The 1975

Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships

Polydor

Pop/Rock

The Manchester group's third album is an ambitious, stylistically varied production as engaging as it is frustrating.

— Matt Collar

Jeff Tweedy

Warm

dBpm

Pop/Rock

The first original solo effort from the Wilco frontman is an evocative message of hope and caring against long odds.

— Mark Deming

Neil Young

Songs for Judy

Reprise / WB

Pop/Rock

A loose, warm, and fun collection of highlights from Neil Young's acoustic tour in 1976.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Bryan Ferry

Bitter-Sweet

BMG

Jazz

The Roxy Music singer expands upon his Babylon Berlin performances with more vintage jazz reworkings of his classic songs.

— Matt Collar

Elvis Presley

Complete '68 Comeback Special: 50th Anniversary Edition

Legacy / RCA

Pop/Rock

The 50th Anniversary box of Elvis' storied 1968 Comeback is the best presentation of this legendary material.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Alessia Cara

The Pains of Growing

Def Jam

Pop/Rock

The second album from the Juno- and Grammy-winning artist displays sharper writing but erratic hit-angling production.

— Andy Kellman

Gregory Porter

One Night Only: Live at the Royal Albert Hall

Blue Note

Jazz

A lush concert album featuring the baritone crooner backed by his quartet, and the London Studio Orchestra with conductor Vince Mendoza.

— Matt Collar

Clean Bandit

What Is Love?

Atlantic

Pop/Rock, Electronic

Hit-filled effort that finds the trio leaning more into dance grooves than the classical crossover sound of their breakthrough.

— Neil Z. Yeung

Chris Carter

Miscellany

Mute

Electronic, Pop/Rock, Avant-Garde

Excellent box set of lesser-heard solo recordings by Chris Carter of Throbbing Gristle and Chris & Cosey.

— Paul Simpson

Big Brother & the Holding Company

Sex, Dope & Cheap Thrills

Columbia Records / Sony CMG / Sony Music

Pop/Rock

Extensive outtakes from the Cheap Thrills sessions that emphasize the interaction between Janis Joplin and her bandmates.

— Mark Deming

Soul Asylum

While You Were Out/Clam Dip & Other Delights

Omnivore

Pop/Rock

Remastered reissue of the band's final two releases for Twin/Tone Records, ranking with the very best of their early work.

— Mark Deming

The Fernweh

The Fernweh

Skeleton Key Records

Pop/Rock

Brilliantly autumnal neo-psychedelia with elements of British folk, soundtrack music and the Jefferson Airplane added to the mix.

— Tim Sendra

Throwing Snow

Loma

Houndstooth

Electronic

Throwing Snow's club-focused side is every bit as ambitious and suspenseful as his first two proper albums.

— Paul Simpson

Def Leppard

The Story So Far: The Best of Def Leppard

Mercury

Pop/Rock

A solid double-disc collection of Def Leppard's greatest hits.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Blake Mills

Look

Verve

Pop/Rock

An amorphous, adventurous, ambient album recorded while Blake Mills learned how to use vintage guitar synthesizers.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

The Reverend Horton Heat

Whole New Life

Victory Records

Pop/Rock

A full-time keyboard player and an older, wiser perspective make this a different sort of album from these psychobilly veterans.

— Mark Deming

Foxwarren

Foxwarren

Anti-

Pop/Rock

The daydreamy debut of a band led by singer/songwriter Andy Shauf is very much for fans of his solo material.

— Marcy Donelson

GospelbeacH

Another Winter Alive

Alive Naturalsound Records / Alive Records

Pop/Rock

A collection of five (really good) songs left off the band's 2017 album plus five recorded semi-acoustically at a London show.

— Tim Sendra

CUTS

A Gradual Decline

Village Green

Electronic, Pop/Rock

Stunning, inventively designed work from filmmaker and musician Anthony Tombling, Jr. which addresses environmental and political decay.

— Paul Simpson

Daniel Romano

Finally Free

New West

Pop/Rock

The shapeshifting Canadian takes an exhilarating trip into pastoral U.K. folk and acoustic psych.

— Timothy Monger

Marker Starling

Trust an Amateur

Tin Angel

Pop/Rock

Fourth album of laid-back, soulful soft rock conceived, played, and sung by Chris Cummings.

— Tim Sendra

Take That

Odyssey

Polydor

Pop/Rock

Take That's greatest-hits are given a slick, contemporary update thanks to new mixes and production tweaks.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Monteagle

Midnight Noon

Fire Talk

Pop/Rock, Country, Folk

Deeply textural Americana with a wide open feel from this Tennessee-born, New York singer/songwriter.

— Timothy Monger

Fabio Biondi / Europa Galante

Vivaldi: Concerti per violino VI "La boemia"

Naïve

Classical

Sympathetic performances of daring and recently unearthed Vivaldi violin concertos from the last part of his career.

— James Manheim

Various Artists

Emilie Mayer: Symphony No. 4; Piano Concerto; String Quartet; Piano Sonata

Capriccio Records

Classical

Generous sampling of a forgotten, female Romantic who is a gifted melodist.

— James Manheim

The Sixteen / Harry Christophers

A Renaissance Christmas

Coro

Classical

The Sixteen present an album of Christmas music from the Renaissance, including works by Lassus, Tallis, Byrd, Victoria, and other masters.

— Blair Sanderson

Septura

Music for Brass Septet, Vol. 6: Elgar, Finzi, Parry, Walton

Naxos

Classical

Detailed, often delightful brass arrangements of British choral and string orchestra works.

— James Manheim

Various Artists

Joe Cutler: Elsewhereness

NMC

Classical

British composer Cutler offers eclectic styles, with a satisfying sense of wrestling with the musical materials in each one.

— James Manheim

Jiří Bělohlávek / Czech Philharmonic

Bohuslav Martinů: What Men Live By; Symphony No. 1

Supraphon

Classical

Revival of a sparsely performed one-act opera by Martinu makes a strong case for further performances.

— James Manheim

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