonus tracks beef up this reissue of the group's rollicking fourth album.

— Mark Deming

Mirror Travel

Cruise Deal

Modern Outsider

Pop/Rock

The Austin psych-rock trio go on permanent vacation with their second album, recorded before they relocated to New Mexico.

— Paul Simpson

MMOTHS

Luneworks

Because Music

Electronic, Pop/Rock

Irish musician Jack Colleran takes the atmospheric sound of his EPs in a more personal, experimental direction on his debut album.

— Paul Simpson

Parachute

Wide Awake

Vanguard

Pop/Rock

The Virginia outfit slim down to a trio on their pop- and soul-influenced fourth LP.

— Timothy Monger

Bobby Darin

Another Song on My Mind: The Motown Years

Real Gone Music

Vocal, Pop/Rock

Double-disc set of all of Bobby Darin's wide-ranging early-'70s recordings for Motown.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Holy Wave

Freaks of Nurture

Reverberation Appreciation Society

Pop/Rock

The band's second album is a swirling psych-rock grower, with upgrades in the sonics and songs.

— Tim Sendra

Hospital Ships

The Past Is Not a Flood

Graveface Records

Pop/Rock

Jordan Geiger embraces atmospheric production and gently hypnotic rhythms on his fourth Hospital Ships full-length.

— Paul Simpson

La Yegros

Magnetismo

Soundway

Electronic

The sophomore effort by this sophisticated electro cumbia band absorbs many influences and expands musical frontiers.

— Thom Jurek

Slingshot Dakota

Break

Top Shelf Records

Pop/Rock

The Pennsylvanian keyboard and drums duo continues to subtly evolve on their first LP since tying the knot.

— Timothy Monger

Sunwatchers

Sunwatchers

Castle Face

Pop/Rock

Joyous, hypnotic free rock from a New York-based ensemble led by Jim McHugh of Nymph and Dark Meat.

— Paul Simpson

Mickey Gilley

The Definitive Hits Collection

Real Gone Music

Country

A double-disc set containing all of the traditional country singer's big hits from 1974-1986.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Rita Wilson

Rita Wilson

Sing It Loud

Pop/Rock

The actress turned singer adds songwriting to her résumé on her second album, which is both poppier and more personal than her first.

— Mark Deming

ORA Singers

Upheld by Stillness

Harmonia Mundi

Classical

This highly original recording asserts that today marks a golden age of choral music comparable to that of the Renaissance.

— James Manheim

Yevgeny Sudbin

Yevgeny Sudbin plays Medtner & Rachmaninov

BIS

Classical

This is a superb recording of Russian music of the early 20th century, especially for the fascinating figure of Medtner.

— James Manheim

Martyn Brabbins / BBC Symphony Orchestra

Chagrin: Symphonies Nos. 1 and 2

Naxos

Classical

Two symphonies by Francis Chagrin are explored in world premiere recordings by Martyn Brabbins and the BBC Symphony Orchestra.

— Blair Sanderson

Vladimir Jurowski / Vsevolod Grivnov / London Philharmonic Orchestra

Rachmaninoff: Symphony No. 3; 10 Songs (Arr. Jurowski)

London Philharmonic Orchestra

Classical

This is an above-average Rachmaninov release, and the songs deserve more performances in this medium.

— James Manheim

Vilde Frang

Britten, Korngold: Violin Concertos

Warner Classics

Classical

Vilde Frang's match-up of violin concertos by Korngold and Britten makes this one of her most fascinating albums.

— Blair Sanderson

Mariss Jansons / Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra

Bruckner: Symphony No. 9

RCO live / RCO Live

Classical

Mariss Jansons and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra give a surprisingly light and brisk reading of Bruckner's unfinished Ninth Symphony.

— Blair Sanderson

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