Alex G

God Save the Animals

Domino

Pop/Rock

The erstwhile home recordist challenged a half-dozen engineers to put their "best" quality forward on an eerily disjointed and dynamic ninth LP.

— Marcy Donelson

5 Seconds of Summer

5SOS5

BMG / BMG Rights Management

Pop/Rock

The Australian group's introspective yet still hooky fifth album.

— Matt Collar

Dr. John

Things Happen That Way

Rounder

R&B, Blues

Dr. John's tender final album stacks covers and originals reflecting his love of the country & western he heard in his dad's record shop.

— Thom Jurek

The Comet Is Coming

Hyper-Dimensional Expansion Beam

Impulse!

Jazz

The fourth album by this futurist electro-jazz trio was improvised over four days, then deconstructed and reassembled into apocalyptic party music.

— Thom Jurek

Neu!

50

Groenland

Pop/Rock, Electronic

This 50th anniversary box set collects classic 1970s and '80s albums from the genre-defining Krautrock act, and includes additional new remixes from Mogwai, the National, and more.

— Fred Thomas

Khruangbin / Vieux Farka Touré

Ali

Dead Oceans

International

Malian guitarist Vieux Farka Touré interprets the music of his legendary father, accompanied by the versatile Texan trio.

— Paul Simpson

Eerie Wanda

Internal Radio

Joyful Noise

Pop/Rock

The band's third album forgoes the nostalgic sound they'd established in favor of something more mysterious, moody, and painfully honest.

— Tim Sendra

Tim Burgess

Typical Music

Bella Union

Pop/Rock

An overstuffed double album bursting with ideas and styles.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Daniel Lanois

Player, Piano

Modern Recordings

Pop/Rock

A surprisingly vulnerable and sentimental collection of ethereal piano solos from the celebrated producer.

— Timothy Monger

Charles Lloyd

Trios: Ocean

Blue Note

Jazz

The second volume in saxophonist's Trios series was recorded in an empty theater during the pandemic with Anthony Wilson and Gerald Clayton.

— Thom Jurek

Divino Niño

Last Spa on Earth

Winspear

Pop/Rock, Latin

The Chicago-by-way-of-Colombia band take a left turn and stylishly add many flavors of modern Latin pop to their laid-back indie approach.

— Tim Sendra

Editors

EBM

PIAS

Pop/Rock

The British group's second collaboration and first original studio album with electronic artist Blanck Mass.

— Matt Collar

Alina Bzhezhinska & the HipHarpCollective / Alina Bzhezhinska / Hip Harp Collective

Reflections

BBE

Jazz, Electronic

Following Dorothy Ashby and Alice Coltrane, harpist Alina Bzhezhinska and her ensemble deliver a tour de force of jazz past, present, and future.

— Thom Jurek

The Soft Moon

Exister

Sacred Bones

Pop/Rock

The project's most revealing album to date traces the aftermath of family trauma with a mix of post-punk and industrial that seethes and grieves.

— Heather Phares

Iceage

Shake the Feeling: Outtakes & Rarities 2015-2021

Mexican Summer

Pop/Rock

Outtakes collection that sheds light on the creative process behind this Danish band's quickly evolving sound.

— Fred Thomas

Kelsea Ballerini

Subject to Change

Black River / Black River Entertainment

Country

Kelsea Ballerini lives through a turbulent year and comes through with a positive, empowering set of soft-focused country-pop.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Makaya McCraven

In These Times

Nonesuch

Jazz

Seven years in the making, this cumulative effort enlists a dozen collaborators who recorded in five studios and four gigs.

— Thom Jurek

Marisa Anderson

Still, Here

Thrill Jockey

Folk, Avant-Garde

The Portland guitarist's latest solo outing is a mediation on resilience and stillness of the mind.

— Timothy Monger

Maya Hawke

MOSS

Mom + Pop Music

Pop/Rock

A more streamlined, ethereal second album with new songwriting partners and a design inspired by Phoebe Bridgers and Taylor Swift.

— Marcy Donelson

Courting

Guitar Music

Play It Again Sam

Pop/Rock

The debut from these British indie rockers shows they know how to build a good song, and then improve it with sonic vandalism.

— Mark Deming

Deathprod

Sow Your Gold in the White Foliated Earth

Smalltown Supersound

Avant-Garde

Helge Sten's audio score for a series of performances by Ensemble Musikfabriek, composed on rare instruments designed by Harry Partch.

— Paul Simpson

Jorja Chalmers

Midnight Train

Italians Do It Better

Pop/Rock, Electronic

The second album of cinematic dream pop from the saxophonist and songwriter best known for touring with Bryan Ferry.

— Paul Simpson

Nikki Lane

Denim & Diamonds

New West

Pop/Rock, Country

Queens of the Stone Age leader Josh Homme produces Nikki Lane's collection of searching songs.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Nils Frahm

Music for Animals

Leiter Verlag

Avant-Garde, Electronic

A sparse, three-hour ambient work with no specific purpose surprisingly ends up being one of Nils Frahm's most engaging releases.

— Paul Simpson

Douglas McCombs

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Thrill Jockey

Pop/Rock

Sparse, expansive solo release from the bassist/guitarist, resembling a more intimate version of his work in Brokeback.

— Paul Simpson

Various Artists

High in the Morning: The British Progressive Pop Sounds of 1973

Grapefruit

Pop/Rock

Over the course of more than 60 tracks, this box set focuses on developments in British rock that were happening as glam was beginning to take hold.

— Fred Thomas

Phil Blech Wien / Olivier Latry / Anton Mittermayr

Live from Vienna

Deutsche Grammophon

Classical

Fabulously recorded music arranged for the intriguing and rich combination of brass chamber ensemble and organ.

— James Manheim

Sarah Connolly / Huw Montague Rendall / Nicky Spence / William Thomas / Malcolm Martineau

The Complete Songs of Duparc

Signum Classics

Classical

A fine representative of the genre of accompanist-driven song recitals.

— James Manheim

Matei Varga

The Year That Never Was

Sono Luminus

Classical

A collection of salon pieces, and some that were antecedents of the genre, delves into the underrated Ernesto Lecuona.

— James Manheim

Anna Harvey / Mark Austin

Songs by Warlock and Howe

Rubicon

Classical

Attractive Warlock recital uses contemporary folk song settings to set off his distinctive style.

— James Manheim

Arthur Jussen / Lucas Jussen

Dutch Masters

Deutsche Grammophon

Classical

A collection by two brothers of 20th century and contemporary Dutch music also pays tribute to their teacher.

— James Manheim

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