Phoenix

Alpha Zulu

Glassnote Entertainment Group

Pop/Rock, Electronic

Inspired by their late friend and collaborator Philippe Zdar, the band puts their melodies and exuberance up front with winning results.

— Heather Phares

First Aid Kit

Palomino

Columbia

Pop/Rock

The Söderberg sisters' fifth studio LP is an uplifting one with production modeled on the '80s hits of acts like Fleetwood Mac and Tom Petty.

— Marcy Donelson

The Lone Bellow

Love Songs for Losers

Dualtone Music

Country, Pop/Rock

Producing themselves for the first time, the trio deliver a wide range of musical expressions to match their resonant songwriting and singing.

— Thom Jurek

On-U Sound System / Spoon

Lucifer on the Moon

Matador

Pop/Rock

On-U Sound's Adrian Sherwood gives the band's rootsy Lucifer on the Sofa a dub reimagining that matches the original's creativity.

— Heather Phares

Ride

4 EPs

Wichita

Pop/Rock

This compilation release brings together all non-album tracks from the canonical shoegaze band's earliest, quickly evolving phase between 1990 and 1991.

— Fred Thomas

PJ Harvey

B-Sides, Demos & Rarities

Island / UMC / Universal

Pop/Rock

This comprehensive set of the singer/songwriter's harder-to-find material is a fascinating testament to her artistry and the multitudes within it.

— Heather Phares

Bert Jansch

Bert at the BBC

Earth / Earth Recordings

Folk, Pop/Rock

This boxed document contains all the surviving performances by the guitar icon, both solo and with collaborators, from 1966 to 2009.

— Thom Jurek

John Cougar Mellencamp / John Mellencamp

Scarecrow [Super Deluxe Edition 2CD/Blu-Ray/LP/7"]

Mercury / UMC / Virgin

Pop/Rock

This remixed and remastered edition features the original album plus previously unreleased tracks, a 180g LP, and an 7" single.

Paul Weller

Will of the People

Universal

Pop/Rock

A carefully curated and sequenced collection of B-sides and rarities Paul Weller released between 2002 and 2021.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Turnover

Myself in the Way

Run for Cover Records

Pop/Rock

The band set aside dream pop in favor of a warm and inviting disco-inspired sound and pull off the transformation with their usual skill.

— Tim Sendra

Tom Skinner

Voices of Bishara

Nonesuch

Jazz, Rap, Electronic

The first album where this storied London drummer assumes a directorial role is subtle and otherworldly, using editing to bend strong jazz performances into unexpected shapes.

— Fred Thomas

Daniel Avery

Ultra Truth

Phantasy Sound

Electronic

A powerful, stylistically varied reflection on dark subject matter featuring an impressive cast of guests, including HAAi and Sherelle.

— Paul Simpson

Special Interest

Endure

Rough Trade

Pop/Rock

The exciting, hard-to-classify NOLA "dance-punkers" channel 2020 bleakness and outrage into their mercurial third album and Rough Trade debut.

— Marcy Donelson

Okay Kaya

SAP

Jagjaguwar

Pop/Rock

Kaya Wilkins' follow-up to her project's Spellemann-winning sophomore album is a woozy, restless concept album about consciousness.

— Marcy Donelson

Barbra Streisand

Live at the Bon Soir

Columbia / Legacy / Sony Music

Vocal

A previously unreleased 1962 nightclub date captures the legendary singer blending skill and savvy with a tremendous youthful joy.

— Mark Deming

Carla dal Forno

Come Around

Kallista

Pop/Rock

The third solo album from the Australian singer/songwriter is sometimes urgent yet still understated.

— Paul Simpson

Julien Chang

The Sale

Transgressive

Pop/Rock

The singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer's second album underscores the restlessness of his hybrid of indie, jazz, and prog.

— Heather Phares

Ezra Collective

Where I'm Meant to Be

Partisan

International, Jazz, Rap

The second album by this London-based quintet extends the reach of their debut's seamless integration of jazz, funk, Afrobeat, and reggae.

— Thom Jurek

The Headhunters

Speakers in the House

Ropeadope / Symphonic Distribution

Jazz, R&B, International

On their first album in 11 years, the legendary jazz-funk band offers a wide-ranging sound with new members and guests.

— Thom Jurek

Joji

Smithereens

Warner Records

Electronic, Pop/Rock

Emotionally devastating third LP from the Japanese electronic singer/songwriter is also his most mature and relatable to date.

— Neil Z. Yeung

La Femme

Teatro Lúcido

Disque Pointu

Pop/Rock

The project pays homage to the sounds and scenery of Spain and Latin America with more theatrical, eclectically catchy pop.

— Heather Phares

Laura Jean

Amateurs

Chapter Music

Pop/Rock

The mercurial Sydney-based singer/songwriter examines with wit and poignancy the concept of amateurism.

— Timothy Monger

Mount Kimbie

MK 3.5: Die Cuts | City Planning

Warp

Electronic

Double solo album from the British duo, split between left-field pop and hip-hop (Dom Maker) and Actress-like techno (Kai Campos).

— Paul Simpson

rRoxymore

Perpetual Now

Smalltown Supersound

Electronic

The expectation-defying French producer's first Smalltown Supersound release is a set of patiently evolving rhythmic soundscapes.

— Paul Simpson

Greg Osby / Tyshawn Sorey / Tyshawn Sorey Trio

The Off Off Broadway Guide To Synergism

Pi Recordings

Jazz

The drummer's trio with guest alto saxophonist Greg Osby in a club setting ranges across a multi-hour, kinetic, improvisatory standards set.

— Thom Jurek

Village of the Sun

First Light

Gearbox

Jazz

Binker & Moses join forces with Basement Jaxx's Simon Ratcliffe to offer a gripping electro-acoustic exercise in spiritual jazz.

— Thom Jurek

Tinariwen

Kel Tinariwen

Wedge

Jazz, International

An early cassette-only recording from the acclaimed Malian Tuareg collective, featuring vocalist Keltoum Sennhauser.

— Matt Collar

Fatma Said

Kaleidoscope

Warner Classics

Classical, Vocal

Kaleidoscopic is not quite a strong enough word to describe this collection, sung beautifully in six languages by phenomenon Said.

— James Manheim

Cristian Măcelaru / WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln

Dvorák: Legends Op. 59; Czech Suite Op. 39

Linn Records

Classical

Extremely well-wrought performances of some lesser-known Dvořák works.

— James Manheim

Stefano Greco

Danielpour: Twelve Études for Piano; Piano Fantasy; Lullaby; Song Without Words

Naxos

Classical

Composer Danielpour finds life in the venerable genre of the piano etude cycle.

— James Manheim

The Crossing / JACK Quartet

John Luther Adams: Sila - The Breath of the World

Cantaloupe

Classical, Avant-Garde

This unusually aleatoric work from Adams is inspired by Inuit philosophy.

— James Manheim

Bruno de Sá / Francesco Corti / Il Pomo d'Oro

Roma Travestita

Erato

Classical

A unique male soprano voice, very well matched to unusual repertory.

— James Manheim

Caroline Shaw / Attacca Quartet

Caroline Shaw: Evergreen

Nonesuch

Classical

The string quartet format seems highly congenial to the music of increasingly prominent composer Shaw.

— James Manheim

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