Featured New Album Releases

Ava Max

Diamonds & Dancefloors

Atlantic

Pop/Rock

Heartbreak is cured on the dancefloor with this stellar sophomore set of synth-heavy pop anthems.

— Neil Z. Yeung

Sam Smith

Gloria

Capitol / EMI

Pop/Rock

The historic chart-topper "Unholy" sticks out most amid the tasteful grooves and personal ballads that fill the singer's fourth album.

— Andy Kellman

Fucked Up

One Day

Merge / One Day Music

Pop/Rock

Working within a self-imposed 24-hour deadline, the Canadian art-punks streamline their sound without losing their power or smarts.

— Mark Deming

King Tuff

Smalltown Stardust

Sub Pop

Pop/Rock

King Tuff gets mellow and nostalgic with help from Sasami Ashworth on this beautiful -- and non-rocking -- singer/songwriter outing.

— Tim Sendra

Kimbra

A Reckoning

Kimbra

Pop/Rock

The New Zealand singer/songwriter expresses the turbulence of the early 2020s by taking her music to daring and thoughtful extremes.

— Heather Phares

Lil Yachty

Let's Start Here

Quality Control

Rap, Pop/Rock

This mumble rapper's foray into psychedelic soul is held together by the same curious, open spirit that shone on his best work before it.

— Fred Thomas

Samia

Honey

Grand Jury

Pop/Rock

An evocative and mercurial sophomore set that explores love from various angles.

— Marcy Donelson

Elle King

Come Get Your Wife

RCA

Country, Pop/Rock

A surprisingly effective country makeover for the "Ex's and Oh's" singer.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Mozart Estate

Pop-up! Ker-ching! And the Possibilities of Modern Shopping

West Midlands

Pop/Rock

Following in the novelty pop with politics footsteps of Go-Kart Mozart, this is another warped and wonderful transmission from the brain of Lawrence and friends.

— Tim Sendra

Complete Mountain Almanac

Bella Union

Folk

A pastoral folk song cycle from this collaboration between Sweden's Rebekka Karijord and the American Dessner siblings.

— Timothy Monger

Dinosaur Jr.

Puke + Cry: The Sire Years, 1990-1997

Cherry Red

Pop/Rock

This comprehensive compilation collects almost all of the '90s output from the middle period of this groundbreaking and guitar-shredding alt-rock band.

— Fred Thomas

New Order

Low-Life [Definitive Edition]

Rhino

Pop/Rock

The band's third album -- reissued with rarities -- shows their blend of post-punk and synth pop coalescing around hooky uptempo songs and moody ballads.

— Tim Sendra

Tyler Hubbard

EMI

Country

The Florida Georgia Line singer seems light and free on his solo debut.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

R. Ring

War Poems, We Rested

Don Giovanni

Pop/Rock

The duo's confident second album blends indie, post-rock, and Americana with quicksilver creativity.

— Heather Phares

Oozing Wound

We Cater to Cowards

Thrill Jockey

Pop/Rock

The fifth album from these Chicago metal outsiders is their noisiest, heaviest, and angriest set of songs yet.

— Fred Thomas

H.C. McEntire

Every Acre

Merge

Pop/Rock

The third album from this talented singer/songwriter blends Southern accents with literate songwriting from the heart and soul.

— Mark Deming

Ali Shaheed Muhammad / Phil Ranelin / Adrian Younge / Wendell Harrison

Phil Ranelin & Wendell Harrison JID016

Jazz Is Dead

Jazz

Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad bring Detroit's Tribe founders into the Linear Labs studio and realize a dream.

— Thom Jurek

Various Artists

What a Groovy Day: The British Sunshine Pop Sound 1967-1972

Grapefruit

Pop/Rock

Full of sunny hooks and warm sentiment, this collection rounds up the best harmony groups of the era, from well-known to obscure.

— Tim Sendra

Joe Henry

All the Eye Can See

Ear Music

Pop/Rock, Folk

The stellar songwriter and producer brings in a small army of talented friends for a dynamic, full-flavored contemplation of life.

— Mark Deming

Jonah Yano

Portrait of a Dog

Innovative Leisure

Pop/Rock, Jazz

An ambitious second album and unofficial collaboration with BadBadNotGood that leans more heavily into the songwriter's jazz inclinations.

— Marcy Donelson

Lakecia Benjamin

Phoenix

Whirlwind Recordings

Jazz

The composer and saxophonist returns with a provocative, insightful, musically adventurous album centering on feminism and spirituality.

— Thom Jurek

Bass Drum of Death

Say I Won't

Fat Possum Records

Pop/Rock

The garage rock power trio conjure a menacing, '70s tube-amp atmosphere on their hooky, riff-heavy fifth album.

— Matt Collar

Deathprod

Compositions

Smalltown Supersound

Avant-Garde

A set of brief, haunting audio scenes from Norwegian sound artist Helge Sten.

— Paul Simpson

GEORGE

Letters To George

Out of Your Head Records

Jazz, Avant-Garde, Pop/Rock

The bold debut by John Hollenbeck's latest quartet includes Anna Webber, Aurora Nealand, and Chiquita Magic.

— Thom Jurek

Nabate Isles

En Motion

Ropeadope / Symphonic Distribution

Jazz

The trumpeter's star-studded second album crosses contemporary and post-bop jazz, shot through with funk and hip-hop.

— Thom Jurek

Wolf Eyes

Difficult Messages

Disciples

Pop/Rock, Avant-Garde

A sampler of various Wolf Eyes-related collaborative projects, originally released on limited handmade box sets.

— Paul Simpson

Sightless Pit

Lockstep Bloodwar

Thrill Jockey

Pop/Rock, Rap

The side project of the Body and Full of Hell delve into hip-hop and dub on their ambitious second release.

— Paul Simpson

The Arcs

Electrophonic Chronic

Easy Eye Sound

Pop/Rock

A trippy, groovy tribute to the Arcs' departed drummer Richard Swift.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

The Tubs

Dead Meat

Trouble in Mind

Pop/Rock

The debut album from this London band featuring ex-members of Joanna Gruesome employs the unlikely combination of jangle pop and traditional U.K. folk.

— Fred Thomas

Brian Blade

Lifecycles, Vols. 1-2: Now! and Forever More Honoring Bobby Hutcherson

Stoner Hill

Jazz

The jazz drummer's long-standing side septet delivers an ambitious tribute to Bobby Hutcherson on their double-length debut album.

— Thom Jurek

The First Class

Beach Baby: The Complete Recordings

Grapefruit / Grapefruit

Pop/Rock

This career-spanning compilation shows that the summertime pop classic "Beach Baby" isn't the only moment of magic this group has up their collective sleeve.

— Tim Sendra