Bright Eyes

Five Dice, All Threes

Dead Oceans

Pop/Rock

Jovial, lively arrangements and moments of self-aware absurdity make this album from a legendarily bleak indie band more triumphant than despairing.

— Fred Thomas

Katy Perry

143

Capitol / EMI Records

Pop/Rock

One-time ruler of pop tries on club beats, electro, disco, and other styles that never completely fit on this largely lifeless set of songs.

— Fred Thomas

Galaxie 500

Uncollected Noise New York 88-90

Silver Current

Pop/Rock

This chronological 24-track archival collection includes previously unheard songs from every session this incredibly important indie band played in their brief lifetime.

— Fred Thomas

Bob Dylan

The 1974 Live Recordings

Sony Music

Pop/Rock

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of Before the Flood, this massive 27-disc box set features 431 tracks, 417 of them previously unreleased.

— Thom Jurek

Keith Urban

HIGH

Capitol / Capitol Nashville / Hit Red Records

Country, Pop/Rock

The Aussie-American star delivers a punchy and emotional set of country-rockers and ballads that play to all of his strengths.

— James Christopher Monger

Nelly Furtado

7

Republic

Pop/Rock

The seventh set from the Canadian pop singer/songwriter brings Loose-level energy back to her catalog.

— Neil Z. Yeung

Jamie xx

In Waves

Young

Electronic

The producer's long-awaited second album is a joyous, pensive, and satisfying love letter to the communal healing power of dance music.

— Heather Phares

Thurston Moore

Flow Critical Lucidity

Daydream Library Series

Pop/Rock

The noise rock figurehead continues to expand on his transcendent sonic dreamworld with help from members of Stereolab, My Bloody Valentine, and Negativland.

— Fred Thomas

Joan as Police Woman

Lemons, Limes and Orchids

PIAS

Pop/Rock

The singer/songwriter conveys life's multitudes with grown-up love songs and social critiques that fuse electronics, jazz, and retro-R&B.

— Heather Phares

Fleetwood Mac

Mirage Tour '82

Rhino / Warner Records

Pop/Rock

Unabridged concert document from the arena rock institution's 1982 tour that includes six previously unreleased tracks.

— Fred Thomas

Nubya Garcia

Odyssey

Concord / Concord Jazz

Jazz

The English saxophonist and her longstanding quartet enlist chamber strings and guest singers in an approach to expanding the creative reach of jazz.

— Thom Jurek

Pearl & the Oysters

Planet Pearl

Stones Throw

Pop/Rock

The band's fourth album is a predictably great blend of outer-space jazz, breezy easy listening, and perfectly arranged soft pop full of memorably sweet melodies.

— Tim Sendra

Marcos Valle

T​ú​nel Acústico

Far Out Recordings

Latin, International

The samba icon's 23rd studio album offers new songs, songwriting collaborations with MPB stars, and a completed Leon Ware track.

— Thom Jurek

Katy J Pearson

Someday, Now

Heavenly / Heavenly Recordings

Pop/Rock

The singer/songwriter's knack for melody shines again on a Bullion-produced album that plays with texture while remaining rooted in soft rock.

— Marcy Donelson

Ed Schrader's Music Beat

Orchestra Hits

Upset the Rhythm

Pop/Rock

On their fifth album, the Baltimore duo reflect on experiences from the past while continuing to grow and evolve.

— Paul Simpson

Jaz Karis

Safe Flight

MNRK / MNRK Music Group

R&B

The down-to-earth South Londoner's debut album offers nuanced modern R&B with seamless Afropop deviations.

— Andy Kellman

Nonpareils

Rhetoric & Terror

Mute

Pop/Rock

The experimental project's first album as a trio thrives in gooey and abrasive extremes.

— Heather Phares

Why Bonnie

Wish on the Bone

Fire Talk

Pop/Rock

On the follow-up to their dreamy, nostalgic debut, Blair Howerton and band shift focus to the here and now with a reinforced sound.

— Marcy Donelson

Wu-Lu

Learning to Swim on Empty

Warp

Pop/Rock

Pensive and brief if fulfilling follow-up to the versatile musician's Libera-nominated 2022 debut.

— Andy Kellman

Herb Alpert

50

Herb Alpert Presents

Easy Listening, Jazz, Pop/Rock

The pop legend marks his 50th album blending contemporary grooves with his classic Tijuana Brass sound.

— Matt Collar

Photay

Windswept

Mexican Summer

Electronic

Celebrating life and nature, the producer returns to beat-driven work while continuing to mix electronic and acoustic sound sources.

— Paul Simpson

The Soundcarriers

Through Other Reflections

Phosphonic / Revolver USA

Pop/Rock

The group add garage rock fuzz and biker rock aggression to their pastoral-leaning psychedelia without losing an ounce of magic or mystery.

— Tim Sendra

The Used

MEDZ

Big Noise Music Group / Big Noise Records

Pop/Rock

The second of two albums released back-to-back finds the Utah punks at a cathartic misanthropic peak.

— Neil Z. Yeung

Honeyglaze

Real Deal

Fat Possum Records

Pop/Rock

More artful post-punk from the former Speedy Wunderground signees, who move to Fat Possum for their more explosive, alienated sophomore LP.

— Marcy Donelson

Dorothy Ashby

Afro-Harping [Deluxe Edition]

Cadet / Decca / UMR

Jazz

Produced by Richard Evans, this is arguably the harpist's most ambitious and funky album, but keeps hard bop and modal jazz at its center.

— Thom Jurek

Double Exposure

My Love Is Free: The Salsoul Recordings 1976-1979

Second Disc Records / SoulMusic

R&B

Four discs featuring the Philly vocal group's three albums and a bounty of material sourced from 7" and 12" releases.

— Andy Kellman

Black Artists Group

For Peace and Liberty: In Paris Dec. 1972

Wewantsounds

Jazz

A previously unheard concert for French radio makes up this fine document by the St. Louis-based collective.

Clinic Stars

Only Hinting

Kranky

Pop/Rock

The Detroit dream pop/slowcore duo's impressive debut is a soothing daze of patient rhythms, drifting guitars, and sighing vocals.

— Paul Simpson

Kurious

Majician

Rhymesayers Entertainment

Rap

Focused and fun effort by the New York hip-hop lifer, executive-produced by a longtime associate, the late MF Doom.

— Paul Simpson

Sabine Devieilhe / Mathieu Pordoy

Mozart, R. Strauss: Lieder

Erato

Classical

A beautifully executed Mozart-Strauss pairing illustrates the Classical side of the latter.

— James Manheim

Emma Tring / Martyn Brabbins / BBC National Orchestra of Wales

John Pickard: Symphonies 2 & 6; Verlaine Songs

BIS

Classical

Impressive skills are coaxed from the performers in these exciting contemporary instrumental and vocal works.

— James Manheim

Adrian Chandler / La Serenissima

Vivaldi x2²

Signum Classics

Classical

More unusual Vivaldi concertos, for duo soloists or even larger solo groups.

— James Manheim

John Wilson / Black Dyke Band

Bliss: Music for Brass Band

Chandos

Classical

Splendid performances of band music by Bliss, much of it arranged for the medium, and some of it quite difficult technically.

— James Manheim

Lara Downes

This Land

Pentatone

Classical

Although not a live recording, this release captures the diversity of a remarkable pianist's concerts.

— James Manheim

Emőke Baráth / Philippe Estèphe / Hervé Niquet / Le Concert Spirituel Orchestra / Le Concert Spirituel Orchestra & Chorus

Fauré: Requiem; Gounod: Messe de Clovis

Alpha

Classical

Small historical-performance forces make for a quiet, reflective Fauré requiem, and an almost ecclesiastical Gounod mass.

— James Manheim

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