Car Seat Headrest

Making a Door Less Open

Matador

Pop/Rock

Will Toledo's first set of fresh songs since his band's breakthrough is a document of self-doubt brought on by success.

— Mark Deming

Austra / Katie Stelmanis

Hirudin

Domino

Pop/Rock

Katie Stelmanis highlights the classical and pop sides of her music on these pristine-sounding songs about toxic relationships.

— Heather Phares

Kenny Chesney

Here and Now

Blue Chair Records / Warner Music

Country

A breezy good time that finds Kenny Chesney squarely in his musical wheelhouse while stretching himself emotionally.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Joan as Police Woman

Cover Two

Sweet Police

Pop/Rock

Spanning songs from Prince, Gil Scott-Heron, and Grease, Joan Wasser's second covers collection frequently brings out the best in her music.

— Heather Phares

Diet Cig

Do You Wonder About Me?

Frenchkiss Records

Pop/Rock

Upbeat and sweet without sounding shallow, this smart pop band fulfill the promise of their fine debut album.

— Mark Deming

Hot Country Knights

The K Is Silent

Capitol

Country

Dierks Bentley's parody of 1990s country is a stupid good time.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Marcos Valle

Cinzento

Sony Music

Pop/Rock, International

On his third studio outing in two years (and a return to jazzy samba) the veteran Brazilian composer teams with a new generation of lyricists.

— Thom Jurek

Stroppies

Look Alive

Tough Love

Pop/Rock

A home-cooked, more intimate take on the thoughtful and melodic jangle pop sound the quartet established on Whoosh!

— Tim Sendra

Man Man

Dream Hunting in the Valley of the In-Between

Sub Pop

Pop/Rock

Sixth album from experimental genre-defying indie act continues their turn toward more accessible songwriting.

— Fred Thomas

American Aquarium

Lamentations

New West

Pop/Rock

Working with producer Shooter Jennings, American Aquarium wrestles with the dashed dreams of modern America.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

John Carroll Kirby

My Garden

Stones Throw

Pop/Rock

The valued collaborator (Solange, Frank Ocean) tends to his own discography with piano-based instrumentals that extend friendly companionship.

— Andy Kellman

Chicano Batman

Invisible People

ATO

Pop/Rock

A sleek and breezy pan-cultural party.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Dave Douglas

Dizzy Atmosphere: Dizzy Gillespie at Zero Gravity

Greenleaf Music

Jazz

An engaging album that finds Douglas exploring and moving far afield of the legendary bop trumpeter's music.

— Matt Collar

Devon Williams

Tear In the Fabric

Slumberland

Pop/Rock

Sophisticated guitar-and-synth pop that brings to mind classic albums from the '80s, played and sung with restraint and tenderness.

— Tim Sendra

Ghostpoet

I Grow Tired But Dare Not Fall Asleep

Play It Again Sam

Pop/Rock

Stark and seductive fifth dispatch from two-time Mercury Prize nominee Obaro Ejimiwe.

— Andy Kellman

Field Works

Ultrasonic

Temporary Residence

Electronic, Pop/Rock

Eighth installment of Stuart Hyatt's ongoing collaborative project, incorporating the echolocations of bats into ambient and experimental pieces.

— Paul Simpson

BOAT

Tread Lightly

Magic Marker

Pop/Rock

Another slice of slightly goofy, always-fun rock & roll done by the venerable band of Pacific Northwest indie rockers, possibly their best yet.

— Tim Sendra

Damien Jurado

What's New, Tomboy?

Mama Bird Recording Co.

Pop/Rock

An efficiently arranged outing consisting largely of character sketches highlighted by "Ochoa," a tribute to the late Richard Swift.

— Marcy Donelson

Klara Lewis

Ingrid

Editions Mego

Electronic

Built around a single cello loop, Klara Lewis' most restricted work to date might also be her most powerful.

— Paul Simpson

Ital Tek

Outland

Planet Mu

Electronic

U.K. electronic producer Alan Myson reflects on a new stage of his life with his suspenseful, cinematic sixth full-length.

— Paul Simpson

Caleb Landry Jones

The Mother Stone

Sacred Bones

Pop/Rock

The Texas-born actor and musician's debut is a wild psych-rock opus of sprawling complexity.

— Timothy Monger

Hala

Red Herring

Cinematic

Pop/Rock

The major-label debut from this Detroit singer/songwriter is full of relaxed power pop charm and solid multi-instrumental chops.

— Timothy Monger

Happyness

Floatr

Infinit Suds

Pop/Rock

A more meditative third album from the Sparklehorse-influenced indie rockers and their Infinit Suds debut.

— Marcy Donelson

Houses of Heaven

Silent Places

Felte

Pop/Rock

The Oakland-based trio's debut full-length is a rich, inventive mix of dark post-punk and alternative dance styles.

— Paul Simpson

Johanna Warren

Chaotic Good

Carpark Records / Wax Nine Records

Pop/Rock

A more assertive fifth album that delves into grungier textures without abandoning gentle, pastoral ones.

— Marcy Donelson

Choir of Trinity Wall Street / Julian Wachner / Novus NY

Ellen Reid: p r i s m

Decca Gold

Classical

Ellen Reid's Pulitzer Prize-winning opera about sexual assault makes a successful transition to the recording medium.

— James Manheim

The Crossing / Donald Nally

Michael Gordon: Anonymous Man

Cantaloupe

Classical

A descendant of the first generation of minimalist cityscapes, Michael Gordon's Anonymous Man gets a fine performance here.

— James Manheim

Riccardo Chailly / La Scala Philharmonic Orchestra

Cherubini Discoveries

Decca

Classical

The "discoveries" here are the hitherto unrecorded marches, but the Symphony in D major also gets an exciting reading.

— James Manheim

Ensemble Correspondances / Sébastien Daucé

Les Plaisirs du Louvre: Airs pour la Chambre de Louis XIII

Harmonia Mundi

Classical

Music from the court of Louis XIII; performances bring this obscure repertory alive.

— James Manheim

Chen Reiss

Immortal Beloved: Beethoven Arias

Onyx

Classical

A collection of Beethoven arias includes persuasive performances of some highly unusual items.

— James Manheim

The Gesualdo Six / Owain Park

Fading

Hyperion

Classical

Diverse pieces are tied together by drawing inspiration from the day's-end Compline service and by the atmospheric performances.

— James Manheim

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