Promise of the Real / Neil Young

Noise and Flowers

Reprise / Warner Records

Pop/Rock

A warm, loving document of the 2019 European tour that Neil Young & Promise of the Real treated as a tribute to Elliot Roberts.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Calvin Harris

Funk Wav Bounces, Vol. 2

Columbia / Sony Music

Electronic

This sequel to the 2017 beach-and-pool-friendly first volume is a bit more of a laid-back experience.

— Neil Z. Yeung

Jay Bellerose / T-Bone Burnett / Keefus Ciancia

The Invisible Light: Spells

Electro Magnetic / Verve / Verve Forecast

Pop/Rock

Volume Two in the songwriter's farewell trilogy is a series of thoughtful meditations on a fallen world with artful, abstract backdrops.

— Mark Deming

El Grupo Renacimiento / Meridian Brothers

Meridian Brothers y Grupo Renacimiento

Ansonia

Latin, Electronic

Meridian Brothers collaborated with "long lost" salsa dura band Grupo Renacimiento on this wildly imaginative, utterly accessible long-player.

— Thom Jurek

C Duncan

Alluvium

Bella Union

Pop/Rock

The Scottish multi-instrumentalist offers another set of sophisticated, elegant pop with a optimistic feel.

— Timothy Monger

Various Artists

Something Borrowed, Something New: A Tribute to John Anderson

Easy Eye Sound

Country

Filled with full-blooded reinterpretations of the hardcore country singer's catalog, this is a step above the average tribute album.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Primus

Conspiranoid

ATO

Pop/Rock

Three-song EP from the funky prog outfit tackles society, politics, and misinformation with wit and elastic basslines.

— Neil Z. Yeung

Tintern Abbey

Beeside: The Complete Recordings

Real Gone Music

Pop/Rock

Extensive collection shines new light on this short-lived British psych band, who only released one single in their brief existence between 1966 and 1968.

— Fred Thomas

Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires

Old-Time Folks

Don Giovanni

Pop/Rock

The fiery Alabama roots rockers get ambitious, develop some studio finesse, and make their first great album.

— Mark Deming

Art Moore

Art Moore

Anti-

Pop/Rock

The debut album from this Oakland indie trio balances emotionally raw lyrical narratives with opulent, electronics-tinged production.

— Fred Thomas

Dylan Scott

Livin' My Best Life

Curb

Country

An average country bro with a good heart delivers an average country-pop album.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Jazz Funk Soul

Forecast

Shanachie

Jazz

Soulful fourth album from the contemporary jazz supergroup.

— Matt Collar

Kokoroko

Could We Be More

Brownswood

International, Jazz

Four years after their global smash "Abusey Junction," this London-based octet delivers a seamless meld of jazz, funk, Afrobeat, and highlife.

— Thom Jurek

Marci

Marci

Arbutus Records

Pop/Rock

Co-written with bandmate David Carriere, the solo debut of TOPS keyboardist Marta Cikojevic is steeped in seductive '80s pop and smooth R&B.

— Marcy Donelson

Soulfly

Totem

Nuclear Blast

Pop/Rock

Bold, brutal, and life-affirming in its commitment to the raw, healing power of decibels.

— James Christopher Monger

Danish String Quartet

Prism IV: Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Bach

ECM New Series

Classical

Installment in the Danish String Quartet's Prism series features the rare Mendelssohn Quartet No. 2 in A minor, Op. 13.

— James Manheim

Matthew Aubin / Jackson Symphony Orchestra

Fernande Decruck: Concertante Works

Claves

Classical

Concertos by the almost-forgotten composer Decruck are entirely distinctive in style.

— James Manheim

Gidon Kremer / Kremerata Baltica

PPP: Plakidis, Pētersons, Pelēcis

Skani

Classical

Music from violinist/conductor Kremer's native Latvia displays a range of takes on minimalist languages.

— James Manheim

Alexander Ullman / Andrew Litton / BBC Symphony Orchestra

Liszt: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2; Piano Sonata

Rubicon

Classical

Novel Liszt interpretations prize detail and deeper thematic struture rather than keyboard heroics.

— James Manheim

Masato Suzuki / Bach Collegium Japan

J.S. Bach: Concertos for Harpsichord & Strings, Vol. 2

BIS

Classical

Suzuki the Younger steps definitively into his own style with these fine Bach keyboard concerto recordings.

— James Manheim

Allan Clayton / Carolyn Sampson / Joseph Middleton

Hugo Wolf: Italienisches Liederbuch

BIS

Classical

A lively, vivid Italienisches Liederbuch from singers one wouldn't necessarily associate with Hugo Wolf.

— James Manheim

Previous Week Next Week