U2

Songs of Surrender

Interscope / Island

Pop/Rock

The Irish rock veterans revisit 40 songs from their extensive back catalog.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Miley Cyrus

Endless Summer Vacation

Columbia / RCA

Pop/Rock

The pop star moves on from her twenties with candid, confident songs that span dance-pop, rock, and country.

— Heather Phares

Unknown Mortal Orchestra

V

Jagjaguwar

Pop/Rock

Recorded in Hawaii and Palm Springs, this experimental pop group adds tropical overtones to their genre-hopping lo-fi sound.

— Fred Thomas

M83

Fantasy

Mute

Electronic

Anthony Gonzalez's ninth album spins maximalist dreams while returning to the synth and guitar interplay at the heart of his music.

— Heather Phares

Aly & AJ

With Love From

Aly & AJ

Pop/Rock, Country

The duo add some country twang to their breezy yet deeply felt mixture of modern pop and retro soft rock.

— Tim Sendra

Emilíana Torrini

Racing the Storm

Bella Union

Pop/Rock, Electronic

The Icelandic singer/songwriter builds on her collaboration with the Belgian ensemble on this inventive studio venture.

— Timothy Monger

Death and Vanilla

Flicker

Fire Records

Pop/Rock

The group successfully onboard a new set of influences that range from dub to the Cure, magically mixing them with their already perfect sound.

— Tim Sendra

Julian Lage

The Layers

Blue Note

Jazz

Recorded in the sessions that netted View with a Room, this six-track set offers the same intricate imaginative musicality and adventure.

— Thom Jurek

Najib Alhoush / The Free Music

Free Music (Part 1)

Habibi Funk

International, R&B

A revelatory collection of music from a Libyan band from the '70s who added fiery disco to their hybrid funk sound.

— Tim Sendra

The Lost Days

In the Store

Speakeasy Studios SF

Pop/Rock

Pristine, softly hooky and brief jangle pop ballads from the team of Tony Molina and Sarah Rose Janko.

— Tim Sendra

Kosaya Gora

Kosogor

2MR / Universal

Pop/Rock

Russian indie electronic artists Kedr Livanskiy and Flaty collaborate on a set of haunted folk and lo-fi dream pop tunes.

— Paul Simpson

Genevieve Artadi

Forever Forever

Brainfeeder

Pop/Rock, Jazz

Genevieve Artadi follows her playful Brainfeeder debut with a kaleidoscopic, highly disciplined progressive jazz-pop album.

— Paul Simpson

The Cash Box Kings

Oscar's Motel

Alligator / Alligator Records

Blues

A lively, witty collection of retro-styled Chicago blues that seems fresh and modern.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Randy Crawford

You Might Need Somebody: The Warner Bros. Recordings 1976-1993

SoulMusic

R&B

Discerning three-disc overview drawing from the radiant singer's 11 albums for Warner and assorted contemporaneous recordings.

— Andy Kellman

Dwight Trible

Ancient Future

Gearbox

Jazz

The veteran jazz singer enlists a varied, very electric crew for an exercise in abstract, funky electric jazz that contrasts with his catalog.

— Thom Jurek

Billy Childs

The Winds of Change

Mack Avenue

Jazz

A nuanced quartet album that evokes the moody atmosphere of West Coast film noir.

— Matt Collar

Nancy Andrews / Linda Smith

A Passing Cloud

Grapefruit

Pop/Rock

On their first collaboration in almost 30 years, the lo-fi explorers balance weighty themes with exploratory sounds.

— Fred Thomas

Daddy Long Legs

Street Sermons

Yep Roc

Blues, Pop/Rock

The New York country-blues firebrands aim for a more polished sound without losing the fire that makes them memorable.

— Mark Deming

Infinite River

Prequel

Birdman Records

Pop/Rock

Soothing drone-rock explorations from a group of Detroit-area music veterans including members of His Name Is Alive and Universal Indians.

— Paul Simpson

Dorothy Moskowitz / The United States of Alchemy

Under an Endless Sky

Tompkins Square

Avant-Garde

The former United States of America vocalist crafts compelling minimalist soundscapes on her first album in over four decades.

— Mark Deming

Downpilot / Paul Hiraga

The Forecast

Tapete Records

Pop/Rock

More detailed production and understated indie rock missives from this long-running Seattle project.

— Timothy Monger

Gregory Kramer

Veils of Transformation 1972-1980

Important Records

Avant-Garde, Electronic

Early electro-acoustic works from a composer, inventor, and educator who founded the Electronic Art Ensemble.

— Paul Simpson

Cello8 / Raphaël Pidoux

Ode à la nuit

Mirare

Classical

Pleasantly murky night music from the cello octet Cello8.

— James Manheim

François-Xavier Roth / Les Siècles

Les Nuits de Paris: Dance Music from Folies Bergère to Opéra

Palazzetto Bru Zane

Classical

Highly enjoyable exploration of the Parisian dansomanie ("dance mania") and its dual classical and popular sides.

— James Manheim

Giovanni Antonini / Il Giardino Armonico

Haydn 2032, No. 13: Hornsignal

Alpha

Classical

A very strong entry in Il Giardino Armonico's Haydn symphony cycle showcases the talents of the group's natural horn players.

— James Manheim

Clarion Choir / Steven Fox

Rachmaninoff: All-Night Vigil

PentaTone Classics

Classical

Recording of Rachmaninov's choral masterpiece on a smaller scale than Russian versions lends it a distinctive sound.

— James Manheim

Franz Welser-Möst / Wiener Philharmoniker

Neujahrskonzert 2023 New Year's Concert

Sony Classical

Classical

Comparatively innovative Vienna Philharmonic New Year's Concert features many premieres for the event.

— James Manheim

Hopkinson Smith

Bright and Early

Naïve

Classical

Obscure works from the early 16th century are brought to life by veteran lutenist Smith.

— James Manheim

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