Ed Sheeran

÷

Atlantic

Pop/Rock

On his third album, Ed Sheeran leans into sentimentality and plays with a few new sounds.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Temples

Volcano

Fat Possum Records

Pop/Rock

The band's second album adds synths and a festival-friendly sound, while scaling back the hazy psychedelia of their debut

— Tim Sendra

Ibibio Sound Machine

Uyai

Merge

International

The London-based collective, fusing new wave and electro with West African rhythms, moves in a slightly darker direction with its second album.

— Paul Simpson

Grandaddy

Last Place

30th Century Records / Columbia / Sony Music

Pop/Rock

After a decade off making albums under his own name, Jason Lytle returns to the Grandaddy name for a very Grandaddy set of tunes.

— Tim Sendra

Sondre Lerche

Pleasure

PLZ / Analog Spark

Pop/Rock

Casting aside the calm craftsmanship of previous albums, Lerche dives head-first into synth-driven, '80s-damaged pop and comes up with a pearl.

— Tim Sendra

Sleaford Mods

English Tapas

Rough Trade

Pop/Rock

The duo delivers grimly humorous sketches of numbness and frustration that feel like the cutting edge of post-Brexit weariness.

— Heather Phares

Chicano Batman

Freedom Is Free

ATO

Pop/Rock

This L.A. band's third album is a smart, joyous exercise in multi-cultural psychedelic funk with both groove and purpose.

— Mark Deming

Bombadil

Fences

Ramseur Records

Pop/Rock

LP five offers especially efficient arrangements of acoustic indie rock ditties that mix tunefulness, playfulness, and insecurity.

— Marcy Donelson

Kneebody

Anti-Hero

Motéma Music

Pop/Rock, Jazz

The ninth album of genre-bending, instrumental post-jazz from the exploratory quintet.

— Matt Collar

François & the Atlas Mountains

Solide Mirage

Domino

Pop/Rock

The vibrant French indie pop outfit's third release for Domino is underscored by elements of socially conscious tension.

— Timothy Monger

Blanck Mass

World Eater

Sacred Bones

Electronic

Vivid portraits of turmoil and division that prove electronic music can express political dissent as eloquently as any other genre.

— Heather Phares

Khalid

American Teen

RCA

R&B

Nonchalant, occasionally soul-baring pop-R&B hybrids from the young Texan.

— Andy Kellman

Why?

Moh Lhean

Joyful Noise

Pop/Rock

LP six by Yoni Wolf's style-bending indie project is more reflective in tone but still provides a creative burst of sound and stylized observation.

— Marcy Donelson

Lusine

Sensorimotor

Ghostly International

Electronic

The electronic pop auteur deftly pairs sensory lushness with disorienting manipulations on this strong release.

— Timothy Monger

Rat Columns

Candle Power

Upset the Rhythm

Pop/Rock

Classic C-86 style indie pop spiced with a little bit of synth pop and disco from the ever-prolific David West.

— Tim Sendra

Vaguess

Guilt Ring

Sinderlyn

Pop/Rock

Californian songwriter Vinny Vaguess presents 14 brief keyboard-laced garage punk songs showcasing his bleak, biting sense of humor.

— Paul Simpson

Dia Frampton

Bruises

Nettwerk

Pop/Rock

Soul-baring sophomore solo set from the Utah singer/songwriter who elevates her voice with gorgeous orchestral accompaniment.

— Neil Z. Yeung

Emmure

Look at Yourself

Nuclear Blast / Relativity Entertainment / Sharptone

Pop/Rock

The extreme metal outfit's first outing after a seismic lineup shift may be their most confident sounding to date.

— James Christopher Monger

Otis Taylor

Fantasizing About Being Black

In-Akustik

Blues

The modern bluesman tells the tale of African American history in this ambitious, bracing album.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Minus the Bear

Voids

Suicide Squeeze

Pop/Rock

The Seattle-based indie rockers' sixth full-length, and their first outing since the departure of longtime drummer Erin Tate.

— James Christopher Monger

Methyl Ethel

Everything Is Forgotten

4AD

Pop/Rock

Methyl Ethel return with a sassier-sounding follow-up to 2016's Oh Inhuman Spectacle.

— Bekki Bemrose

Tim Kasher

No Resolution

15 Passenger

Pop/Rock, Stage & Screen

The Good Life and Cursive frontman's third solo album doubles as an anxious soundtrack for his directorial debut about a strained relationship.

— Marcy Donelson

Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes

Fever: The Remastered Epic Recordings

Real Gone Music

Pop/Rock

Remastered set features the first three albums from these Jersey Shore heroes in full, as well as a rare live set from 1976.

— Mark Deming

Colin Hay

Fierce Mercy [Deluxe Edition]

Compass

Pop/Rock

Hay expands his sonic palette on this rich, satisfying offering.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Gabriella Cohen

Full Closure and No Details

Captured Tracks

Pop/Rock

Ambitious full-length debut by Australian songwriter Gabriella Cohen, ranging from hazy dream pop to mutated '50s rock.

— Paul Simpson

Johnossi

Blood Jungle

Caroline / Polydor

Pop/Rock

The hard-rocking Swedish duo enlist co-songwriters and a hip-hop production team on their fifth record.

— Timothy Monger

Talaboman

The Night Land

R&S

Electronic

John Talabot and Axel Boman team up for a casual set of lo-fi deep house tracks with subtle African influences.

— Paul Simpson

The Muffs

Happy Birthday to Me [Bonus Tracks]

Omnivore

Pop/Rock

Kim Shattuck and Company sound tighter, harder, and just as much fun on this reissue their third album.

— Mark Deming

Ann-Margret

The Definitive Collection

Real Gone Music

Pop/Rock, Vocal, Stage & Screen

Thirty-song collection features the highlights of the star's RCA recordings of the '60s, including rare and unreleased tracks.

— Mark Deming

Artful Dodger

The Complete Columbia Recordings

Real Gone Music

Pop/Rock

A double-disc set containing all the Columbia recordings from the underappreciated hard-rocking '70s power poppers Artful Dodger.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Béla Fleck

Juno Concerto

Rounder

Jazz, Classical, Folk

Banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck and the Colorado Symphony Orchestra perform his Juno Concerto, a fusion of bluegrass and classical.

— Blair Sanderson

Bleached

Can You Deal

Dead Oceans

Pop/Rock

The trio responds to sexism in the music industry with some of their finest, most impassioned music to date.

— Heather Phares

Chris Difford

Chris to the Mill

Demon / Edsel

Pop/Rock

A box set containing all three of Chris Difford's solo albums, plus a collection of songwriting demos.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Danko Jones

Wild Cat

AFM Records / Soul Food Music Distribution

Pop/Rock

Ace Canadian power trio have sex on the brain, and it fuels one of their most enjoyable albums to date.

— Mark Deming

Holly Macve

Golden Eagle

Bella Union

Pop/Rock

Startling debut of a distinctive alt-country singer and songwriter who employs yodeling and melisma to render weary Western noir ballads.

— Marcy Donelson

Noam Pikelny

Universal Favorite

Rounder

Country

The Rounder Records debut from the virtuosic Punch Brothers and ex-Leftover Salmon banjo player is a rough-hewn gem.

— James Christopher Monger

The Waifs

Ironbark

Compass

Folk, Pop/Rock

The Australian folk trio celebrate their 25th anniversary with a lengthy double-disc of new material.

— Timothy Monger

Joonas Ahonen / Christian Poltéra / Baldur Brönnimann / BIT 20 Ensemble

Ligeti: Piano Concerto; Cello Concerto; Chamber Concerto; Melodien

BIS

Classical

The Norwegian BIT20 Ensemble explores the innovative ideas in György Ligeti's experimental concertos on this BIS release.

— Blair Sanderson

Timothy Fallon / Ammiel Bushakevitz

Liszt: 15 Songs

BIS

Classical

Timothy Fallon sings some of the less familiar Lieder of Franz Liszt, who composed songs throughout his career.

— Blair Sanderson

Jack Liebeck / Martyn Brabbins

The Romantic Violin Concerto, Vol. 21: Bruch

Hyperion

Classical

Max Bruch's neglected Violin Concerto No. 2 and several short works are revived by Jack Liebeck for Hyperion.

— Blair Sanderson

Dina Ugorskaja

J.S. Bach: Well-Tempered Clavier I & II

CAvi-music

Classical

Dina Ugorskaja presents the Well-Tempered Clavier on piano with a variety of expressions and subtle gradations of touch and dynamics.

— Blair Sanderson

Giovanni Antonini / Il Giardino Armonico

Telemann

Alpha

Classical

Giovanni Antonini and Il Giardino Armonico present a program of music featuring the recorder and the seldom-heard chalumeau.

— Blair Sanderson

Leonore Piano Trio / Gemma Rosefield

Matthews: Piano Trios

Toccata Classics

Classical

Chamber works of David Matthews are explored on this release by cellist Gemma Rosefield and the Leonore Piano Trio.

— Blair Sanderson

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