Editors' Choice for October 2022

After a five-year absence, the group return with a bulked-up and refined version of their sound that adds even more energy and drama.

— Tim Sendra

Violinist Beyer and her ensemble Gli Incogniti capture Vivaldi's sheer exuberance in this highly varied set of concertos.

— James Manheim

The eclectic indie artist offers a sophomore album of emotional honesty, unique arrangements, and understated originality.

— Timothy Monger

The Australian singer/songwriter opens up with confessional songs that give more depth to her joyous, empowering pop.

— Heather Phares

A lush, organic meditation on life, nature, and existence.

— Paul Simpson

The pop songsmith's third full-length buffers post-breakup pain with bittersweet, synth-based production.

— Neil Z. Yeung

A richer, more soul-steeped follow-up to the Brazilian-Norwegian singer/songwriter's promising debut.

— Andy Kellman

The art-pop whiz and the boundary-blurring musician/composer team up with fascinating, ultimately moving results.

— Andy Kellman

Remixed version of the classic album with bonus discs of rarities and a stunning live show from 1982.

— Tim Sendra

Singer Martina Sorbara's first Dragonette album as a solo artist is as hooky as it is heartfelt.

— Matt Collar

The band's confident second album takes a quieter, slower approach that highlights their warmth, sensuality, and humor.

— Heather Phares

The Swedish psychedelic act expand their sound by introducing ideas that are both unexpected and unlikely.

— Fred Thomas

The singer/songwriter trades in the lo-fi recording of his earlier work for heightened studio production, but manages to retain his charm and emotional impact.

— Fred Thomas

After a detour into acoustic sounds, the band return with a dark, dangerous, and thrilling album that adds dance grooves and death to the mix.

— Tim Sendra

Archival compilation of lesser-known gems from these lo-fi heroes draws from four long out-of-print EPs originally issued in the early '90s.

— Fred Thomas

An album made up mainly of quiet, reflective songs that deal largely with love, longing, and self-doubt.

— Mariano Prunes

The second full-length from this hard-to-pin-down artist expands his hybrid sound, jumping from '90s-informed alt-rock to rap to sad indie folk.

— Fred Thomas

The spacious and engrossing sixth album from the Ontarian duo.

— Andy Kellman

Born out of improvisational studio jams, the album turns out to be one of the band's loosest, most energetic and inspiring to date.

— Tim Sendra

The debut album from this collaborative project fuses powwow singing and drums with avant-garde jazz and other forms of experimentalism.

— Fred Thomas

On her first album of original material in seven years, the great Mexican songwriter enlists an all-star international band.

— Thom Jurek

Five of the era's finest jazz-infused R&B albums, lovingly bundled with well over a dozen relevant (and often revelatory) bonus tracks.

— Andy Kellman

An elaborate and defining collection documenting Ian Matthews' excellent 1972 country folk-rock project.

— Timothy Monger

The esteemed sorcerer of pop surrealism's tightest and most potent outing in years.

— James Christopher Monger

With conviction and confidence, these veterans wield pulsing synths, massive rock drums, overdriven guitars, and more in a set of fine new songs.

— Thom Jurek

The great 13th album from these Canadian power pop heroes shows that sometimes 13 can be a very lucky number.

— Mark Deming

Dialing back the pop gloss and adding some quirky production and an incredibly strong batch of songs, the duo remain as compelling as ever.

— Tim Sendra

A masterpiece of accessible experimentalism and sophisticated pop, the Fab Four's creative peak, and serious contender for greatest rock album ever made.

— Pat Sullivan

The Liverpool band's first album in 13 years is an uplifting and sweetly melodic return to indie pop form.

— Timothy Monger

Great career overview of the world's greatest landlocked surf band, and the geniuses who brought us "Surfin' Bird."

— Mark Deming

The Swedish singer/songwriter's first album on her own label offers a fuller portrait of her music's confessional, sexual, and danceable sides.

— Heather Phares

The fast-rising producer and DJ blends Afro-house, progressive house, rave, and dance-pop on her emotionally rich debut album.

— Paul Simpson

Wonderfully curated collection of eccentric, innocent, and sweet psychedelic pop created in the wake of "Penny Lane" comprised of big names and total obscurities.

— Tim Sendra

A revelatory compilation of music associated with the historic Detroit Artist's Workshop sourced from the archives of co-founder John Sinclair.

— Thom Jurek

A slightly darker and much more shoegaze-leaning album that switches between dreamy pop and noisy teardrop ballads.

— Tim Sendra

The Arizona native's third album is an inspired, sonically textured blend of '70s-style pop.

— Matt Collar