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Recent Selections
A selection of our most recent editor's choice picks from the past three months.

Editors' Choice for November, 2018

Joseph Haydn: Concerti per Estherházy
Joseph Haydn: Concerti per Estherházy
Amandine Beyer / Marco Ceccato / Gli Incogniti
Joseph Haydn: Concerti per Estherházy
Harmonia Mundi
Classical
Amandine Beyer and Marco Ceccato are brilliant soloists in these Haydn concertos, performed in period style by Gli Incogniti.
- Blair Sanderson
Lebroba
Lebroba
Andrew Cyrille / Bill Frisell / Wadada Leo Smith
Lebroba
ECM
Jazz
On his sophomore date for ECM, the rhythm explorer engages Bill Frisell and Wadada Leo Smith in a classy, elegant exercise in musical magic-making.
- Thom Jurek
Holy Hell
Holy Hell
Architects
Holy Hell
Epitaph
Pop/Rock
The British metalcore stalwarts' eighth full-length effort is their first without founding member and lead songwriter Tom Searle, who passed away in 2016.
- James Christopher Monger
Walls
Walls
Barbra Streisand
Walls
Columbia / Sony CMG / Sony Music
Vocal, Pop/Rock
A heartfelt, lushly produced album showcasing Streisand's rich vocals and deep concerns for the state of the world.
- Matt Collar
Gravity Pairs
Gravity Pairs
Beacon
Gravity Pairs
Ghostly International
Electronic
The Brooklyn duo's third album for Ghostly International is their most expressive, rhythmically diverse set of wounded love songs yet.
- Andy Kellman
Ens
Ens
Beast
Ens
Thrill Jockey
Electronic, Pop/Rock
Joyous, heartfelt solo effort from Koen Holtkamp (Mountains), recorded as he was anticipating the birth of his first child.
- Paul Simpson
More Blood, More Tracks: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 14
More Blood, More Tracks: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 14
Bob Dylan
More Blood, More Tracks: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 14
Columbia Records / Legacy / Sony CMG / Sony Music
Pop/Rock
This 87-track deluxe box offers a complete, truly revelatory portrait of one of the songwriter’s most enigmatic albums.
- Thom Jurek
Antoine de Févin: Missa Ave Maria & Salve sancta parens
Antoine de Févin: Missa Ave Maria & Salve sancta parens
Brabant Ensemble / Stephen Rice
Antoine de Févin: Missa Ave Maria & Salve sancta parens
Hyperion
Classical
A contemporary of Josquin, Antoine de Févin receives a long-delayed appraisal by the Brabant Ensemble on this Hyperion release.
- Blair Sanderson
Bitter-Sweet
Bitter-Sweet
Bryan Ferry
Bitter-Sweet
BMG
Jazz, Pop/Rock
The Roxy Music singer expands upon his Babylon Berlin performances with more vintage jazz reworkings of his classic songs.
- Matt Collar
Resilience
Resilience
Calidore String Quartet
Resilience
Signum Classics
Classical
The Calidore String Quartet explores the endurance of art in times of adversity in its 2018 Signum Classics release, Resilience.
- Blair Sanderson
Long Ago and Far Away
Long Ago and Far Away
Charlie Haden / Brad Mehldau
Long Ago and Far Away
Impulse! / Universal
Jazz
Intimate, deeply lyrical duo performance from the pianist and bassist recorded in Germany in 2007.
- Matt Collar
Miscellany
Miscellany
Chris Carter
Miscellany
Mute US
Electronic, Pop/Rock, Avant-Garde
Excellent box set of lesser-heard solo recordings by Chris Carter of Throbbing Gristle and Chris & Cosey.
- Paul Simpson
Chris Cornell
Chris Cornell
Chris Cornell
Chris Cornell
A&M / Universal
Pop/Rock
Decades-spanning highlight reel that chronicles Cornell's career as a solo artist and iconic grunge frontman.
- Neil Z. Yeung
Wild Hxmans
Wild Hxmans
Christian Kjellvander
Wild Hxmans
Tapete Records
Pop/Rock
The singer/songwriter crafts a subtly more epic, ominous sound on his eighth studio album.
- Marcy Donelson
Himmelsmusik
Himmelsmusik
Christina Pluhar / L'Arpeggiata
Himmelsmusik
Erato
Classical
Countertenor Philippe Jaroussky, ensemble director Christina Pluhar, and L'Arpeggiata explore gorgeous, unknown works between Schütz and Bach.
- James Manheim
The Fall and Rise of Edgar Bourchier and the Horrors of War
The Fall and Rise of Edgar Bourchier and the Horrors of War
Christopher Richard Barker / Mick Harvey
The Fall and Rise of Edgar Bourchier and the Horrors of War
Mute
Pop/Rock
The work of a fictional WWI poet is given elaborately detailed treatment by these collaborators in an extended meditation on horror.
- Thom Jurek
A Gradual Decline
A Gradual Decline
CUTS
A Gradual Decline
Village Green
Electronic, Pop/Rock
Stunning, inventively designed work from filmmaker and musician Anthony Tombling, Jr. which addresses environmental and political decay.
- Paul Simpson
Finally Free
Finally Free
Daniel Romano
Finally Free
New West
Pop/Rock
The shapeshifting Canadian takes an exhilarating trip into pastoral U.K. folk and acoustic psych.
- Timothy Monger
Dionysus
Dionysus
Dead Can Dance
Dionysus
PIAS
Pop/Rock
The esteemed Aussie art pop duo delivers a bacchanalian oratorio inspired by the Greek god of wine and ecstasy.
- James Christopher Monger
Keeenly
Keeenly
DMBQ
Keeenly
God?
Pop/Rock
On its first album in over a decade, this Japanese psych-rock group pushes its sound into unprecedented exciting new places.
- Fred Thomas
Handel: Ode for St Cecilia's Day
Handel: Ode for St Cecilia's Day
Dunedin Consort
Handel: Ode for St Cecilia's Day
Linn Records
Classical
Handel's festive Ode for St. Cecilia's Day receives a spirited performance by John Butt and the Dunedin Consort on this 2018 Linn Records release.
- Blair Sanderson
Gaîté Parisienne: Ravel, Poulenc, Offenbach
Gaîté Parisienne: Ravel, Poulenc, Offenbach
Fabien Gabel / Orchestre Symphonique de Québec
Gaîté Parisienne: Ravel, Poulenc, Offenbach
ATMA Classique
Classical
Fabien Gabel and the Orchestre Symphonique de Québec present a brilliant showcase of works by Offenbach, Ravel, and Poulenc.
- Blair Sanderson
Vivaldi: Concerti per violino VI "La boemia"
Vivaldi: Concerti per violino VI "La boemia"
Fabio Biondi / Europa Galante
Vivaldi: Concerti per violino VI "La boemia"
Naïve
Classical
Sympathetic performances of daring and recently unearthed Vivaldi violin concertos from the last part of his career.
- James Manheim
50 Years: Don't Stop
50 Years: Don't Stop
Fleetwood Mac
50 Years: Don't Stop
Rhino
Pop/Rock, Blues
The best-ever compilation of Fleetwood Mac touches upon every phase of the band's career in chronological order.
- Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Foxwarren
Foxwarren
Foxwarren
Foxwarren
Anti-
Pop/Rock
The daydreamy debut of a band led by singer/songwriter Andy Shauf is very much for fans of his solo material.
- Marcy Donelson
Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring; Funeral Song; Game of Cards; Concerto in D "Basel"; Agon
Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring; Funeral Song; Game of Cards; Concerto in D "Basel"; Agon
Gustavo Gimeno
Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring; Funeral Song; Game of Cards; Concerto in D "Basel"; Agon
PentaTone Classics
Classical
Gustavo Gimeno and the Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg present key works from Stravinsky's Russian, neoclassical, and serial periods.
- Blair Sanderson
My Mother the Vent
My Mother the Vent
Guttersnipe
My Mother the Vent
Upset the Rhythm
Pop/Rock
Chaotic yet remarkably focused debut full-length from electro-shocked noise rock duo Guttersnipe.
- Paul Simpson
Hilary Hahn Plays Bach: Sonatas 1 & 2; Partita 1
Hilary Hahn Plays Bach: Sonatas 1 & 2; Partita 1
Hilary Hahn
Hilary Hahn Plays Bach: Sonatas 1 & 2; Partita 1
Decca
Classical
Hahn returns to Bach's solo sonatas and partitas, 21 years after beginning her recording career with them, and triumphs.
- James Manheim
Do the Get Along
Do the Get Along
Holly Golightly
Do the Get Along
Damaged Goods
Pop/Rock
On her 11th solo album, the storied garage rocker sticks to her winning formula of big-beat rock & roll and her distinctive brand of cool.
- Fred Thomas
Elastic Days
Elastic Days
J Mascis
Elastic Days
Sub Pop
Pop/Rock
Mostly acoustic solo effort from the Dinosaur Jr. leader is a strong and well-focused set with some welcome electric accents.
- Mark Deming
Somnium
Somnium
Jacco Gardner
Somnium
Polyvinyl
Pop/Rock, Electronic
Trading in his relaxed paisley pop for warmly cinematic synths, Gardner's third album is a welcome departure.
- Tim Sendra
Socks
Socks
JD McPherson
Socks
New West
Holiday
The Oklahoma-born singer's first album of wry, rockin' holiday music.
- Matt Collar
Scarlatti: Sonatas
Scarlatti: Sonatas
Jean Rondeau
Scarlatti: Sonatas
Erato
Classical
Playful and mysterious, Jean Rondeau delivers a program of Domenico Scarlatti's harpsichord sonatas that keeps one guessing.
- Blair Sanderson
Warm
Warm
Jeff Tweedy
Warm
dBpm
Pop/Rock
The first original solo effort from the Wilco frontman is an evocative message of hope and caring against long odds.
- Mark Deming
Faithful Fairy Harmony
Faithful Fairy Harmony
Josephine Foster
Faithful Fairy Harmony
Fire America
Pop/Rock
The folk singer/songwriter returns with a collection of crystalline, psych-bathed songs spread across a double album.
- Bekki Bemrose
Experiment
Experiment
Kane Brown
Experiment
RCA
Country
A savvy, canny expansion of his genre-bending country debut.
- Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Bought to Rot
Bought to Rot
Laura Jane Grace / Laura Jane Grace & the Devouring Mothers
Bought to Rot
Bloodshot
Pop/Rock
Laura Jane Grace steps outside of Against Me! to indulge in her fondness for Tom Petty and power pop.
- Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Come Over When You're Sober, Pt. 2
Come Over When You're Sober, Pt. 2
Lil Peep
Come Over When You're Sober, Pt. 2
Columbia / RCA / Sony Music
Rap
Culled from previously unreleased tracks, the posthumous sequel to this emo rapper's 2017 debut has an eerie significance in the wake of his untimely death.
- Fred Thomas
The Western Tapes, 1983
The Western Tapes, 1983
Lone Justice
The Western Tapes, 1983
Omnivore
Pop/Rock
Previously unreleased demo session captures the strength and spirit of these '80s cowpunks better than their official albums.
- Mark Deming
Ravel, Duparc: Aimer et mourir - Danses et mélodies
Ravel, Duparc: Aimer et mourir - Danses et mélodies
Magdalena Kožená / Robin Ticciati
Ravel, Duparc: Aimer et mourir - Danses et mélodies
Linn Records
Classical
This exquisite album of music by Ravel and Duparc features Magdalena Kozena with the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester, conducted by Robin Ticciati.
- Blair Sanderson
The Passinge Mesures
The Passinge Mesures
Mahan Esfahani
The Passinge Mesures
Hyperion
Classical
Mahan Esfahani has always had an abiding interest in the music of the English virginalists, which he demonstrates on Hyperion's The Passinge Mesures.
- Blair Sanderson
People of the Sun
People of the Sun
Marcus Strickland's Twi-Life
People of the Sun
Blue Note
Jazz
On his sophomore Blue Note offering, the saxophonist and composer traces the African diaspora from history into the future.
- Thom Jurek
Caution
Caution
Mariah Carey
Caution
Epic
R&B
A measured and understated collection of slow and midtempo R&B ballads with support from Blood Orange, Slick Rick, and Timbaland.
- Andy Kellman
Ghost Forests
Ghost Forests
Meg Baird / Mary Lattimore
Ghost Forests
Three Lobed
Pop/Rock, Folk
Two long-acquainted folk experimentalists get the chance to collaborate and make magic from the opportunity.
- Thom Jurek
Twenty Twenty
Twenty Twenty
Molly Nilsson
Twenty Twenty
Night School
Pop/Rock
After a decade of making gloomy synth pop, Nilsson lightens up a touch sonically while still dishing out sad, stately gems.
- Tim Sendra
Simulation Theory
Simulation Theory
Muse
Simulation Theory
Warner Bros.
Pop/Rock
Bathed in neon-washed '80s synths, the stadium rock titans deliver their most immediate set in over a decade.
- Neil Z. Yeung
Songs for Judy
Songs for Judy
Neil Young
Songs for Judy
WB
Pop/Rock
A loose, warm, and fun collection of highlights from Neil Young's acoustic tour in 1976.
- Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Parry: Songs of Farewell and Other Choral Works
Parry: Songs of Farewell and Other Choral Works
New College Choir, Oxford / Robert Quinney
Parry: Songs of Farewell and Other Choral Works
Novum
Classical
Robert Quinney and the Choir of New College, Oxford, present Parry's introspective Songs of Farewell with Mendelssohn's influential Sechs Sprüche.
- Blair Sanderson
Beethoven: Piano Concertos 4 & 5 "Emperor"
Beethoven: Piano Concertos 4 & 5 "Emperor"
Nicholas Angelich / Laurence Equilbey
Beethoven: Piano Concertos 4 & 5 "Emperor"
Erato
Classical
Semi-period-instrument performance of Beethoven's most famous piano concertos, breaking new ground.
- James Manheim
Debussy: Suite bergamasque - Works for Piano
Debussy: Suite bergamasque - Works for Piano
Nikolai Lugansky
Debussy: Suite bergamasque - Works for Piano
Harmonia Mundi
Classical
Nikolai Lugansky presents a selection of Debussy's best-loved piano pieces on this 2018 centenary release from Harmonia Mundi.
- Blair Sanderson
Igor Stravinsky: L'Histoire du Soldat [CD & Book]
Igor Stravinsky: L'Histoire du Soldat [CD & Book]
Olivier Charlier / Jean-Christophe Gayot
Igor Stravinsky: L'Histoire du Soldat [CD & Book]
Harmonia Mundi
Classical
Stravinsky's L'Histoire du soldat receives a straightforward reading in French in this 2018 release from Harmonia Mundi.
- Blair Sanderson
Canned Music
Canned Music
Pearl & the Oysters
Canned Music
Requiem for a Twister
Pop/Rock
A second album of breezy, sunny, and delightful lo-fi, high-quality indie pop from a French duo now living in Florida.
- Tim Sendra
Matthew Locke: For Lovers of Consort Music
Matthew Locke: For Lovers of Consort Music
Phantasm
Matthew Locke: For Lovers of Consort Music
Linn Records
Classical
Phantasm explores Matthew Locke's suites for viol consort, the first of a series of albums exploring his music.
- Blair Sanderson
Powerhouse
Powerhouse
Planningtorock
Powerhouse
DFA
Electronic, Pop/Rock
The producer's fourth album is an utterly captivating musical memoir that celebrates music's power to transform, connect, and heal.
- Heather Phares
Demolition
Demolition
Public Memory
Demolition
Felte
Electronic, Pop/Rock
The project's second album brings more focus and clarity to its moody electronic collages without sacrificing any mystery.
- Heather Phares
You Can Get There from Here
You Can Get There from Here
Rays
You Can Get There from Here
Trouble in Mind
Pop/Rock
The band's second album cleans up their scrappy punk sound to lend some vintage, pre-C-86 indie pop melody and finesse to the mix.
- Tim Sendra
Cinema
Cinema
Renaud Capuçon
Cinema
Erato
Stage & Screen, Classical
An attractive collection of show tunes from a French violinist.
- James Manheim
Phoenix
Phoenix
Rita Ora
Phoenix
Atlantic / Warner Bros.
Pop/Rock, R&B
After a six-year limbo, the English pop singer returned triumphant with this effervescent sophomore effort.
- Neil Z. Yeung
Manifesto of an Alchemist
Manifesto of an Alchemist
Roine Stolt's the Flower King / Roine Stolt
Manifesto of an Alchemist
Century Media / Insideout
Pop/Rock
The Swedish guitarist and composer weds past to present with a host of familiar collaborators on this ambitious offering.
- Thom Jurek
She Remembers Everything
She Remembers Everything
Rosanne Cash
She Remembers Everything
Blue Note
Pop/Rock, Folk, Country
A rich and rewarding collection of songs that speaks to the singer and songwriter's talent, passion, and maturity.
- Mark Deming
Music for Brass Septet, Vol. 6: Elgar, Finzi, Parry, Walton
Music for Brass Septet, Vol. 6: Elgar, Finzi, Parry, Walton
Septura
Music for Brass Septet, Vol. 6: Elgar, Finzi, Parry, Walton
Naxos
Classical
Detailed, often delightful brass arrangements of British choral and string orchestra works.
- James Manheim
's Favorite Friend
's Favorite Friend
Stove
's Favorite Friend
Exploding in Sound
Pop/Rock
Ovlov's Steve Harlett's second record as Stove is his first with a band, and it's emotionally charged, sonically thrilling indie rock at its finest.
- Tim Sendra
Plus
Plus
System
Plus
Morr Music
Electronic
Truly sublime collaboration between Danish ambient dub trio System (aka Future 3) and German pianist/composer Nils Frahm.
- Paul Simpson
The Beatles [White Album] [50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition]
The Beatles [White Album] [50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition]
The Beatles
The Beatles [White Album] [50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition]
Capitol
Pop/Rock
A sprawling two-record epic showcasing the fraying quartet's still mesmerizing sonic extremes.
The Fernweh
The Fernweh
The Fernweh
The Fernweh
Skeleton Key Records
Pop/Rock
Brilliantly autumnal neo-psychedelia with elements of British folk, soundtrack music and the Jefferson Airplane added to the mix.
- Tim Sendra
The Glands [Bonus Tracks]
The Glands [Bonus Tracks]
The Glands
The Glands [Bonus Tracks]
New West
Pop/Rock
The Georgia band's second album is a lost classic that benefits from sleek production, finely honed hooks, and the continued songwriting genius of Ross Shapiro.
- Tim Sendra
Double Thriller
Double Thriller
The Glands
Double Thriller
New West
Pop/Rock
The Georgia band's debut is a shaggy, big-hearted collection of indie rock and pop driven by the low-key genius of bandleader Ross Shapiro.
- Tim Sendra
Double Coda
Double Coda
The Glands
Double Coda
New West
Pop/Rock
Collection of unreleased songs recorded between 1996 and 2003 by the underrated and much-loved Athens, Georgia indie rock band.
- Tim Sendra
On the Other Side
On the Other Side
The Marked Men
On the Other Side
Dirtnap Records
Pop/Rock
Bracing collection of the garage punk band's singles released between 2003 and 2010.
- Tim Sendra
Phanerozoic I: Palaeozoic
Phanerozoic I: Palaeozoic
The Ocean
Phanerozoic I: Palaeozoic
Pelagic
Pop/Rock
After more than a decade, the German extreme music collective circles back to deliver a punishing but beautiful sequel to 2007's Precambrian.
- Thom Jurek
A Renaissance Christmas
A Renaissance Christmas
The Sixteen / Harry Christophers
A Renaissance Christmas
Coro
Classical
The Sixteen present an album of Christmas music from the Renaissance, including works by Lassus, Tallis, Byrd, Victoria, and other masters.
- Blair Sanderson
Shiny and Oh So Bright, Vol. 1: No Past. No Future. No Sun
Shiny and Oh So Bright, Vol. 1: No Past. No Future. No Sun
The Smashing Pumpkins
Shiny and Oh So Bright, Vol. 1: No Past. No Future. No Sun
Napalm Records
Pop/Rock
The reunited Smashing Pumpkins deliver a shiny, bright, melodic album that's disarmingly positive.
- Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Loma
Loma
Throwing Snow
Loma
Houndstooth
Electronic
Throwing Snow's club-focused side is every bit as ambitious and suspenseful as his first two proper albums.
- Paul Simpson
Just a Bad Dream: Sixty British Garage & Trash Nuggets 1981-1989
Just a Bad Dream: Sixty British Garage & Trash Nuggets 1981-1989
Various Artists
Just a Bad Dream: Sixty British Garage & Trash Nuggets 1981-1989
Cherry Red
Pop/Rock
Wild and swinging collection of garage rock, psychobilly, and just plain trash gathered from the underbelly of the early-'80s U.K. music scene.
- Tim Sendra
Unusual Sounds: The Hidden History of Library Music
Unusual Sounds: The Hidden History of Library Music
Various Artists
Unusual Sounds: The Hidden History of Library Music
Anthology
Stage & Screen, Avant-Garde, Pop/Rock
Fantastic collection of some of the brightest, strangest, and surprisingly influential moments of pre-recorded film music libraries.
- Fred Thomas
Joe Cutler: Elsewhereness
Joe Cutler: Elsewhereness
Various Artists
Joe Cutler: Elsewhereness
NMC
Classical
British composer Cutler offers eclectic styles, with a satisfying sense of wrestling with the musical materials in each one.
- James Manheim
Alexander Scriabin: Symphony No. 1, Op. 26; Prometheus - The Poem of Fire
Alexander Scriabin: Symphony No. 1, Op. 26; Prometheus - The Poem of Fire
Vasily Petrenko / Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra
Alexander Scriabin: Symphony No. 1, Op. 26; Prometheus - The Poem of Fire
Lawo Classics
Classical
Vasily Petrenko and the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra complete their Scriabin cycle with the First Symphony and Prometheus: The Poem of Fire.
- Blair Sanderson
Arvo Pärt
Arvo Pärt
Viktoria Mullova / Paavo Järvi
Arvo Pärt
Onyx Classics
Classical
A superb fresh take on Pärt from Russian violinist Mullova, approved by the composer.
- James Manheim