Tame Impala

The Slow Rush

Interscope

Pop/Rock

The band's fourth album delves smoothly into elegant disco, echoing chillwave, and Madchester beats while also dealing with serious lyrical concerns and big emotions.

— Tim Sendra

Justin Bieber

Changes

Def Jam

Pop/Rock

Low-key and newlywed blissed-out, the singer's fifth and most focused album is full of R&B-pop slow jams and sparse guitar ballads.

— Andy Kellman

Tennis

Swimmer

Mutually Detrimental

Pop/Rock

The long-running indie pop duo tweak their dreamy, romantic sound a bit here and there while still delivering the sonic and emotional goods.

— Tim Sendra

Puss N Boots

Sister

Blue Note

Country, Pop/Rock

Puss N Boots return with an endearingly low-key record that slightly emphasizes original material

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Kvelertak

Splid

Rise Records

Pop/Rock

The studio debut for vocalist Ivar Nikolaisen, the Norwegian black metallers pick right up where 2016's Nattesferd left off and never look back.

— James Christopher Monger

Nathaniel Rateliff

And It's Still Alright

Fantasy / Stax

Pop/Rock

On leave from the Night Sweats, the Denver singer's first solo album in seven years is a mix of poignant reflection, poetic savvy, and a touch of whimsy.

— Timothy Monger

Bambara

Stray

Wharf Cat Records

Pop/Rock

The Brooklyn-based trio refine their gothic post-punk sound on their brilliantly evocative fourth album.

— Paul Simpson

Habibi

Anywhere But Here

Kill Rock Stars / Muddguts

Pop/Rock

Sophomore album from Brooklyn garage pop band finds them developing both their songwriting hooks and willingness to explore.

— Fred Thomas

The Heliocentrics

Infinity of Now

Madlib Invazion

Jazz

Returning after a three-year break, this outfit combines psych, Afro-beat, broken beat, funk, jazz, and Eastern sounds in an exotic and heavy sonic stew.

— Thom Jurek

Oded Tzur

Here Be Dragons

ECM

Jazz

On his ECM debut, the composer and saxophonist leads his quartet through a series of intimate, resonant, and elegant musical conversations.

— Thom Jurek

Rejoicer

Spiritual Sleaze

Stones Throw

Electronic

Dreamy yet focused set of psychedelic R&B from Stones Throw-signed Israeli producer Yuvi Havkin.

— Paul Simpson

Charly Bliss

Supermoon

Barsuk

Pop/Rock

An infectious five-song EP of finished recordings cut from 2019's Young Enough -- but definitely not due to quality issues.

— Marcy Donelson

Huey Lewis / Huey Lewis & the News

Weather

B.M.T. / BMG

Pop/Rock

A brief, breezy, and fun final album from Huey Lewis & the News.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Katie Gately

Loom

Houndstooth

Avant-Garde, Electronic

The producer's painful, beautiful, and powerful tribute to her late mother engulfs listeners in her grieving process.

— Heather Phares

Tim Berne / Tim Berne's Snakeoil

Fantastic Mrs. 10

Intakt Records

Jazz

Tim Berne's quintet -- with guitarist Marc Ducret added -- deliver an exciting, canny, labyrinthine series of new tunes.

— Thom Jurek

The Men

Mercy

Sacred Bones

Pop/Rock

The band's third consecutive album with the same lineup continues in the eclectic mode of albums like 2018's Drift.

— Paul Simpson

Le Butcherettes

Don't Bleed

Rise Records

Pop/Rock

This seven-song EP from the genre-warping act moves from arena-ready rockers to minimal electronic songs.

— Fred Thomas

The Third Mind

The Third Mind [First Edition]

Yep Roc

Pop/Rock

Dave Alvin and a band of intuitive instrumentalists invite the spirit in this semi-improvisational project.

— Mark Deming

Boniface

Boniface

Transgressive

Pop/Rock

Lush synth pop and piano ballads comprise a catchy and vulnerable debut by Winnipeg singer/songwriter Micah Visser and band.

— Marcy Donelson

DRAMA

Dance Without Me

Ghostly International

R&B

The Chicago duo's self-assured debut album brings more depth -- and lightness -- to their ultra-smooth blend of R&B, dance, and pop.

— Heather Phares

Carla Bley / Andy Sheppard / Steve Swallow

Life Goes On

ECM

Jazz

The playful and harmonically engaging fourth album from Bley's trio with Steve Swallow and Andy Sheppard.

— Matt Collar

Aaron Diehl

The Vagabond

Mack Avenue

Jazz

An atmospheric, richly detailed trio album from the pianist that showcases his jazz and classical influences.

— Matt Collar

Post Animal

Forward Motion Godyssey

Polyvinyl

Pop/Rock

An equally eclectic, more contemplative second album that still delivers uncommonly strong fodder for air guitarists and drummers.

— Marcy Donelson

Shadow Show

Silhouettes

Burger Records

Pop/Rock

Debut album from this Detroit trio takes familiar garage and mod pop elements to unexpected places.

— Fred Thomas

Beach Bunny

Honeymoon

Mom + Pop Music

Pop/Rock

Cautiously buoyant fuzz pop with strong melodies from this Chicago unit led by singer/songwriter Lili Trifilio.

— Timothy Monger

Hollywood Undead

New Empire, Vol. 1

BMG / BMG

Pop/Rock

The L.A.-based rap-rockers' sixth effort leans harder into the heavy metal and electronicore aspects of their sound.

— James Christopher Monger

Personality Cult

New Arrows

Dirtnap Records

Pop/Rock

The North Carolina chainsaw pop project improves on all counts as a full band on their second album.

— Mark Deming

Rashied Ali / Frank Lowe

Duo Exchange: Complete Sessions

Survival

Jazz

This vinyl only set contains the complete, historic 1972 sax/drums duo sessions for the first time.

— Thom Jurek

Andrew Rangell

Bach: English Suites, BWV 806-811

Steinway & Sons

Classical

A highly detailed, subjective Bach from Rangell: a worthy addition to his large Bach catalog.

— James Manheim

Vox Luminis / A Nocte Temporis

Charpentier: Orphée aux Enfers

Alpha

Classical

Marc-Antoine Charpentier's two works on the Orpheus myth receive sparkling performances from Vox Luminis and A Nocte Temporis.

— Blair Sanderson

Astraea Ensemble / Miles Anderson

Astraea

Metier

Avant-Garde, Classical

The Astraea Ensemble formed in 1975 to improvise with Eastern instruments and electronic sounds for their avant-garde experiments.

— Blair Sanderson

WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne Chamber Players

Beethoven: String Quintets Op. 29 and 104; Fugue Op. 137

Alpha

Classical

The WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne Chamber Players presents Beethoven's String Quintets, Opp. 29 and 104 with the Fugue in D major.

— Blair Sanderson

Yannick Nézet-Séguin / Philadelphia Orchestra

Mahler: Symphony No. 8

Deutsche Grammophon

Classical

Nézet-Séguin and the Philadelphia Orchestra mark the centennial of the U.S. premiere of Mahler's Eighth with this Deutsche Grammophone release.

— Blair Sanderson

Bernhard Forck / Akademie für Alte Musik, Berlin

Handel: Concerti grossi Op. 6 (7-12)

PentaTone Classics

Classical

A brilliant, old-style performance of Handel concerti grossi by Forck and the Akademie für Alte Musik.

— James Manheim

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