Blur

The Ballad of Darren

Parlophone / Warner Music / WEA

Pop/Rock

An unexpected, understated Blur reunion album colored by hints of loungey melancholy and middle-aged regret.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Guided by Voices

Welshpool Frillies

Guided by Voices, Inc.

Pop/Rock

Cut live in the studio, GbV's second album of 2023 highlights the strength and ensemble force of this band.

— Mark Deming

Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway / Molly Tuttle

City of Gold

Nonesuch

Country, Folk

Bluegrass-Americana phenom Molly Tuttle and her Golden Highway band have released another assured collection of songs with virtuosic musicianship and relatable, erudite songwriting.

— James Christopher Monger

Greta Van Fleet

Starcatcher

EMI / EMI Records / Republic

Pop/Rock

The pride of Frankenmuth gets back to basics with the assistance of Americana producer Dave Cobb.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Mort Garson

Journey to the Moon and Beyond

Sacred Bones

Easy Listening, Stage & Screen

A celebration of the breadth of the composer's work that encompasses music for the 1969 moon landing, blaxploitation movie themes, and novelty pop.

— Heather Phares

The Lilac Time

Dance Till All the Stars Come Down

Absolute Label Services / Poetica

Pop/Rock

Stripped of drums and bass, the elegant and poignant protest of the indie folk project's spare 11th LP marks the launch of their Poetica label.

— Marcy Donelson

Mahalia

IRL

Atlantic / EastWest

R&B

A more assured second proper album from the MOBO-winning singer/songwriter, this features strong collaborations with RAYE and JoJo.

— Andy Kellman

Arthur Baker

Arthur Baker Presents Dance Masters: Arthur Baker - The Classic Dance Mixes

Edsel

Pop/Rock

Four packed discs of remixes, productions, and "reproductions," featuring well over a dozen '80s Top Ten Billboard dance hits.

— Andy Kellman

Wren Hinds

Don't Die in the Bundu

Bella Union

Pop/Rock

The South African singer/songwriter's fourth album and Bella Union debut (not counting reissues) is a subtly stunning work of spacy folk.

— Marcy Donelson

Cut Worms

Cut Worms

Jagjaguwar

Pop/Rock

The third album from Max Clarke's indie pop project is steeped in sweet sadness and the sounds of the mid-'60s.

— Mark Deming

Half Japanese

Jump Into Love

Fire Records

Pop/Rock

Heroes of the American Underground deliver an album of hopeful lyrical sentiments housed in chaotic, nervy, and often dark tunes.

— Fred Thomas

Kiana Ledé

Grudges

Republic

R&B, Pop/Rock

Vivid, candid, emotionally complex album that subtly increases the contemporary R&B singer/songwriter's pop appeal.

— Andy Kellman

Brian May + Friends / Brian May

Star Fleet Project + Beyond [40th Anniversary Edition]

Universal

Pop/Rock

The 2023 Double-Disc version adds both live recordings from 1993, as well as alternate takes and in-studio jams from the original sessions.

Nils Lofgren

Mountains

Cattle Track Road Records / Wienerworld

Pop/Rock

A sprawling, open-hearted album featuring cameos by Ron Carter, Ringo Starr, David Crosby, and Neil Young.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Jaye Jayle

Don't Let Your Love Life Get You Down

Pelagic

Pop/Rock

The fifth album from Evan Patterson's project evokes the great pain caused by the loss of a great love with eloquent songwriting and sound design.

— Heather Phares

Joel Harrison

Anthem of Unity

HighNote Records / Savant

Jazz

The guitarist's killer modern jazz quartet delivers six new finger-popping compositions, and innovative covers of Bob Dylan and Sonny Rollins.

— Thom Jurek

Veps

Oslo Park

Kanine Records

Pop/Rock

An auspicious full-length debut from a group of Oslo teens with a '90s alt-pop aesthetic reminiscent of the Cardigans.

— Marcy Donelson

Voivod

Morgöth Tales

Century Media

Pop/Rock

The iconic Quebec-based prog metal/thrash innovators revisit the past on re-recorded early material that's reinvented with a futurist aesthetic.

— Thom Jurek

Various Artists

Lounge Psychédélique: The Best of Lounge & Exotica 1954-2022

Two Piers Records / Universal

Easy Listening, Jazz, Pop/Rock

A wide, multi-decade survey honoring the undimmable appeal of lounge and exotica.

— Timothy Monger

George V / Dean Jola / Joseph Powell / Youth Valley

Lullabies for Adults

Shelflife

Pop/Rock

Influences like the Cure and the Smiths are evident but not overbearing on a debut that gracefully fuses shoegaze and post-punk stylings.

— Marcy Donelson

Burial / Kode9

Infirmary/Unknown Summer

Fabric

Electronic

The two Hyperdub visionaries share a split single on London club Fabric's label.

— Paul Simpson

Choir of Westminster Abbey / James O'Donnell / Peter Holder

Vaughan Williams, Tavener, MacMillan

Hyperion

Classical

Conductor's swan song with this great English choir is richly resonant.

— James Manheim

Daniel Hope / Alexey Botvinov / New Century Chamber Orchestra

Music for a New Century

Deutsche Grammophon

Classical

A program of new works, including three world-premiere recordings, all commissioned in part by this featured chamber orchestra.

— Keith Finke

Guarneri Trio

Haydn: Piano Trios

Praga / Praga Digitals

Classical

Light, lithe performances of Haydn piano trios have a proper celebratory air.

— James Manheim

Tianwa Yang / Nicholas Rimmer

George Antheil: Violin Sonatas Nos. 1-4

Naxos

Classical

Fine performances that capture the madcap, protean quality of Antheil's music of the 1920s.

— James Manheim

Lucy Crowe / Emily D'Angelo / Harry Bicket / The English Concert

Handel: Serse

Linn Records

Classical

Handel's tragicomic opera crackles in this crisp reading with top-notch singers.

— James Manheim

François-Xavier Roth / Les Siècles

Maurice Ravel: L'Heure espagnole; Bolero

Harmonia Mundi

Classical

Period orchestral winds, brass, and percussion are displayed to maximum effect in Ravel's acid little cheating opera.

— James Manheim

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