Featured New Album Releases

Muse

Will of the People

Warner Records

Pop/Rock

This "greatest hits but not" set intentionally repurposes the band's essential sounds on their tightest effort to date.

— Neil Z. Yeung

Blondie

Against the Odds 1974-1982

Capitol / EMI Records / Numero Group / UMC

Pop/Rock

A comprehensive, complete set chronicling Blondie at their prime captures what made them such a striking, special band.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Julia Jacklin

PRE PLEASURE

Polyvinyl

Pop/Rock

The follow-up to the devastating Crushing expands arrangements and somewhat loosens the mood with still-affecting songs that hold their own.

— Marcy Donelson

DJ Khaled

God Did

We the Best / Epic

Rap

The 13th bonanza thrown by the DJ/producer is highlighted by a powerful Jay-Z verse and appearances from Skillibeng, Latto, and City Girls.

— Andy Kellman

Steve Earle / Steve Earle & the Dukes

Jerry Jeff

New West

Country, Pop/Rock

The great singer/songwriter pays tribute to a friend and hero, Jerry Jeff Walker, with love and a keen understanding of the material.

— Mark Deming

Ezra Furman

All of Us Flames

Anti-

Pop/Rock

A disarming and defining set of punk-kissed heartland indie rock songs that give a bullhorn to marginalized voices.

— James Christopher Monger

Valerie June

Under Cover

Fantasy

Pop/Rock

An open-ended, introspective collection of covers featuring songs by Nick Drake, Gillian Welch, and Nick Cave.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Marcus King

Young Blood

American Recordings

Pop/Rock

With the assistance of producer Dan Auerbach, the hotshot guitarist gets back to heavy blues.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Bret McKenzie

Songs Without Jokes

Sub Pop

Pop/Rock, Comedy/Spoken, Stage & Screen

The Flight of the Conchords co-founder leaves the punch lines at home for this beautifully crafted homage to 1970s soft rock.

— Mark Deming

William Orbit

The Painter

Rhino

Electronic, Pop/Rock

The music pioneer's first album in eight years is a hypnotic, hour-long set with guests ranging from Beth Orton and Polly Scattergood to Hukwe Zawose.

— Marcy Donelson

Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith

Let's Turn It into Sound

Ghostly International

Electronic, Pop/Rock

A playful, complex suite that bears little resemblance to Smith's previous new age and ambient pop recordings.

— Paul Simpson

Kikagaku Moyo

Kumoyo Island

Guruguru Brain

Pop/Rock

The fifth and purportedly final album from this Japanese psych outfit finds their stylistic tangents and controlled experimentalism in its boldest form to date.

— Fred Thomas

Bridget St. John

From There/To Here: UK/US Recordings 1974-1982

Cherry Red

Pop/Rock

Full of unreleased material, this collection showcases output from the British folk singer around the time of her 1975 move to the States.

— Fred Thomas

Diamanda Galás

Broken Gargoyles

Intravenal Sound Operations

Avant-Garde

Originating as a sound installation, the two extended compositions on Broken Gargoyles interpret text by German expressionist poet Georg Heym.

— Paul Simpson

Jacob Banks

Lies About the War

Nobody Records

R&B

The second album from the newly independent, Obama-approved singer/songwriter draws deeper from his soul background.

— Andy Kellman

Kramer

Music for Films Edited by Moths

Joyful Noise / Shimmy Disc

Pop/Rock

Cinematic experimental pieces by the founder of the influential Shimmy Disc label.

— Paul Simpson

Laufey

Everything I Know About Love

Pop/Rock

Lush, contemporary vocal jazz debut from the Icelandic-Chinese singer/songwriter who channels inspirations from Chet Baker to Ella Fitzgerald.

— Neil Z. Yeung

Pantha du Prince

Garden Gaia

Modern Recordings

Electronic

Producer Hendrik Weber touches on various routes his project has taken over the years, with moments of both icy minimal house and lush live instrumentation.

— Fred Thomas