Post Malone

Hollywood's Bleeding

Republic

Rap

Third effort from the multi-platinum hybrid hitmaker pushes him further into the mainstream.

— Neil Z. Yeung

The Highwomen

The Highwomen

Atlantic / Low Country Sound

Pop/Rock, Country

The supergroup of Brandi Carlile, Maren Morris, Amanda Shires, and Natalie Hemby make a vivid, vital debut.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Frankie Cosmos

Close It Quietly

Sub Pop

Pop/Rock

A generous 21-track set of two-minute confections from one of indie pop's most reliable songsmiths.

— Marcy Donelson

Iggy Pop

Free

Loma Vista

Pop/Rock

The World's Forgotten Boy contemplates a world gone wrong in a subdued but emphatic detour from rock & roll.

— Mark Deming

Bat for Lashes

Lost Girls

AWAL / Bat For Lashes

Pop/Rock

On her fifth album, Natasha Khan gets lost in the '80s and rediscovers the magic and romance of her music.

— Heather Phares

Miles Davis

Rubberband

Warner Records

Jazz

A liberally reinvented version of the trumpter's shelved "lost" album by his original co-producers is steeped in modern production.

— Thom Jurek

The Allman Brothers Band

Fillmore West '71

Allman Brothers Band

Pop/Rock

Three complete revelatory and raw shows from the West Coast venue captured just six weeks before the legendary Fillmore East recordings.

— Thom Jurek

Death Cab for Cutie

The Blue EP

Atlantic

Pop/Rock

Death Cab expand upon Thank You for Today with this quietly urgent EP.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Chrissie Hynde / Chrissie Hynde with the Valve Bone Woe Ensemble

Valve Bone Woe

BMG

Jazz, Pop/Rock

A sharp, sophisticated excursion into mid-century jazz by the Pretenders singer.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Tinariwen

Amadjar

Anti-

International

The revered desert blues collective recorded their fascinating eighth album in the open air of a Saharan camp.

— Timothy Monger

Kano

Hoodies All Summer

Parlophone

Rap

Filled with invigorated, socially relevant lyrics and inventive production, British emcee Kano's sixth album is arguably his best work.

— Paul Simpson

Ghostface Killah

Ghostface Killahs

Music Generation Corp.

Rap

Slightly under-the-radar solo return from the Wu-Tang emcee, resembling a thrilling low-budget action movie.

— Paul Simpson

Lindsey Stirling

Artemis

BMG

Pop/Rock

Sweeping fifth LP from the violinist elevates her classical crossover style with cinematic scope.

— Neil Z. Yeung

Lower Dens

The Competition

Ribbon Music

Pop/Rock

The fourth album from this Baltimore band solidifies their transformation from dark indie rock to '80s-modeled synth pop.

— Fred Thomas

The Messthetics

Anthropocosmic Nest

Dischord Records

Pop/Rock

The second go-round from this experimental rock trio pushes harder against the boundaries with impressive results.

— Mark Deming

Guaxe

Guaxe

ORG / Org Music

Pop/Rock

The debut album from this Brazilian psych-rock duo takes various approaches to a singular daydreamy sound.

— Fred Thomas

Mahalia

LOVE AND COMPROMISE

Atlantic

R&B

The all-caps title is the only unfortunate attribute of this breezy and fun set of modern hip-hop soul.

— Andy Kellman

Melanie Martinez

K-12

Atlantic

Pop/Rock

Martinez's sophomore album of arty hip-hop- and R&B-influenced pop is once again conceptualized around her Cry Baby alter ego.

— Matt Collar

Kendra Amalie

Intuition

Beyond Beyond Is Beyond

Avant-Garde

Quick-shifting debut from this multifaceted cosmic songwriter gels into a strange but welcoming larger whole.

— Fred Thomas

Joe Lovano / Enrico Rava

Roma

ECM

Jazz

An engaging live performance featuring the two jazz masters recorded in Italy in 2018.

— Matt Collar

Yonathan Avishai / Avishai Cohen

Playing the Room

ECM

Jazz

A lyrical, deeply rhapsodic duo collaboration between trumpeter Avishai Cohen and pianist Yonathan Avishai.

— Matt Collar

Adam Green

Engine of Paradise

30th Century Records

Pop/Rock

Delivered in his signature retro-pop style, this brief set offers a sturdy distillation of the singer's worldview.

— Timothy Monger

NRBQ

Turn On, Tune In

Omnivore

Pop/Rock

Despite plentiful lineup changes, this live album confirms the venerable band is still a joyous experience on-stage.

— Mark Deming

Barns Courtney

404

Capitol / Virgin EMI

Pop/Rock

Bars Courtney explores his alienation in stylish fashion on his second album.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Johnny Gill

Game Changer II

J Skillz

R&B

The singer ably moves from era to era on this mixed set, featuring a lead single that topped Billboard's Adult R&B Songs chart.

— Andy Kellman

Black Star Riders

Another State of Grace

Nuclear Blast

Pop/Rock

The Thin Lizzy-adjacent quintet deliver another streamlined set of workmanlike classic rock with a confectioner's stroke.

— James Christopher Monger

Crystal Gayle

You Don't Know Me

BFD

Country, Pop/Rock

For her first album in 16 years, Crystal Gayle returns with a clean, crisp collection of classic country covers.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Mermaidens

Look Me in the Eye

Flying Nun

Pop/Rock

More assertive musically and lyrically, the New Zealand trio's third album takes on gendered power structures with dark, post-punk colors.

— Marcy Donelson

MUNA

Saves the World

Columbia / RCA

Pop/Rock

The more pensive follow-up to About U manages to be warm and inviting despite its mechanical, '80s pop-inspired veneer.

— Marcy Donelson

Octo Octa

Resonant Body

T4T LUV NRG

Electronic

Sounding more at peace with herself and her surroundings, Octo Octa's third album contains her most ecstatic work.

— Paul Simpson

Those Pretty Wrongs

Zed for Zulu

Burger Records

Pop/Rock

Created in the manner of soft smart pop of the '70s, this is sweetly sad music that's perfect for late nights or rainy days.

— Mark Deming

Throbbing Gristle

D.o.A.: The Third and Final Report of Throbbing Gristle

Mute

Pop/Rock

Fascinatingly grim second full-length from the industrial pioneers, demonstrating a wider stylistic range than their debut.

— Paul Simpson

Vladimir Jurowski / Sofia Fomina / London Philharmonic Orchestra

Mahler: Symphony No. 4

LPO

Classical

Vladimir Jurowski leads the London Philharmonic Orchestra in a low-key but straightforward reading of Mahler's Fourth.

— Blair Sanderson

Bojan Čičić / Illyria Consort

Giovanni Stefano Carbonelli: Sonate da Camera Nos. 7-12

Delphian

Classical

Sequel to Čičić's set of the first six Carbonelli sonatas is equally attractive.

— James Manheim

Mahan Esfahani

Bach: The Toccatas, BWV 910-916

Hyperion

Classical

A possibly definitive recording of early experimental keyboard pieces by Bach.

— James Manheim

Trinity College Choir, Cambridge / Stephen Layton

Finzi: Choral Works

Hyperion

Classical

A superb collection of Finzi's choral music, beautifully sung and beautifully structured.

— James Manheim

Brian Thornton / Spencer Myer

Robert Schumann: Works for Cello & Piano

Steinway & Sons

Classical, Holiday

Passionate recordings of rarely heard Schumann works, beautifully recorded.

— James Manheim

Susan Narucki

The Edge of Silence: Works for Voice by György Kurtág

Avie

Classical

Definitive performances of Kurtág's songs by a soprano who has worked closely with him on their interpretation.

— James Manheim

Previous Week Next Week