Editors' Choice for July 2018

Debut by two former members of the Bees has all of that band's genre-hopping skill, but with more relaxed warmth added.

— Tim Sendra

Andris Nelsons continues his Shostakovich cycle on Deutsche Grammophon with the Symphony No. 4 and Symphony No. 11, "The Year 1905."

— Blair Sanderson

Released four months after its predecessor, this sequel not only completes the narrative story concept, but moves beyond it musically and lyrically.

— Thom Jurek

Scrappy, funny, and fun post-punk that's hook-filled and built for sweaty dancefloors.

— Tim Sendra

The duo's heavy, expansive second album is some of its most emotionally eloquent music.

— Heather Phares

Feeling more like an album than a compilation, this release collects three early-'90s EPs originally issued by hallowed twee pop label Sarah Records.

— Fred Thomas

In closing out his roots trilogy, the West Coast singer reaches back to the roots of his inspiration with a killer set of iconic covers.

— Thom Jurek

Melding '90s alt-guitar sensitivity with charged hardcore impulses, this Ontario-based project offers a stellar debut with emotionally unguarded themes and subtle musical shifts.

— Fred Thomas

Satisfying, text-sensitive performances of little-known Handel bass arias.

— James Manheim

The longtime independent Texan makes his label debut with another earthy, honest, and appealing record.

— Timothy Monger

This 2017 performance of Monteverdi's 1610 Vespers by Collegium Vocale Gent marked the 450th anniversary of the composer's birth.

— Blair Sanderson

Nearly two years in the making, the Virginia guitarist reveals himself as a provocative sound explorer, but doesn't lose his sonic accessibility.

— Thom Jurek

After a three years, the California quintet sounds refreshed and renewed on their most musically ambitious release to date.

— Thom Jurek

After a downbeat breakup album, David Longstreth and company deliver a challenging but joyous celebratory effort.

— Mark Deming

Beautifully recorded, often compelling music for guitar duo, all of it newly composed by women.

— James Manheim

El Maestro's late career surge offers fans a killer set of his salsa classics completely revisioned for jamming by his tentet and big band.

— Thom Jurek

The songwriter's 20th album unflinchingly examines soulful, vulnerable, humanist spirituality in beautiful, poignant secular hymns.

— Thom Jurek

Taken from two fully electronic shows in London in 2017, this joyous 24-track live set includes a first-time cover of Blondie's "Atomic."

— Marcy Donelson

The deluxe edition of the duo's seventh album gathers its dance remixes and a duet with Depeche Mode's Dave Gahan.

— Heather Phares

Enoch zu Guttenberg and Orchester KlangVerwaltung give an agile and fleet performance of Schubert's Ninth, the symphony of "heavenly length."

— Blair Sanderson

In grand fashion, Numero highlights the first four releases by the reclusive American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist.

— Thom Jurek

Superbly lively Mendelssohn from a Hungarian veteran.

— James Manheim

For this 2018 Pentaton release, Jakub Hrusa and the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin present concertos for orchestra by Bartók and Kodály.

— Blair Sanderson

Revelatory rediscovery of Suk's joyous, enormously evocative piano miniatures.

— James Manheim

Jukka-Pekka Saraste launches his Beethoven cycle with the Fourth and Fifth Symphonies, recorded for broadcast on Cologne radio.

— Blair Sanderson

After five albums with the Lowest Pair, the Washington-based singer/songwriter returns to solo work with a winsome, poetic, and haunted album.

— Timothy Monger

A love letter to the Caribbean created as a tribute to the islands in the wake of Hurricane Irma.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Recorded during a time of flux, the band's unsettling score for Jeremy Phillips coming-of-age film sums up their work and points the way ahead.

— Heather Phares

The Berlin-based artist's long-awaited debut album confronts racism and gender conformity while standing strong and fearless.

— Paul Simpson

The Australian folk duo turn a bold corner on their more cinematic and neatly crafted third album.

— Timothy Monger

Whitney Johnson completes a trilogy of albums as Matchess with her clearest, most optimistic-sounding work yet.

— Paul Simpson

This package contains the Ethiopian genius' first two albums cut in New York in 1966 and fusing African and Latin sounds with American jazz.

— Thom Jurek

The re-formed band overload the speakers with guitar noise and pluck heartstrings with melancholy songs on this instant classic indie rock album

— Tim Sendra

Peter Holsapple returns with his first solo album in 21 years.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

A fine cross-section of Vaughan Williams' interests, beautifully realized by all concerned.

— Max Holter

The group's first album in a decade finds them as weird and wonderful as ever.

— Heather Phares

An often-daring renewal of the classic virtuoso violin recital, mixing chamber music, concertos, and violin-and-piano works.

— James Manheim

The Nashville native's excellent third LP mixes tightly crafted guitar pop with laid-back charm while exploring human behavior in modern America.

— Timothy Monger

The lo-fi house producer builds on the promise of his earlier EPs with his remarkable full-length debut.

— Paul Simpson

Flutist Sami Junnonen and Chamber Domaine present bright and transparent readings of Mozart's four flute quartets.

— Blair Sanderson

Spooky and bittersweet folk ballads and dream pop made by Rose McDowell (of Strawberry Switchblade fame) and Robert Lee.

— Tim Sendra

Steven Devine's complete set of the keyboard music of Jean-Philippe Rameau offers the three published suites and several rarities.

— Blair Sanderson

Much of Coates' chamber music has received fresh hearings and recordings, but this Naxos release may be an ideal introduction.

— James Manheim

Winning shoegaze-meets-dream-pop debut from former Trails and Ways guitarist with an assist from Chaz of Toro y Moi.

— Tim Sendra

With songs about war, record shops, and ignoring advice to get a real job, the garage rock revivalists check all the boxes on their full-length debut.

— Marcy Donelson

Collection of scrappy and angular guitar pop gems recorded for the BBC between 1986 and 1988.

— Tim Sendra

German violin sensation Feldmann scores with his oddly uncommon pairing of Finnish concertos.

— James Manheim

A gentle baroque pop album filled with quietly hooky tunes that are over before you know it, yet stand up to many repeated listens.

— Tim Sendra

With this 2018 Harmonia Mundi release, Vadym Kholodenko explores the three distinct phases of Scriabin's style in his piano music.

— Blair Sanderson

On this two-disc set, Omnivore fills in the missing chapters in the pianist's discography with three albums, bonus material, and great sound.

— Thom Jurek

The L.A. artist has mastered dreamy psych-gaze and this album is his dreamiest, most pleasingly psychedelic to date.

— Tim Sendra

Rustic textures, sensory description, and whimsy color the childhood reminiscences of Brits Nick Duffy and Angeline Morrison.

— Marcy Donelson

The New York songwriter returns to his punk roots on his first unapologetically topical album.

— Thom Jurek