Waxahatchee

Out in the Storm

Merge

Pop/Rock

On her most assertive album yet, Katie Crutchfield examines a damaging relationship with the aid of a full band and production by John Agnello.

— Marcy Donelson

Dusty Springfield

The Complete Philadelphia Sessions: A Brand New Me

Real Gone Music

Pop/Rock, R&B

This compilation assembles all 15 of the artist's Gamble, Huff, and Bell sessions in a single volume, and includes an unreleased track.

— Thom Jurek

Boris

Dear

Sargent House

Pop/Rock

25 years on, this Japanese power trio again prove their mettle as rock leviathans with a set that looks back while exploring new terrain.

— Thom Jurek

Sheer Mag

Need To Feel Your Love

Static Shock Records

Pop/Rock

Strong debut album of hard-rocking AOR sounds from a tough Philly quintet led by the monitor-shredding vocals of Tina Halladay.

— Tim Sendra

The Stevens

Good

Chapter Music

Pop/Rock

The Australian quartet's second album is a (near) duplicate of their first, with the same pleasing ratio of hooks and scruff.

— Tim Sendra

Cyrus Chestnut

There's a Sweet Sweet Spirit

HighNote Records

Jazz

The pianist's superb third High Note release features bassist Buster Williams, drummer Lenny White, and vibraphonist Steve Nelson.

— Matt Collar

The Charles Lloyd Quartet / Charles Lloyd / Charles Lloyd New Quartet

Passin' Thru

Blue Note

Jazz

The great saxophonist's new quartet celebrates ten years together with this startling, inspired live offering.

— Thom Jurek

Japanese Breakfast

Soft Sounds from Another Planet

Dead Oceans

Pop/Rock

Moving from the bedroom to the studio, the project's second record gains fidelity and scope without losing any emotional depth.

— Tim Sendra

Laibach

Also Sprach Zarathustra

Mute

Avant-Garde, Electronic

Much more restrained than their usual output, the industrial collective's musical interpretation of Friedrich Nietzsche's novel is among their best works.

— Paul Simpson

Coldplay

Kaleidoscope

Parlophone

Pop/Rock

Coldplay capitalize on their hit single with the EDM duo Chainsmokers.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Russell Malone

Time for the Dancers

HighNote Records

Jazz

An earthy yet sophisticated album showcasing the guitarist's adept melodicism and love of groove.

— Matt Collar

Shabazz Palaces

Quazarz vs. The Jealous Machines

Sub Pop

Rap

Present-day dystopian sci-fi and murky funk on one of two simultaneously released albums from the left-field duo.

— Andy Kellman

Shabazz Palaces

Quazarz: Born on a Gangster Star

Sub Pop

Rap

Second, comparatively energized 2017 volume of critical hip-hop mutations from Ishmael Butler and company.

— Andy Kellman

Lal Waterson / Lal & Mike Waterson / Mike Waterson

Bright Phoebus

Domino

Folk

The magnificat Bright Phoebus declares its intentions as the English folk equivalent of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

— James Christopher Monger

Stephan Micus

Inland Sea

ECM

Avant-Garde, International

The enigmatic world and sound traveler utilizes the Swedish nykepharpa as the central instrument in his arsenal on this quietly arresting date.

— Thom Jurek

The Telescopes

As Light Return

Tapete Records

Pop/Rock

After making its poppiest album in ages, the band follows with five darkly forbidding slabs of guitar noise drowning in claustrophobic swells of bleak distortion.

— Tim Sendra

Oh Wonder

Ultralife

Island / Republic

Pop/Rock

Compiling a D.I.Y. song-a-month challenge for their debut, the duo's poppier follow-up expands instrumentation and trades wistfulness for vibrancy.

— Marcy Donelson

Art Feynman

Blast Off Through the Wicker

Western Vinyl Records

Pop/Rock

Compelling avant-pop debut of a mysterious singer/songwriter who sounds a lot like (wink wink) Luke Temple of Here We Go Magic.

— Marcy Donelson

RAC

EGO

Counter Records

Pop/Rock

The Grammy-winning producer gets personal on his warm, flowing second album.

— Heather Phares

Twinsmith

Stay Cool

Saddle Creek Records

Pop/Rock

The Omaha group shed their guitar-driven approach in favor of sunny synths and vintage drum programming.

— Timothy Monger

Dasher

Sodium

Jagjaguwar

Pop/Rock

The band's debut album blends indie, hardcore, and shoegaze into formidable expressions of beauty and rage.

— Heather Phares

The Dears

Times Infinity, Vol. 2

Dangerbird Records

Pop/Rock

Follow-up to the group's similarly named 2015 album is strong, smart, and well-crafted, if slightly less memorable.

— Mark Deming

Eagles

Their Greatest Hits, Vols. 1 & 2

Elektra / Rhino

Pop/Rock

This 2017 set pairs the two Greatest Hits compilations from Eagles: 1976's mega-blockbuster Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975) and 1982's Eagles Greatest Hits, Vol. 2.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

French Montana

Jungle Rules

Bad Boy Entertainment / Epic

Rap

Official sophomore effort from the Bronx rapper is packed with high-profile guests and varied hip-hop flavors.

— Neil Z. Yeung

Sextile

Albeit Living

Felte

Pop/Rock

The synth rockers' second album trades nuance for trashy, gleeful abandon.

— Heather Phares

Mura Masa

Mura Masa

Downtown / Polydor

Electronic

British producer Mura Masa presents his star-studded debut full-length, which spans several styles of lovelorn electronic pop.

— Paul Simpson

Lo Tom

Lo Tom

Barsuk

Pop/Rock

Comfortable, crunchy guitar rock from this collaboration between members of Pedro the Lion and Starflyer 59.

— Timothy Monger

Needles//Pins

Good Night, Tomorrow

Mint Records

Pop/Rock

Third album from Vancouver punk trio shows you can sound powerful and emotionally honest at the same time.

— Mark Deming

Psychic Temple

IV

Joyful Noise

Pop/Rock, Jazz

Fourth album of smooth cosmic-country jazz-pop from Chris Schlarb's ever-evolving Psychic Temple collective.

— Paul Simpson

Sun Seeker

Biddeford

Third Man Records

Pop/Rock

Young Nashville combo pseudo-Baroque pop and tight cosmic Americana on their debut EP.

— Timothy Monger

Terrace Martin / The Pollyseeds

Sounds of Crenshaw, Vol. 1

Ropeadope

R&B

Another set of relaxed soul/jazz/hip-hop hybrids from the Grammy-nominated leader, following triumphs with YG and Kendrick Lamar.

— Andy Kellman

Mike Krol

Mike Krol Is Never Dead: The First Two Records

Merge

Pop/Rock

Two-fer reissue of the lo-fi rocker's first two EPs; simple, clever, funny, and maybe the future of rock & roll.

— Mark Deming

Nick Lowe

Nick the Knife [2017 Bonus Tracks]

Yep Roc

Pop/Rock

One of Nick Lowe's best albums, featuring "My Heart Hurts" and "Stick It Where the Sun Don't Shine."

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Nick Lowe

The Abominable Showman [2017 Bonus Tracks]

Yep Roc

Pop/Rock

A bright and messy New Wave pop record anchored by the single "Raging Eyes."

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Schneider Kacirek

Radius Walk

Bureau B

Avant-Garde, Electronic, International

Second album of murky yet focused improvisations from Stefan Schneider and Sven Kacirek, this time joined by vocalist Sofia Jernberg.

— Paul Simpson

Sophie Harmsen / Mari Kodama / L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande / Kazuki Yamada

De Falla: Noches en los Jardines de España; El Sombrero de Tres Picos

PentaTone Classics

Classical

The colorful music of Manuel de Falla is presented in audiophile recordings by Kazuki Yamada and the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande.

— Blair Sanderson

Diana Damrau / Emmanuel Villaume / Lyon National Opera Orchestra

Meyerbeer: Grand Opera

Erato

Classical

This fine anthology by Damrau will help Meyerbeer's cause. Plainly a labor of love, brava!

— James Manheim

Ivo Varbanov / Emil Tabakov / Royal Scottish National Orchestra

Dimitar Nenov: Piano Concerto; Ballade

Hyperion

Classical

Two large-scale works for piano and orchestra by Bulgarian composer Dimitar Nenov are explored on this Hyperion release.

— Blair Sanderson

Akademie für Alte Musik, Berlin

Telemann: Concerti per molti stromenti

Harmonia Mundi

Classical

The Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin presents lively performances of Telemann's concertos for various instruments, including the rare calchedon.

— Blair Sanderson

Robin Tritschler / Graham Johnson

Songs by Robert Franz

Hyperion

Classical

The generous selection of songs offered here suggests that Franz is worth a revival.

— James Manheim

Asko / Asko / Schönberg / Reinbert de Leeuw / Netherlands Radio Choir / Arnold Schoenberg

György Kurtág: Complete Works for Ensemble and Choir

ECM New Series

Classical

An ambitious release that covers a good many of the milestones of this composer's output; highly recommended.

— James Manheim

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