Beethoven and Stravinsky Violin Concertos review – Frang and Kuusisto create sweetness, swagger and exhilaration
In his first recording as conductor, Pekka Kuusisto is insightful and in control, and Vilde Frang brings electricity to both concertos - Erica Jeal
starstarstarstarstarSzymanowski: Piano Works review – glowing jewels from a supreme pianist
The Polish virtuoso continues his journey through the music of his native land, bringing wit and delicate lyricism - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarSarathy Korwar: Kalak review – deep, dark drumbeats create a mesmerising story
Flute, horns, synths and tabla accompany Korwar’s undulating percussion in the dummer’s hypnotic fourth album - Ammar Kalia
starstarstarstarstarGabriels: Angels and Queens Part One review – could this be the album of the year?
Frontman Jacob Lusk is nothing short of incredible on the trio’s debut album, a powerful half-hour of top-tier songwriting that proves Gabriels are far more than soul revivalists - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarLou Reed: Words & Music, May 1965 review – revelatory early cuts
The 23-year-old Reed and John Cale try things out for size in this treasure trove of previously unreleased demos - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarHeiner Goebbels: A House of Call review – fascinating work, mesmerisingly performed
Beckett, Rumi and first-world-war prisoners are referenced in Heiner Goebbels’ diverse score that incorporates chanting, jazz-rock, rhythmic dislocations and delicate solos - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarDanger Mouse and Black Thought: Cheat Codes review – an out-and-out hip-hop masterpiece
Razor-sharp US rapper Black Thought and his one-time acolyte, now super-producer, Danger Mouse, finally get it together on an album that’s a nonstop joy - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarJohannes Brahms: Complete Symphonies review – constantly fascinating performances
Emulating Brahms himself with an orchestra of fewer than 50 players, these fresh, engaging recordings show that less can mean a lot more - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarNina Nastasia: Riderless Horse review – devastatingly powerful songs of survival
The cult American singer-songwriter endured 25 years of abuse at the hands of her partner, an experience wrenchingly recorded in her first album in 12 years - Phil Mongredien
starstarstarstarstarSteve Lacy: Gemini Rights review – a sumptuous listen
This singular talent goes to the next level with his deliciously languid second solo alum - Tara Joshi
starstarstarstarstarFern Maddie: Ghost Story review – an unnerving, arresting folk debut
Maddie’s young, welcoming voice belies a darkly evocative lyricism creating an album that is both unsettling and thrilling - Jude Rogers
starstarstarstarstarMuna: Muna review – pulsating with newfound freedom
Released from the shackles of a major label, the California trio emerge with a euphoric third album of stomping pop, country and ambient pulses - Michael Cragg
starstarstarstarstarHahn: Poèmes & Valses review – Kolesnikov brings beguiling intimacy to gorgeous miniatures
Reynaldo Hahn’s delicate piano miniatures become quiet, dreamy masterpieces in Kolesnikov’s hands - Erica Jeal
starstarstarstarstarKoechlin: The Seven Stars Symphony; Vers la Voûte Etoilée review – dazzling display of orchestral imagination
An elegant performance to match the beauty and refinement of this bafflingly neglected master of 20th-century music - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarKendrick Lamar: Mr Morale & the Big Steppers review – rap genius bares heart, soul and mind
After a five-year hiatus, the Pulitzer winner returns with an exhilarating hip-hop feast that ties personal pain to collective trauma – and lets no one off the hook - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarMary Halvorson: Amaryllis / Belladonna review – new landmarks in an inimitable jazz discography
The release of two contrasting albums demonstrate how far this inventive, singleminded guitarist has come, and offers a glimpse of a dazzling future - John Fordham
starstarstarstarstarLet’s Eat Grandma: Two Ribbons review – an unforgettably powerful study of friendship
Written amid grief and separation, the duo’s third album uses beautiful melodies and Top 40 choruses to consider their evolving bond - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarSault: Air review – a daring act of creative rebirth pays off
Taking bold risks with a mostly wordless sixth album, Dean Josiah Cover ascends to spiritual new heights - Stevie Chick
starstarstarstarstarDiabelli Variations review – Uchida’s unparalleled playing is made for this
The pianist’s clarity and dexterity brings humour and insights to Beethoven’s contradictory colossus of a work - Erica Jeal
starstarstarstarstarDissonance: Rachmaninov Songs review – fierce expressionism dripping with drama
Soprano Asmik Grigorian and pianist Lukas Geniušas bring a full-throated intensity to these 19 searing Rachmaninov romances - Erica Jeal
starstarstarstarstarGrażyna Bacewicz: Piano Music review – irresistibly joyful tunes dance on the keyboard
Motoric energy and folk rhythms combine in the Polish composer’s exhilarating works, which pianist Peter Jablonski brings magically to life - Erica Jeal
starstarstarstarstarSpoon: Lucifer on the Sofa review – timeless perfection from US indie stalwarts
Ten albums and nearly three decades in, Spoon still sound fresh, with swing and swagger – and there isn’t a dull moment - Michael Hann
starstarstarstarstarBlack Country, New Road: Ants from Up There review – a baroque pop masterpiece
With now departed frontman Isaac Wood its playful driving force, the London band’s inspired second album is best heard in a single sitting - Damien Morris
starstarstarstarstarMitski: Laurel Hell review – a deep dive you can dance to
The indie artist delivers devastating emotional truths and unsettling imagery – with sharp hooks and an 80s pop sheen - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarBeethoven: Piano Concertos and Choral Fantasy review – reissued reminder of a peerless pianist
This recording of Serkin from 1977 highlights a 20th-century great who brought musical purpose and intellectual rigour to every detail - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarBonobo: Fragments review – a wondrous nirvana
Si Green’s celestial, swooning seventh studio album is a restful ambient dream - Damien Morris
starstarstarstarstarBrahms: Complete Songs, Vol 1 – Opp 32, 43, 86 and 105 review – masterful and revelatory
Tenor Christoph Prégardien gives an intelligent and perfectly weighted performance with pianist Ulrich Eisenlohr - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarThe Weeknd: Dawn FM review – a stunning display of absolute pop prowess
If this is the end for the Weeknd, what a way to bow out. Abel Tesfaye confirms his status as an all-time great with an album of icy 80s-inflected splendour - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarLady Blackbird: Black Acid Soul review – understated and utterly haunting
Marley Munroe finds her calling with an extraordinary collection of songs and performances that burn deep into you - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarBaby Keem: The Melodic Blue review – arguably the best rap album of 2021
The young Las Vegas rapper, a protege of Kendrick Lamar, has a gift for vocal melody that promises so much to come - Ben Beaumont-Thomas
starstarstarstarstarBilly Strings: Renewal review – bold and beautifully written bluegrass
Revelations about heartbreak, America and addiction combine with banjo workouts in a testament to complex humanity - Laura Snapes
starstarstarstarstarSpell Songs II: Let the Light In review – a magical return to nature
In this captivating follow-up, the stellar folk collective give voice to more magical meditations on nature from Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris - Neil Spencer
starstarstarstarstarElgar and Bridge/Schwabe: Cello Concertos review – hugely impressive and refreshingly straightforward
A performance full of finely realised detail and lacking in bombast ensures these two great and contrasting British cello concertos shine - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarConverge & Chelsea Wolfe: Bloodmoon: I review – an explosive combination
The band’s long-awaited collaboration with dark rocker Wolfe is slower and more melodic than their usual albums, yet even heavier - Matt Mills
starstarstarstarstarIdles: Crawler review – thrilling, glass-gargling introspection
No holds are barred, and nothing is off-limits, as Joe Talbot goes deep on this expansive follow-up to last year’s Ultra Mono - Damien Morris
starstarstarstarstarRadiohead: Kid A Mnesia review – two classic albums, plus surprises
The band’s 20th-anniversary reissue of Kid A and Amnesiac along with unreleased material makes for fascinating listening - Phil Mongredien
starstarstarstarstarEris Drew: Quivering in Time review – divinely powerful and euphoric house
A compelling, cleverly inventive LP emerges from the New Hampshire woods care of a DJ and producer channeling her healing ‘Motherbeat’ - Tayyab Amin
starstarstarstarstarModest Mussorgsky: Unorthodox Music review – operatic vividness and tremendous panache
A ‘cradle-to-grave songspiel’ describing the arc of a woman’s life is brilliantly conceived by soprano Booth and pianist Glynn - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarSelf Esteem: Prioritise Pleasure review – Britain’s funniest, frankest pop star drums out her demons
The sound of an artist coming into her own, Rebecca Taylor’s remarkable second album as Self Esteem mixes the intimate and conversational with the unabashedly dramatic - Laura Snapes
starstarstarstarstarMalcolm Jiyane: Umdali review – life-affirming South African jazz
A figure in his country’s jazz scene since his early teens, Jiyane’s skill comes to the fore in his anticipated debut as a bandleader, a set full of hope and momentum - Ammar Kalia
starstarstarstarstarBach: Ich Habe Genug review – as invigorating as a plunge into cold water
Cantatas 82, 32 and 106 trace a vivid path from despair to hope in this uplifting recording with heart-stopping moments - Erica Jeal
starstarstarstarstarSam Fender: Seventeen Going Under review – music that punches the air and the gut
The North Shields songwriter replaces his former broad-brush politicking with rousing but arrestingly bleak, personal material that puts his indie-rock peers in the shade - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarChick Corea Akoustic Band: Live review – a remarkable feat of virtuosity and rapport
Corea’s trio are captured in all their unplugged brilliance in this live recording from 2018 - Dave Gelly
starstarstarstarstarLil Nas X: Montero review – pop-rap at its proudest, biggest and best
This blockbuster debut album matches its eclecticism and broad emotional range with high-quality hooks throughout – and all with the rapper’s sexuality front and centre - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarOn DSCH: Works by Shostakovich and Stevenson review – Levit’s spectacular wild ride
Pairing Stevenson’s Passacaglia on DSCH with Shostakovich’s equally epic 24 Preludes is a unique combination of rarity and virtuosity - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarIron Maiden: Senjutsu review – an ambitious, eccentric masterpiece
Maiden’s creative renaissance continues in style with this playfully bombastic metal epic - Harry Sword
starstarstarstarstarDeafheaven: Infinite Granite review – rock at its most majestically beautiful
Fifth album by San Francisco band finds intense and yes, ethereal, shoegaze taking over from black metal - Michael Hann
starstarstarstarstarSean Shibe: Camino review – spellbinding and intimate, this will make you rethink Spanish guitar music
Shibe’s playing buzzes with vitality in this revelatory new recording - Erica Jeal
starstarstarstarstarLeon Bridges: Gold-Diggers Sound review – unashamedly grown-up songs for the soul
The soul singer breaks out of his comfort zone with a sparkling collection that evades easy answers - Damien Morris
starstarstarstarstarTyler, the Creator: Call Me If You Get Lost review – the most glorious mess
Bursts of kaleidoscopic synthpop, soul balladry and jazz sweep you through the latest offering in the artist’s eclectic, controversial and – against the odds – enduring career - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarMartha Argerich review – our greatest living pianist? It’s hard to disagree
A collection of dazzling performances spanning 50 years – including her acclaimed interpretations of Chopin, Schumann and others – marks the virtuoso’s 80th birthday - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarColl: Violin Concerto; Mural, etc review – on another plane altogether
The violinist has unlocked new expressiveness in the Spanish composer’s music since Gimeno introduced them - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarWolf Alice: Blue Weekend review – massive ambitions exceptionally fulfilled
On their third and best album, the London four-piece embrace a more polished, widescreen sound that serves their sharp writing on late-20s anxieties - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarChes Smith and We All Break: Path of Seven Colors review – a tour de force of jazz innovation
Haitian traditions inspire the percussionist’s exhilarating hybrid of melodic drums, evocative vocals and fiery improvisation - John Fordham
starstarstarstarstarSt Vincent: Daddy’s Home review – master of reinvention warps the sounds of the 70s
Playing with identity and touching on family matters, Annie Clark’s sixth album with wilfully twisted musical backing is hugely impressive - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarBrahms: The Schoenberg Effect review – symphonic reduction brings expansion
Arranged for piano quartet, Brahm’s third symphony gains insights and richness in this superb new recording by the Notos Quartett - Erica Jeal
starstarstarstarstarRhiannon Giddens and Francesco Turrisi: They’re Calling Me Home review – big, beautiful laments
From lockdown in Ireland, Giddens and Turrisi range across folk traditions on exceptional covers and originals - Jude Rogers
starstarstarstarstarDry Cleaning: New Long Leg review – a singular debut
The everyday becomes poetic on this intensely original album of post-punk shape-shifting from the south London foursome - Phil Mongredien
starstarstarstarstarMahler/Cooke: Symphony No 10 review – one of the finest recordings of a final masterpiece
Part of his cycle of works by Mahler, Vänskä’s stoic approach pays dividends in the composer’s unfinished work, with unswerving instrumental detail - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarNick Cave and Warren Ellis: Carnage review – the firebrand returns
The grief remains, but Cave’s hunger for retribution is back too, heightened at every turn by Ellis’s strings, on this wild, writerly masterpiece - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarGhetts: Conflict of Interest review – one giant leap for grime
Cinematic in scope, movingly honest, with a phalanx of big-name guests, Justin Clarke’s major-label debut is a dazzling piece of storytelling - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarBlack Country, New Road: For the First Time review – one of the best albums of 2021
This remarkably biodiverse seven-piece take the rock band format and soar with it - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarThe Weather Station: Ignorance review – a heartbroken masterpiece
Tamara Lindeman’s shimmering breakup songs double as a rallying cry for our ravaged planet - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarJohn Eccles: Semele review – pre-Handel opera is a colourful musical gem
Eccles’s 1706 work is a fascinating insight into its era, and this clean, light-on-its-feet version is a gratifying listen - Erica Jeal
starstarstarstarstarBach: 12 Preludes and Fugues from The Well-Tempered Clavier II review – wilfully immaculate
Playing his own selection of pieces from Bach’s monumental work may be heresy, but Anderszewki’s intelligence, lucidity and joy is undeniable - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarMadlib: Sound Ancestors review – hip-hop visionary tells wondrous stories in sound
Arranged by Four Tet, the producer’s stunning album is poignant and sincere, combining beats, jazz, reggae toasts and vocal snippets into a kind of folklore - Tayyab Amin
starstarstarstarstarBurd Ellen: Says the Never Beyond review – brilliant wintersongs make an eerie snowglobe of sound
Debbie Armour and Gayle Brogan harmonise beautifully and add unnerving sounds to British seasonal songs - Jude Rogers
starstarstarstarstarMegan Thee Stallion: Good News review – galloping into greatness
With easy flow, hard barbs and a magnetic persona, the rapper casts herself as the successor to hip-hop’s old-school heroes - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarJS Bach: Goldberg Variations review – softly spoken and immensely powerful
In a revelatory recording, Kolesnikov makes Bach’s variations soar as if new - Erica Jeal
starstarstarstarstarBruckner: Symphonies Nos 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 9 review – glorious performances make a worthy tribute
The late conductor excelled in late Romantic repertoire, and these live recording of Bruckner symphonies see him at his best - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarA Swayze and the Ghosts: Paid Salvation review – a faultless debut
Angry, tuneful and woke – this Tasmanian punk band dazzle on all counts - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarSault: Untitled (Rise) review – mystery collective make best album of 2020, again
Just 12 weeks after their previous double album, the British group dance from sorrow to resistance, mixing fearless lyrics with house, funk and disco - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarPeter Grimes review – insightful recording is among the opera’s finest
Britten’s opera sounds huge and thrilling in a nuanced recording with sparkling interplay between singers and orchestra – it’s rarely sounded better - Erica Jeal
starstarstarstarstarIves: Complete Symphonies review – Dudamel captures the rapture of an iconoclast
The conductor and his orchestra express the transcendental immensity of Ives, especially in a glorious Fourth Symphony - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarFontaines DC: A Hero's Death review – all the joy and despair of youth is here
The Dublin band deliver a difficult but powerful second album full of songwriting that stares life in the face - Ben Beaumont-Thomas
starstarstarstarstarShirley Collins: Heart's Ease review – unerring brilliance
The veteran singer’s comeback really takes wing with this impeccably judged set - Neil Spencer
starstarstarstarstarTaylor Swift: Folklore review – bombastic pop makes way for emotional acuity
Released with little fanfare this move to more muted songwriting is proof Swift’s music can thrive without the celebrity drama - Laura Snapes
starstarstarstarstarEighth Blackbird: Singing in the Dead of Night review – irresistible, propulsive variations
Three Bang on a Can composers tease lines from the Beatles’ Blackbird into sparky, fierce and unpredictable works, played with exuberance - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarHaim: Women in Music Pt III review – a cathartic walk on the blue side of life
The three sisters switch into melancholy for this richly searching, explosively produced third album - Laura Snapes
starstarstarstarstarBessie Jones: Get in Union review – 60 songs straight from the gut and heart
This remastered set of Jones’s recordings with the Georgia Sea Island Singers richly celebrates a traditional vocalist of key historical importance - Jude Rogers
starstarstarstarstarRose City Band: Summerlong review – a gorgeous record
One-man band Ripley Johnson casts an unashamedly sunny eight-song spell - Phil Mongredien
starstarstarstarstarBob Dylan: Rough and Rowdy Ways review – a testament to his eternal greatness
Full of bleak and brooding rhythm and blues, Rough and Rowdy Ways reveals Dylan at his lyrical best - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarJake Blount: Spider Tales review - instant classic reinstates folk's black, queer roots
This debut album uses limber banjo and fiddle to delve into subversive stories of violence and survival - Jude Rogers
starstarstarstarstarBritish Violin Sonatas Vol 3 review – Tasmin Little bows out in style
The much-loved violinist ends as she began, putting less familiar repertoire centre stage - Fiona Maddocks
starstarstarstarstarPerfume Genius: Set My Heart on Fire Immediately review – pop poet discovers new powers
Backed by starry session musicians, Mike Hadreas makes wild but confident leaps between styles on this rich, fascinating LP - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarPole: 123 review – calming, abstract, minimal genius
This reissue of Stefan Betke’s first three albums shows how the electronic auteur turned a technical glitch into an innovative, intimate and warm style - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarBC Camplight: Shortly After Takeoff review – a tumultuous pop masterpiece
Brian Christinzio distills beauty from pain and allows melodies and hooks to hang around on this triumphant album - Michael Hann
starstarstarstarstarFiona Apple: Fetch the Bolt Cutters review – a glorious eruption
The unhurried artist’s first studio album in eight years is astonishing, intimate and demonstrates a refusal to be silenced - Laura Barton
starstarstarstarstarRavel: La Valse; Mussorgsky: Pictures review - brilliantly lit, punchy and athletic
François-Xavier Roth and his period instrument group brilliantly honour the dizzying spirit of Ravel’s La Valse, and the Mussorgsky glows with detail - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarWaxahatchee: Saint Cloud review – the best album of the year so far
With tracks that nestle in heartache and bask in hard-won wisdom, this is an artefact of American song that measures up to Dylan at his peak - Ben Beaumont-Thomas
starstarstarstarstarChildish Gambino: 3.15.20 review – at the peak of the zeitgeist
The actor, comedian and musician Donald Glover has made the first truly outstanding album of the decade, offsetting cultural examinations with moments of sweet levity - Dean Van Nguyen
starstarstarstarstarEpic: Lieder & Balladen review – a storytelling masterclass
Degout/Lepper(Harmonia Mundi)From Schubert’s murderous dwarf to similarly dark works by Schumann and Brahms, Degout and Lepper provide impeccable drama on a superb album - Erica Jeal
starstarstarstarstarCode Orange: Underneath review – a thrilling new form of molten metal
The Pittsburgh quintet marry technical mastery with genre-fusing risk in a record of poetry and spectacular potency - Ben Beaumont-Thomas
starstarstarstarstarSchoenberg: Violin Concerto; Verklärte Nacht review – fabulous colour and nuance
Faust/Swedish RSO/Harding(Harmonia Mundi)Isabelle Faust’s performance of Schoenberg’s violin concerto is exceptional, and Daniel Harding matches her in musical understanding - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarCaribou: Suddenly review – perfectly imperfect pop
Dan Snaith’s project returns after five years away to confront grief and family, beautifully warping songs that are drenched in melody - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarBeatrice Dillon: Workaround review – a global future-folk manifesto
These exuberant electronic experiments in mixing 150bpm dub-techno with live instrumentation fizz with the joy of artistic creation - Tayyab Amin
starstarstarstarstarLouise Alder & Joseph Middleton: Lines Written During a Sleepless Night review – worth staying up for
(Chandos)Alder’s glorious soprano is wonderfully supported by Middleton’s expressive piano in songs by Rachmaninov, Tchaikovsky, Medtner and Britten - Erica Jeal
starstarstarstarstarSault: 5 / 7 review – intriguing grooves from a mystery funk machine
No one seems to know who they are, but one thing is sure: Sault make hooky, dubby, funky music with echoes of ESG and Can - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarBerlioz: La Damnation de Faust review – sell your soul for a damned fine Faust
Michael Spyres is almost superhumanly good in this live recording of Berlioz’s légende dramatique - Erica Jeal
starstarstarstarstarBurial: Tunes 2011-2019 review – transmissions from an alternate universe
The producer’s collected post-Untrue EPs reveal him as one of the most evocative voices in British music - Ben Beaumont-Thomas
starstarstarstarstar