Featured New Releases for
October 12, 2018

Album cover for MassEducation by St. Vincent
St. Vincent

MassEducation

Loma Vista
Pop/Rock
These unvarnished versions of Masseduction's songs remind listeners of the strong fundamentals behind St. Vincent's ambitious music.

— Heather Phares

Album cover for Bottle It In by Kurt Vile
Kurt Vile

Bottle It In

Matador
Pop/Rock
Seventh album from the noted indie songwriter finds exploratory production stretching out over his most inspired arrangements yet.

— Fred Thomas

Album cover for Cloud Symbols by Graham Parker
Graham Parker

Cloud Symbols

100% Records
Pop/Rock
Clearly learning from his reunion with the Rumour, the snarky songwriter embraces his inner pub rocker and has fun doing it.

— Mark Deming

Album cover for Love Is Magic by John GrantEditors' Choice
John Grant

Love Is Magic

PTKF
Pop/Rock
The singer/songwriter's fourth album dives into electronic sounds and delivers some of his funniest and most heartbreaking songs.

— Heather Phares

Album cover for ACR:Set by A Certain RatioEditors' Choice
A Certain Ratio

ACR:Set

Mute
Pop/Rock
Judicious catalog-spanning overview of the funk-inspired post-punk band, including a new recording with Barry Adamson.

— Andy Kellman

Album cover for Decade by Dave DaviesEditors' Choice
Dave Davies

Decade

Red River / Red River Entertainment
Pop/Rock
With the help of his son, Dave Davies revives and polishes lost songs from the 1970s.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Album cover for Bad Behavior by BRONCHOEditors' Choice
BRONCHO

Bad Behavior

Believe Direct Limited / Park the Van
Pop/Rock
A solid modern pop album -- the band's best yet -- played with subtle weirdness and full of quietly catchy songs.

— Tim Sendra

Album cover for A Wonderful Beast by Calvin Johnson
Calvin Johnson

A Wonderful Beast

K Records
Pop/Rock
International Pop Underground guru teams with the Black Keys' drummer for a set of eccentric but accessible rock-influenced dance music.

— Mark Deming

Album cover for Jassbusters by Connan Mockasin
Connan Mockasin

Jassbusters

Mexican Summer
Pop/Rock
The eccentric Kiwi offers up a slinky soft rock soundtrack to his absurdist melodrama film Bostyn 'n Dobsyn.

— Timothy Monger

Album cover for Bunny by Matthew Dear
Matthew Dear

Bunny

Ghostly International
Electronic
On his sixth album under his own name, Matthew Dear places a greater focus on his pop and singer/songwriter impulses.

— Paul Simpson

Album cover for Certainty Waves by The DodosEditors' Choice
The Dodos

Certainty Waves

Polyvinyl
Pop/Rock
After taking a break that involved Meric Long learning about synths, the guitar-and-drums duo returns with a noisy, invigorated seventh LP.

— Marcy Donelson

Album cover for Only Now Forever by The KVB
The KVB

Only Now Forever

Invada
Pop/Rock
A mix of tightly plotted synth rock and shoegaze atmosphere, the duo's fifth album is one of its strongest.

— Heather Phares

Album cover for All These Things by Thomas DybdahlEditors' Choice
Thomas Dybdahl

All These Things

V2
Pop/Rock
The Norwegian singer/songwriter travels to L.A.'s Sunset Sound with producer Larry Klein and a host of studio aces and comes up with a late-night gem.

— Thom Jurek

Album cover for Inconsolable by ThouEditors' Choice
Thou

Inconsolable

Top Shelf Records
Pop/Rock
Doom metal group Thou make a surprising but entirely successful shift into brooding folk on one of several EPs they released in 2018.

— Paul Simpson

Album cover for Pleasureland by HALEY
HALEY

Pleasureland

Memphis Industries
Pop/Rock
The capricious but exquisite, all-instrumental Memphis Industries debut from the musician formerly known as Haley Bonar.

— Marcy Donelson

Album cover for Anon. by Hands Like HousesEditors' Choice
Hands Like Houses

Anon.

Hopeless Records
Pop/Rock
On album four, the Australian post-hardcore quintet takes steps into arena-ready, pop-friendly territory.

— Neil Z. Yeung

Album cover for Overload by Georgia Anne MuldrowEditors' Choice
Georgia Anne Muldrow

Overload

Brainfeeder
R&B
Varied and generous left-of-center R&B from the singer, songwriter, and producer, her first proper album in three years.

— Andy Kellman

Album cover for Pink Skies by The Mountain MoversEditors' Choice
The Mountain Movers

Pink Skies

Trouble in Mind
Pop/Rock
The Connecticut quartet take a step into uncharted territories of free-form jamming and avant psych on their second strong outing on Trouble in Mind.

— Tim Sendra

Album cover for In Our Wake by Atreyu
Atreyu

In Our Wake

Search & Destroy / Spinefarm Records
Pop/Rock
The veteran metalcore outfit delivers huge choruses and rousing gang vocals, paired with palm-muted riffs and neck-snapping double kick-drum blasts.

— James Christopher Monger

Album cover for Like a Baby by Jerry PaperEditors' Choice
Jerry Paper

Like a Baby

Stones Throw
Pop/Rock
Art-pop crooner Jerry Paper expresses the anxiety of living in modern society over smooth, bubbly funk.

— Paul Simpson

Album cover for Bit Logic by The Bottle Rockets
The Bottle Rockets

Bit Logic

Bloodshot
Pop/Rock
The alt-country stalwarts deliver a dozen samples of regular-guy wisdom on their easygoing but truly satisfying tenth album.

— Mark Deming

Album cover for Icon of Ego by Arc IrisEditors' Choice
Arc Iris

Icon of Ego

Ba Da Bing Records
Pop/Rock
On their third (and best) album, the Rhode Island trio evolve into a sophisticated prog-pop outfit whose bracing arrangements are as ingenious as their hooks.

— Thom Jurek

Album cover for Singles by Barrie
Barrie

Singles

Winspear
Pop/Rock
A brief introduction to the Brooklyn outfit's hummable melodies and dense yet porous take on chillwave.

— Marcy Donelson

Album cover for Pillars by Tyshawn Sorey
Tyshawn Sorey

Pillars

Firehouse 12
Avant-Garde
The composer and his nonet deliver a four-hour masterwork of contemporary classical music and vanguard improvisation.

— Thom Jurek

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