King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard

L.W.

KGLW

Pop/Rock

Following 2020's K.G., this third excursion into microtonal tunings finds the band operating near their breathtaking, nearly unstoppable peak.

— Tim Sendra

Cloud Nothings

The Shadow I Remember

Carpark Records

Pop/Rock

The band revisits the pithy, poignant pop of their early days with triumphant results.

— Heather Phares

Julien Baker

Little Oblivions

Matador

Pop/Rock

The indie songwriter's third album features arena-sized sonic peaks among brutal lyrics steeped in self-loathing.

— Marcy Donelson

Bob Dylan

1970

Sony Music

Folk, Pop/Rock

A loose, surprisingly enjoyable set of outtakes from the Self Portrait and New Morning sessions, highlighted by a George Harrison cameo.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Crazy Horse / Neil Young / Neil Young & Crazy Horse

Way Down in the Rust Bucket

Reprise / Warner Records

Pop/Rock

A 1990 warm-up show for the Ragged Glory tour shows Young and his favorite band cutting a loose but joyous groove.

— Mark Deming

Willie Nelson

That's Life

Legacy / Sony Music

Country

Willie Nelson keeps things nice and easy on his second Frank Sinatra tribute.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Adrian Younge

The American Negro

Jazz Is Dead

R&B

Poignant and riveting reflection on the effects of racism, featuring the producer's typically vivid fusion of vintage soul and jazz.

— Andy Kellman

Mouse on Mars

AAI

Thrill Jockey

Pop/Rock, Electronic

The tirelessly creative duo synthesize the soul of artificial intelligence, challenging conventions of authenticity and emotion in the process.

— Heather Phares

Alice Cooper

Detroit Stories

Ear Music

Pop/Rock

The shock rock pioneer pays tribute to his hometown of Detroit with covers of Motor City favorites intermixed with an equal share of new originals.

— Fred Thomas

Altin Gün

Yol

ATO / Universal

Pop/Rock

The group's third album lends some synth pop and gentle gloom to their formerly joyous update on Turkish psych of the '60s and '70s.

— Tim Sendra

The Black Crowes

Shake Your Money Maker [30th Anniversary Deluxe]

American Recordings

Pop/Rock

A 30th anniversary expanded edition that contains previously unreleased album outtakes and a triumphant full concert.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Maxïmo Park

Nature Always Wins

Prolifica Recordings

Pop/Rock

On their seventh album, the band remain true to their heartfelt nature while breaking new ground.

— Heather Phares

Lost Horizons

In Quiet Moments

Bella Union

Pop/Rock

Themes of death and rebirth inspire an even more poignant second album by the improvisational indie rock project of Bella Union chief Simon Raymonde.

— Marcy Donelson

Melvins

Working With God

Ipecac

Pop/Rock

In a trio that includes their original drummer, the forefathers of grunge pad out classic heaviness with acid-burned hard rock and juvenile outbursts.

— Fred Thomas

Blanck Mass

In Ferneaux

Sacred Bones

Pop/Rock, Electronic

Crafted during the COVID-19 lockdown out of years of field recordings, Benjamin John Power's fifth album is a haunting expression of the need to connect.

— Heather Phares

Menahan Street Band

The Exciting Sounds of Menahan Street Band

Daptone

Pop/Rock, R&B

Neo-soul instrumental group delivers what could pass for a great collection of TV and movie themes of the 1970s.

— Mark Deming

John Tejada

Year of the Living Dead

Kompakt

Electronic

John Tejada reflects on pandemic life with a concise set of hopeful, inventive techno tracks.

— Paul Simpson

Various Artists

Oh! You Pretty Things: Glam Queens & Street Urchins 1970-1976

Grapefruit

Pop/Rock

A triple disc of pre-punk oddities that runs the gamut from arch art rock to gutter sleaze.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Curtis Salgado

Damage Control

Alligator / Alligator Records

Blues

Employing three bands with top-shelf sidemen in three cities, the singer/songwriter channels early rock and R&B on this killer set.

— Thom Jurek

François & the Atlas Mountains

Banane Bleue

Domino

Pop/Rock

A refreshingly breezy and homespun record aided by Finnish synth pop producer Jaakko Eino Kalevi.

— Timothy Monger

Karima Walker

Waking the Dreaming Body

Keeled Scales / Orindal Records

Pop/Rock

An artful, delicate, otherworldly mix of hushed folksong and sound experiments from the Tucson-based artist.

— Marcy Donelson

Lucy Spraggan

Choices

Century Media / Cooking Vinyl

Pop/Rock

Choices delivers an inward-looking, yet ebullient set of songs that detail an emotional year.

— James Christopher Monger

The Misunderstood

Children of the Sun: Complete Recordings 1965-1966

Grapefruit

Pop/Rock

Definitive collection charting the brief and exciting history of a visionary, trailblazing garage-psych band of the '60s.

— Mark Deming

Cabaret Voltaire

Shadow of Funk

Mute

Electronic

Richard H. Kirk follows Cabaret Voltaire's comeback album with three club-ready tracks focusing on his industrial dance side.

— Paul Simpson

Nightshift

Zöe

Trouble in Mind

Pop/Rock

The Scottish combo's second album is sparse and evocative post-punk played with beguiling tenderness and attention to fuzzy details.

— Tim Sendra

Brijean

Feelings

Ghostly International

Electronic, Pop/Rock

The Oakland duo's sophomore album further blends their trippy, sun-bleached mix of AM pop, Latin jazz, and '90s-style house music.

— Matt Collar

The Boys with the Perpetual Nervousness

Songs from Another Life

Bobo Integral

Pop/Rock

A second album of short, sweet, 12-string power pop tunes from the duo of Andrew Taylor (Dropkick) and Gonzalo Marco (El Palacio de Linares).

— Marcy Donelson

Various Artists

Staring at the Rude Boys: The British Ska Revival 1979-1989

Pressure Drop

Pop/Rock

Excellent three-disc sampler of the stars, hits, and misses of the great U.K. ska revival's first decade.

— Mark Deming

Black Nash

Black Nash

Ramp Local Records

Pop/Rock

Made in isolation immediately after leaving the Army, this indie songwriter's debut is an instantly enjoyable wash of friendly chaos.

— Fred Thomas

Misha Kiria / Albina Shagimuratova / Mark Elder / Britten Sinfonia

Donizetti: Il Paria

Opera Rara

Classical

Care has been taken with this revival of an unknown Donizetti opera, from just before his fame.

— James Manheim

Florian Donderer / Marrit Gerretz-Traksmann / Leho Karin / Signum Quartett / Tanja Tetzlaff / Harry Traksmann

Erkki-Sven Tüür: Lost Prayers

ECM New Series

Classical

Flawlessly played and recorded music by Tüür, a contemporary sculptor of sound.

— James Manheim

Behzod Abduraimov

Debussy, Chopin, Mussorgsky

Alpha

Classical

Sets of miniatures are given fresh takes by virtuoso pianist Abdurabimov.

— James Manheim

Nathalie Stutzmann / Orfeo 55

Contralto

Erato

Classical

A virtuoso performance from soloist/conductor Stutzmann, marking her last collaboration with Orfeo 55.

— James Manheim

Collegium Vocale / Philippe Pierlot / Ricercar Consort

Bach: Soli Deo Gloria

Mirare

Classical

A pairing of big, festive-yet-reflective Bach cantatas is superbly performed.

— James Manheim

Giovanni Antonini / Il Giardino Armonico

Haydn 2032, No. 9: L'Addio

Alpha

Classical

Il Giardino Armonico's thematic survey of Haydn's symphonies continues with "L'Addio" (Farewell), including Haydn's famous work with that subtitle.

— James Manheim

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