Editors' Choice for November 2021

Triumphant fourth LP that takes the high road of growth, acceptance, and ownership after a difficult divorce.

— Neil Z. Yeung

Songs written for a musical adaptation of Girl, Interrupted.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

The Azymuth bassist careens across jazz-funk, fusion, disco, soul, and samba in this orgy of rhythm, harmony, and deep grooves.

— Thom Jurek

A kaleidoscopic, boundary-pushing album from the Chicago artist, rife with indie, avant-garde, and global influences.

— Matt Collar

The Boss trims his three-hour concert extravaganza into a tight 90 minutes for a worthy cause, and delivers a musical knockout.

— Mark Deming

Wild, protean hard rock songs rooted in psychedelic folk and delivered with Green Man-worthy gusto.

— James Christopher Monger

Expansive yet concentrated second solo album from the singer/songwriter, supported again by Sault partner Inflo.

— Andy Kellman

This long-running project centered around experimental songwriter Ben Jones takes a dramatic shift toward clarity and directness with this new set of lushly arranged songs.

— Fred Thomas

A potent collaboration that pairs bracing hardcore with expansive symphonic and post-metal.

— James Christopher Monger

The fifth "Era" boxed set from David Bowie chronicles his adventurous 1990s and offers the unreleased album Toy.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

More than two hours of previously unissued solo recordings from the enigmatic Philadelphia pianist reveal the hidden depths of his mastery.

— TiVo Staff

Crawler opens the door to the Idles multiverse, and while it doesn't always stick the landing, the new spaces it does explore are worth the journey.

— Liam Martin

On their third long-player, the Brooklyn collective expand their musical reach, embracing Afro-Latin grooves, mutant funk, and post-punk.

— Thom Jurek

A cosmopolitan and ecstatic mix featuring an exclusive collaboration with Hyperdub labelmate Loraine James.

— Andy Kellman

Previously unreleased demos, live material, and studio outtakes track one of the most exciting early phases of this legendary songwriter's development.

— Fred Thomas

The singer/songwriter's first solo album in nine years brings a triumphant warmth and twang to her music's enduring intimacy.

— Heather Phares

An exceptionally virtuosic album of Spanish, Italian, and Argentine guitar works satisfies with commanding presence.

— James Manheim

The band's fourth album buries their dark indie pop angst under buckets of reverb and arrives at a more tuneful, more emotionally powerful sound.

— Tim Sendra

The noise pop band's lockdown-informed second album is sonically expansive, lyrically anxious, and epically immersive.

— Marcy Donelson

The likes of Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, and Kamasi Washington join the Grammy-nominated musician/producer on his first proper LP in five years.

— Andy Kellman

Essential archival release from a short-lived late-'70s group that included Dave Kusworth and Stephen Duffy and melded Postcard pop, romantic punk, and Stones swagger.

— Tim Sendra

The duo's sixth album meshes shoegaze, minimal electronics, danceable rhythms, and an appealing optimism in skillful harmony.

— Heather Phares

A mercurial three-way collaboration results in a headphone gem of quiet sophistication.

— Timothy Monger

The Danish producer delves deeply into dub, post-punk, and avant-jazz influences on his expectation-defying third album.

— Paul Simpson

A multi-disc collection of Neal Casal's songs performed by musicians who loved him serves as a brilliant reappraisal of the late songwriter's work.

— Thom Jurek

Gigantic performance, even by the standards of the "Symphony of a Thousand," brings tremendous excitement and transcendence.

— James Manheim

After immigrating to New Orleans from Puerto Rico, ÌFÉ explores social justice and Yoruban spirituality with a beat-conscious international cast.

— Thom Jurek