Neil Young / Neil Young & Crazy Horse

Barn

Reprise

Pop/Rock

A warm, rambling record that captures Crazy Horse finding solace and comfort in the noise they make.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Green Day

BBC Sessions

Reprise

Pop/Rock

A high-octane collection of the four BBC sessions Green Day gave between Dookie and Warning.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Common

A Beautiful Revolution, Pt. 2

Concord / Loma Vista

Rap

The likes of Brittany Howard and Raphael Saadiq join the rapper on a positive-minded set that is similar to part one.

— Andy Kellman

Brian Wilson

At My Piano

Decca

Pop/Rock

The Beach Boys founder reworks a set of songs from throughout his lengthy catalog as stripped-down piano instrumentals.

— Fred Thomas

BBC Symphony Orchestra / Jules Buckley / Steve Cradock / Paul Weller

An Orchestrated Songbook

Polydor

Pop/Rock

A subtly emotional orchestrated stroll through Paul Weller's back pages.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

The Long Blondes

Someone to Drive You Home [15th Anniversary Edition]

Rough Trade

Pop/Rock

Thrilling debut album from a band who combine vintage style with biting and sad guitar pop that's equal parts girl group drama and punk attitude.

— Tim Sendra

The Band

Cahoots [50th Anniversary Edition]

Capitol / Virgin

Pop/Rock

Remixed reissue of the album where the great group started running short on ideas, despite some glorious moments.

— Mark Deming

Biffy Clyro

The Myth of the Happily Ever After

Warner Records

Pop/Rock

A sanguine, vibrantly creative companion album to 2020's A Celebration of Endings that also stands on its own.

— Matt Collar

Colin Blunstone

One Year [50th Anniversary Edition]

Sundazed

Pop/Rock

The 50th anniversary edition of the debut solo album from the Zombies lead singer includes 14 additional demos and studio tracks from the same time.

— Fred Thomas

King Krule

You Heat Me Up You Cool Me Down

True Panther Sounds

Pop/Rock

An incendiary, go-for-broke live document drawn from three 2020 European shows before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the tour.

— Thom Jurek

Jeff Parker

Forfolks

Nonesuch

Jazz

On his second solo guitar offering, the guitarist explores his private soundworld through vintage and new originals and jazz standards.

— Thom Jurek

Nicole Atkins

Memphis Ice

Single Lock Records

Pop/Rock

Vocal performances shine on these revisions of songs from 2020's Italian Ice (plus one original), recorded live in the studio with an acoustic trio.

— Marcy Donelson

Aeon Station

Observatory

Sub Pop

Pop/Rock

Former Wrens member Kevin Whelan offers a satisfying and somewhat cathartic solo debut.

— Timothy Monger

Art Blakey / Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers

First Flight to Tokyo: The Lost 1961 Recordings

Blue Note

Jazz

This long-shelved document showcases the storied quintet at the peak of their powers during a Japanese tour.

— Thom Jurek

Teen Daze

Interior

Cascine

Electronic

Jamison Isaak channels the French house wave of the late '90s with his most club-friendly album to date.

— Paul Simpson

Mouth Congress

Waiting for Henry

Captured Tracks

Pop/Rock

Bizarre, rude, and often hilarious satire of gay culture from Kids in the Hall star Scott Thompson and writer Paul Bellini.

— Mark Deming

Various Artists

Tokyo Glow

Wewantsounds

Pop/Rock

Fun selection of Japanese post-disco R&B, adult contemporary pop and soul, and soft rock (1976-1989) from the vast catalog of Nippon Columbia.

— Andy Kellman

Horse Show

Falsterbo

PNKSLM

Pop/Rock

Members of Hater, Simian Ghost, Yash, and Fews blend melancholy indie, post-punk, and shoegaze influences on their auspicious debut EP.

— Marcy Donelson

Barnaby Smith / Mary Bevan / Illyria Consort

Handel

VOCES8 Records

Classical

A fine outing by young, vocally versatile countertenor Smith is enhanced by crack instrumental work.

— James Manheim

Alexandre Tharaud

Schubert: Impromptus D899; Moments Musicaux D780

Erato

Classical

Readings of familiar and not-so-familiar Schubert emphasize sonata thinking and avoid grand Romantic gestures.

— James Manheim

Marianne Crebassa

Séguedilles

Erato

Classical

Mezzo-soprano Crebassa is in fabulous voice on this collection of Spanish and Spanish-influenced material.

— James Manheim

Fred Thomas / Aisha Orazbayeva / Lucy Railton

J.S. Bach: Three or One

ECM New Series

Classical

Arrangements of chorale-based Bach works, for piano or trio, atomize them by individual line, revealing a haunting new richness.

— James Manheim

Julia Den Boer

Kermès

New Focus Recordings

Classical

Diverse contemporary works linked by the idea of kermès, the insect-derived pigment whose use in dyes preceded that of cochineal.

— James Manheim

Vadim Repin / Andris Nelsons / Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra

Sofia Gubaidulina: Dialog: Ich und du; The Wrath of God; The Light of the End

Deutsche Grammophon

Classical

Nelsons and the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig celebrate Gubaidulina's 90th birthday with rousing performances of three later-life works.

— Keith Finke

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