“Ay-Yo — The 4th Album Repackage” NCT127 (SM Entertainment)
NCT127 should be credited as inventors of a new genre: neo-chill hop.
Their upcoming repackage “Ay-Yo” of their fourth studio album “2 Baddies” comes with three extra tracks that move the needle in the too cool direction.
“All the Eye Can See,” Joe Henry (earMUSIC)
“There goes the sun,” Joe Henry sings, sounding nothing like George Harrison as he contemplates our long, cold, lonely winter.
“All the Eye Can See” is the most diverse album of Henry’s career, surrounding his acoustic guitar with mysterious sounds ancient and modern.
“RUSH!” by Måneskin (Arista/Sony Music Latin)
From the moment they held the iconic glass microphone in Rotterdam in 2021, members of Italian rock band Måneskin have been catapulted to worldwide fame.
“Heart-Shaped Bruise” by Etta Marcus (Polydor)
Etta Marcus hates being called a sad girl. Her major label debut, “Heart-Shaped Bruise,” features its share of pain and loss, but the singer-songwriter comes out swinging from the opening track, “Nosebleed,” singing “I’m the b(asterisk)(asterisk)(asterisk)(asterisk) that broke your nose.”
“I’m Not Crying, You’re Crying,” Whitehorse (Six Shooter Records)
To start the album, she sings a drinking song. For the second tune, he sings a drinking song. On Whitehorse’s “I’m Not Crying, You’re Crying,” the singer-songwriter-husband-wife partnership Luke Doucet and Melissa McClelland trade the lead and share their love of classic country music.
“Good Thing We Stayed” by Julia Wolf (BMG)
Julia Wolf used to write her goals in invisible ink on her bedroom walls. The self-described shy girl wasn’t ready to reveal her ambition, even to her family.
“Herbert” by Ab-Soul (Top Dawg Entertainment)
Ab-Soul’s “Herbert" is peppered with messages — a voicemail from his praying grandma, snippets of encouragement from his inner circle and so on. But it’s the rapper’s reflections on himself and his life that define his latest project, making it the lauded lyricist’s most beautifully vulnerable set yet.
“Live From Finsbury Park" and “Seventeen Going Under Deluxe Edition" by Sam Fender (Geffen)
It's an interesting play to release a live album just as you're emerging as an artist of arena rock stature.
NEW YORK (AP) — The comedy “Some Like It Hot” would seem too hot to revisit these days. Easy laughs at the concept of men wearing dresses and then hitting on horrified other men?
NEW YORK (AP) — There are some interesting cocktails on offer at "The Neil Diamond Musical: A Beautiful Noise” on Broadway and it might not be such a bad idea to order a Sweet Clementine or a Cracklin' Rosé before you get to your seat.
“White Trash Revelry,” Adeem the Artist (Four Quarters/Thirty Tigers)
“Going to Hell,” a banjo-driven romp on the new album “White Trash Revelry,” explains in jest the cause of Adeem the Artist's unspecified musical limitations.
NEW YORK (AP) — “Walking in the Dark,” Julia Bullock (Nonesuch)
No one who has followed Julia Bullock’s career will be surprised that her first solo album is made up of unconventional and deeply personal choices.
Holiday music might not be everyone's cup of tea, but with new records from Alicia Keys, Backstreet Boys and Debbie Gibson, there's something that might appeal to everyone at the table. So pull out the record player, light some candles and get festive — and thankful for new music.
“Live at the Fillmore (1997),” Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (Warner Records)
Listening to “Live at the Fillmore (1997)” it's easy to see why Tom Petty said at the time he thought it was a career highpoint.
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — “World Record,” Neil Young (Reprise)
Neil Young and his longtime band Crazy Horse return to a favorite topic with “World Record,” a double entendre title for an album that not-so-subtlety focuses squarely on the fate of the environment.
“Four,” Bill Frisell (Blue Note)
Guitarist Bill Frisell’s new jazz quartet album is like a stimulating conversation among friends who swap quick quips and insights, the shifts in mood frequent and unpredictable.
“IOTA" By Lous and the Yakuza (Columbia Records/Sony Music)
Lous and the Yakuza has peeled back the pain and drama of her debut autobiographical album, "Gore,'' to reveal a space of love and playfulness on her follow-up, “IOTA.” The Congolese-Belgian singer and songwriter does not describe her music-making process as therapeutic as some may think, it is just her way of expressing herself.
“There Is So Much Here,” Glen Phillips (Compass Records)
The son of a physicist, Glen Phillips has always been a cerebral singer-songwriter, and his new solo album is a thoughtful, tuneful collection of contemplations on life’s simple charms.
Miko Marks and the Resurrectors, “Feel Like Going Home” (Redtone Records)
Miko Marks created a buzz last month performing at AmericanaFest in Nashville, Tennessee, and her latest album is an engaging encore.
Meghan Trainor, “Takin' It Back” (Epic Records)
Meghan Trainor is back with that doo-wop style of music that made her famous, but this time adding a twist to it.
Her new album “Takin' It Back,” isn’t your usual journey of self love, this is a more mature Trainor.
Taylor Swift “Midnights,” (Republic Records)
“All of me changed like midnight,” Taylor Swift confesses halfway through her latest album, the aptly named and moody “Midnights.” It’s a moment on the electric “Midnight Rain” that finds lyricist Swift at her best, reminding you of her unparalleled ability to make any emotion feel universal.
Carly Rae Jepsen, “The Loneliest Time” (Interscope Records)
Dating in the 21st century might be a lonely time, but Carly Rae Jepsen has found a way to make an album around those experiences that’s as bright and hopeful as it is grounded.
“The Car,” Arctic Monkeys (Domino Records)
Open the door and step into the epic film reel of the Arctic Monkey's dreamy journey, “The Car” — it's quirky, expansive and deeply soulful.
The British alternative rock group is two decades into its career and has forged an oxymoronic edgy path forward in a self-assured, cinematic behemoth of a seventh album.
“Flatland Lullaby,” Joe Ely (Rack ‘em/Thirty Tigers)
Don’t assume Joe Ely’s new children’s album will have limited appeal. It’s for anyone who has ever been a kid.
“Only Built for Infinity Links,” Quavo and Takeoff (Quality Control Music)
The nephew-uncle duo, Takeoff and Quavo, have joined forces in their debut as a duo.
While there have been whisperings of the Atlanta rap trio Migos splitting up for good, there has been no official announcement of their disbandment.
“Dirt Femme,” Tove Lo (Pretty Swede Records)
Femininity is all-encompassing, it's malleable and flesh deep.
In Tove Lo's fifth studio album, “Dirt Femme" — the first under her own independent label — the Swedish singer-songwriter and producer profoundly understands the female experience can be painful, messy and iridescent.
Noah Kahan, “Stick Season” (Mercury Records/Republic Records)
It’s the season of the sticks. It has been since July 8, when Noah Kahan released the first single and title track from his third album, “Stick Season.”
The 1975, “Being Funny in a Foreign Language” (Dirty Hit/Interscope)
There is plenty to like about The 1975's new album until there's something to really admire.
“Part of the Band” is the kind of song — is it post-pop, prog-pop, post-prog pop?
NEW YORK (AP) — The somewhat antiquated musical “1776” has long been ripe for a radical makeover and it has found one on Broadway.
“Can I Take My Hounds to Heaven?" Tyler Childers, (Hickman Holler Records/RCA)
Tyler Childers does what he wants when he wants, and while he'd like you to buy his music, he probably doesn't care what you think.
“004Daisy,” Dixson (Roc Nation)
Dixson embraces modernity and forges a sweet new R&B sound on his third album, “004Daisy.”
The Atlanta native is a seasoned producer and songwriter with a decorated catalog working with artists like Chance the Rapper, Justin Bieber, Pharrell and Yebba.
“Bordeaux Concert,” Keith Jarrett (ECM Records)
When Keith Jarrett gently strikes the final note on the opening piece of “Bordeaux Concert,” 15 seconds pass before concertgoers begin to applaud, taking time to savor what they just heard.
“Live: Return of the Storyteller,” Todd Snider (Aimless Records/Thirty Tigers)
On Todd Snider’s new solo live album, some of his best riffs involve no notes.
The stoner troubadour and cosmic comic shares tales of the road, from tripping on a beach in California to a miscommunication meltdown in Montana.
“MORE Different Voices,” Corky Siegel’s Chamber Blues (Dawnserly Records)
For more than half a century, Corky Siegel has brought new colors to the blues. “MORE Different Voices” is the latest endeavor by the composer/arranger to bridge musical genres and cultural divides, making the world slightly smaller and kinder.
“Animals,” Pink Floyd (Sony Music)
Nothing is easy when it comes to Pink Floyd and its legacy, which explains why the 2018 remix of the band's 1977 release “Animals” is just now seeing the light of day.
“Vol. II,” Watkins Family Hour (Family Hour Records)
Tom Petty’s pianist plays “Tennessee Waltz,” an Ernest Tubb classic rides a Bo Diddley beat, and a deep cut by the ’60s band the Zombies becomes a Disney-style lullaby.
Bella Poarch, “Dolls” (Warner Records)
In theory this should work. With her massive TikTok following, Bella Poarch clearly needed to strike while the iron is hot and release a studio EP. “Dolls” is that album.
NEW YORK (AP) — There's a moment in Post Malone’s new concert film when its star confesses to how surreal his life has become: “Sometimes I feel like I’m not a real person.”
Fans will get no clarity on that astounding statement after watching Amazon's “Post Malone: Runaway,” a limp, uninspiring 60 minutes of flash with no substance.
Calvin Harris' last star-studded funk album in 2017 sported several hits but left listeners wanting more. Now, the DJ from the UK has delivered a second volume, titled “Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2," featuring even more tracks and big names, but bigger doesn’t always mean better.
“Cover to Cover,” The Brother Brothers (Compass Records)
Identical twins Adam and David Moss are easy to tell apart on their charming new album of cover tunes.
That’s usually David singing the high part, his gentle harmonies with Adam doing a distinctive dance that can only result from plenty of practice and shared genes.
"Renaissance," Beyoncé (Columbia Records)
Beyoncé has been reborn again; this time it’s on a shimmering dance floor.
But in her seventh studio album, "Renaissance," she has subverted the public's perception of her hitmaking history.
“Hold on Baby,” King Princess (Zelig Records/Columbia Records)
In “Hold on Baby,” King Princess’ second album, there’s something emotionally relatable for all her listeners. Mikaela Straus, the 23-year-old musician behind King Princess, had a viral breakout hit with “1950,” which has over 20 million views on YouTube.
“Surrender,” by Maggie Rogers (Capitol Records)
It's all there in the title. Do as Maggie Rogers asks. Give in to her.
The 12-track “Surrender” is the follow-up to “Heard It in a Past Life,” her 2019 debut album that announced a major talent.
“The Last Goodbye,” ODESZA (Ninja Tune)
EDM fans, hold on to your glow sticks and rave goggles – ODESZA is back and more experimental than ever. The duo of Harrison Mills and Clayton Knight released an immersive album Friday after four quiet years of speculation that the electronic magic-makers had disbanded or were done for good.
“Birds in the Ceiling” by John Moreland (Old Omens/Thirty Tigers)
John Moreland has more questions than answers these days, and he's OK with that.
On his new album, “Birds in the Ceiling," Moreland presses ahead in the gentle, thoughtful style that has distinguished the Oklahoma native from other Americana artists through six albums now.
“Special,” by Lizzo (Atlantic Records)
Singer and rapper Lizzo wasn’t kidding when she came out with the title for her latest album — it truly is a journey to get to your most “Special” self.
“Peculiar, Missouri,” Willi Carlisle (Free Dirt Records)
Coming from a queer, 6-foot-4, 300-pound former high school football captain who went on to sing Midwestern punk rock, pursue poetry in New York and then earn a fellowship to teach literature in the Ozarks, this album is what you’d expect: different.