Yunchan Lim: Chopin: Études Op 10 & Op 25 album review – prodigiously gifted young pianist confirms he’s something special
The South Korean musician’s first recording for Decca features thrilling and original performances - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarSt Vincent: All Born Screaming review – the unmasking of a great American songwriter
Are we finally seeing the real Annie Clark? Replacing alter egos with raw immediacy, she delivers one of her best albums: restlessly inventive and packed with ideas - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarStill House Plants: If I Don’t Make It, I Love U review – inspiringly fearless and free art rock
Powered by Jessica Hickie-Kallenbach’s astonishing singing, the British trio explore Dilla-time funkiness and math-rock detail - Ben Beaumont-Thomas
starstarstarstarstarBeyoncé: Cowboy Carter review – takes country music by its plaid collar and sets it on fire
The Texan superstar’s eighth album is a thrilling 27-track journey through and beyond America’s roots music, and it feels like a genuine feast - Michael Cragg
starstarstarstarstarFabiana Palladino: Fabiana Palladino review – sublime 80s pop innovation meets 21st-century chaos
The musician’s long-gestating debut album melds killer tunes to grimy distortion and the scuffed gloss of Jam and Lewis-era Janet Jackson, and marks the flowering of an original pop voice - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarNico: The Marble Index/Desertshore review – an unforgettable trip to a very dark place
These two reissued solo albums from the German singer have a fearsome reputation – but they offer an experience like no other - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarSam Lee: songdreaming review – a moving tribute to Albion’s troubled soul
Disquiet pervades the folk singer’s self-written fourth album, with romantic love and awe of nature holding out against ecological collapse - Neil Spencer
starstarstarstarstarCharles Lloyd: The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow review – sax legend shows no sign of slowing down
The octogenarian joyfully whispers and warbles his way through sublime tone poems, impassioned tributes and traditional spirituals with an all-star band - John Fordham
starstarstarstarstarJessica Pratt: Here in the Pitch review – retro pop with the feel of a forgotten classic
With her best songs yet, the Californian singer’s fourth album could transform her from fringe act to mainstream success - Rachel Aroesti
starstarstarstarstarT Bone Burnett: The Other Side review – a radiant meditation
Inspired by new guitars, and with guest spots from Roseanne Cash and more, the US producer-musician contemplates love and mortality - Neil Spencer
starstarstarstarstarSt Vincent: All Born Screaming review – magnificently dark, heavy and loud
Recreating the noises in her head, Annie Clark’s first fully self-produced album ranges across styles and emotions, and is her most direct yet - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarPet Shop Boys: Nonetheless review – a great, fan-pleasing album
The duo’s first LP in four years finds them refining and updating their late-80s heyday sound, with a new producer in tow - Damien Morris
starstarstarstarstarDavid Crowell: Point/Cloud review – minimalism that sparkles with joy
The New York multi-instrumentalist, who has played with Philip Glass and Steve Reich, shows great flair for making minimalism rich and harmonically complex - John Lewis
starstarstarstarstarAdams: Girls of the Golden West album review – California gold rush opera has a definitive recording
The opera met with a mixed response on its 2017 premiere. After two reworkings, and with many of its original cast reprising their roles, this premiere recording is a rich and energetic mix - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarBlue Lab Beats: Blue Eclipse review – jazzy production duo eye the spotlight
The Kojey Radical and Angélique Kidjo collaborators refine their soul-and-hip-hop-tinged sound on this propulsive, polished fourth album - Ammar Kalia
starstarstarstarstarTaylor Swift: The Tortured Poets Department review – a whole lotta love gone bad
On her 11th album, the American singer-songwriter picks apart her romantic travails in unsparing fashion, while her ability to turn sorrow into songwriting gold remains unparalleled - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarClaire Rousay: Sentiment review – the sound of life happening elsewhere
Largely recorded on the road and full of found sounds, this beguiling record from the US ambient artist captures the feeling of self-inflicted solitude - Orla Foster
starstarstarstarstarParaorchestra with Brett Anderson & Charles Hazlewood: Death Songbook review – a vivid time capsule
Recorded live, this pandemic-era collaboration covering songs on death and loss by Depeche Mode, Mercury Rev, Suede and more occasionally transcends its source material - Damien Morris
starstarstarstarstarA Certain Ratio: It All Comes Down to This review – punk-funk stalwarts on a euphoric high
The 13th album from the Manchester pioneers blends familiarity with no shortage of new ideas, spanning introspection to jubilance - Dave Simpson
starstarstarstarstarLord Spikeheart: The Adept review – Duma star’s relentless metal isn’t for the fainthearted
With doom-laden growls and falsetto screams, the Kenyan metaller’s indefatigable vocals cut through a thunderous onslaught of headbanging sound - Ammar Kalia
starstarstarstarstarTaylor Swift: The Tortured Poets Department review – fame, fans and former flames in the line of fire
Subtly detailed album splits the difference between 1989’s glossy pop-rock and Midnights’ understatement – and lets her ex Matty Healy have it in no uncertain terms - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarMusic in Time of War: Debussy and Komitas album review – fascinating collection of composer’s final works
Claude Debussy’s piano music written in the last few years of his life interspersed with works by ethnomusicologist and composer Komitas Vardapet - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarLeyla McCalla: Sun Without the Heat review – a freewheeling, joyous listen
The American multi-instrumentalist combines a wide range of Black musical traditions on her beautifully crafted fifth solo album - Ammar Kalia
starstarstarstarstarShabaka: Perceive Its Beauty, Acknowledge Its Grace review – an elegant rebirth
British jazz star Shabaka Hutchings drops the sax for reeds and flutes on an album exploring fear, courage and the power of breathwork - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarVarious artists: Congo Funk! review – get ready to rumba
This sparkling time capsule of Congolese rumba from 1969 to 1982 features homegrown melody and soul with James Brown’s electrifying funk influence - Neil Spencer
starstarstarstarstarGrégoire Maret/Romain Collin: Ennio review – emotional, ecstatic Morricone homage
Harmonica star Maret and pianist/composer Collin pay homage to Ennio Morricone with drifting church-echo and trancelike sounds - John Fordham
starstarstarstarstarBritten: Violin Concerto Chamber Works album review – bravura and brilliance as Faust turns to Britten’s violin writing
Violinist Isabelle Faust, violist Boris Faust and pianist Alexander Melnikov honour Britten’s exuberant works with vigour and determination - Erica Jeal
starstarstarstarstarRose in Bloom album review – crystalline debut of a new high coloratura star
Erin Morley brings artless precision and liquid phrasing to her debut recording - Erica Jeal
starstarstarstarstarNia Archives: Silence Is Loud review – bold, fresh jungle unbound by tradition
The Bradford producer confidently tethers her breakbeats to a pounding four-to-the-floor kick drum – which would have been unheard of in the 90s – on a pop-facing, innovative record - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarKhruangbin: A La Sala review – intricate instrumental grooves
The trio return to their relaxed, mid-tempo origins with 12 tracks spanning sunkissed bliss to humid funk and ballads - Ammar Kalia
starstarstarstarstarFran & Flora: Precious Collection review – strings, shimmer and siren song whip up a desirous mood
This spirited adventure in the avant garde is as experimental as it is accessible, delving into hot-blooded Sirba and Transylvanian epics - Jude Rogers
starstarstarstarstarMetamorphosis: Works by Finnis, Vivier, Leith & Strauss album review – teasingly diverse
The superb string ensemble have brought together works united by the concept of transformation - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarBartók: The Wooden Prince album review – very fine recording of rarely heard fairytale ballet
Bartók revised his ‘pantomime ballet’ many times; the BBC Scottish Symphony orchestra’s new disc is the first ever recording of its final version - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarChicano Batman: Notebook Fantasy review – a freewheeling ode to joy
Swerving genre for mood, the LA band glide by on an irresistible swell of chillwave synth and psychedelic funk - Ammar Kalia
starstarstarstarstarRide: Interplay review – perpetual teenage kicks, now with added anger
Forays into psychedelia and world affairs serve the reformed British shoegaze pioneers well on their seventh album - Damien Morris
starstarstarstarstarKelly Moran: Moves in the Field review – the pianist duets with her augmented self
Written on a programmable piano, the US musician’s new album remains graceful and accessible – in spite of her non-human playing partner - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarJulie Abbé: Out of the Ashes review – a beautiful expression of the grieving process
The UK-based French folk singer embellishes her trad leanings with sultry blues and upbeat swing on a poignant and poetic second album - Neil Spencer
starstarstarstarstarMichelle Moeller: Late Morning review – sparkling, ethereal sound manipulations
The US artist’s debut album mixes prepared piano with programmed synth effects in woozy harmonic compositions that soar and thrill - John Lewis
starstarstarstarstarBeyoncé: Cowboy Carter review – from hoedown to full-blown genre throwdown
The musician’s eighth album straddles the Beatles, the Beach Boys, the blues – and Becky with the Good Hair via Dolly Parton’s Jolene - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarTimo Andres: The Blind Banister album review – original, arresting and eclectic
These three works showcase the US composer’s distinctive and accomplished musical language - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarFauré: Complete Piano Music album review – fresh and revealing insights into a quiet radical
Marking the centenary of the composer’s death, Debargue’s comprehensive survey of his piano music contains discoveries even for confirmed Fauré fans - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarShakira: Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran review – the Latin queen is back on top
Lawsuits and lost love couldn’t stop the Colombian powerhouse from taking her rightful place atop Spanish pop’s streaming-fuelled resurgence - Damien Morris
starstarstarstarstarWaxahatchee: Tigers Blood review – intimate Americana tackling life’s great tangle
Katie Crutchfield’s sixth album refines the breezy country of her 2020 breakthrough Saint Cloud and finds her as compelled by the complexities of life as its eases - Kate Solomon
starstarstarstarstarElbow: Audio Vertigo review – rhythmic, rousing reinvention conceals dark humour
The band’s 10th album incorporates African and South American rhythms and instrumentation alongside Guy Garvey’s darkest, funniest lyrics for years - Dave Simpson
starstarstarstarstarGanavya: Like the Sky, I’ve Been Too Quiet review – ornate Tamil vocals, flutes and Floating Points
The latest album in an exciting wave of experimental north Indian classical music enlists Shabaka Hutchings and Leafcutter John in its downtempo quietude - Ammar Kalia
starstarstarstarstarBach: Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1 album review – robust and muscular
While some generous expressive effects are occasionally overdone, the fugues are projected with verve and crispness, and show Suzuki at his best - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarAriana Grande: Eternal Sunshine review – a clearing of the emotional decks
Post-divorce, the American pop star returns with a sumptuous collection that has just the right amount of bite - Michael Cragg
starstarstarstarstarTierra Whack: World Wide Whack review – witty, wild and from the heart
The Philadelphia rapper takes her Missy Elliott-gone-Sesame Street vibe to a darker place on her debut album proper - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarDorothy Howell: Orchestral Works album review – buoyant performances show off Howell’s quicksilver gifts
A Keats-inspired tone poem and an evocative still unstaged ballet are among the works finally getting their due in the BBC Concert Orchestra’s new recording - Erica Jeal
starstarstarstarstarBolis Pupul: Letter to Yu review – delicate melancholy and banging beats
On a solo debut addressed to his late mother, the Belgian producer explores his Chinese ancestry on a playful set with shades of Kraftwerk and Abba - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarKahil El’Zabar’s Ethnic Heritage Ensemble: Open Me, a Higher Consciousness of Sound and Spirit – review
The Chicago drummer’s collective add strings to their loose, laid-back groove, making for a subtly powerful listen - Ammar Kalia
starstarstarstarstarVarious artists: Africatown, AL: Ancestor Sounds review – music that defies the darkest of pasts
From blues to industrial and rap, these extraordinary recordings showcase the community of descendants of the last slavers’ ship to the US - Jude Rogers
starstarstarstarstarAriana Grande: Eternal Sunshine review – perceptive post-divorce album is nearly spotless
Amid intense and intrusive speculation about her private life, Grande wipes away the tears and tackles the big questions of adult life with maturity, compassion – and delicious gossip - Laura Snapes
starstarstarstarstarAlfano: Complete Songs album review – reveals a much more surprising composer than one might expect
Although best known for his completion of Turandot, Alfano is well worth exploring, as this set of songs reveals - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarJacob Collier: Djesse Vol 4 review – mind-melting final instalment of vast six-year project
The British musical prodigy pulls together disparate genres, guests and even his audiences on the last leg of this wild ride - Ammar Kalia
starstarstarstarstarYard Act: Where’s My Utopia? review – a leap forward for Leeds post-punkers
The band’s expanding ambitions encompass disco, strings and David Thewlis, as frontman James Smith gets reflective - Phil Mongredien
starstarstarstarstarFaye Webster: Underdressed at the Symphony review – petal-voiced power
The Atlanta twentysomething’s 70s-tinged alt-country is delicate and eclectic, complete with guest spots from Wilco’s Nels Cline and rapper Lil Yachty - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarLiam Gallagher John Squire review – chippy hauteur meets six-string pyrotechnics
On this textbook collaboration that’s anything but, the Oasis singer and Stone Roses guitarist rearrange the DNA of their former bands to intriguing effect - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarRuth Goller: Skyllumina review – jazz bassist enters beatific and slightly terrifying new sonic world
In this solo project the stalwart of London’s jazz and improv scene is joined by a rolling cast of percussionists to create hypnotic, haunting patterns and demented nursery rhymes - John Lewis
starstarstarstarstarBen Frost: Scope Neglect review – grim grandeur with gnarly tongue-out riffs
The avant garde musician’s first album in seven years features cinematic ambience, pummelling sound design and whinnying metal guitar - Ben Beaumont-Thomas
starstarstarstarstarWagner: Parsifal album review – Elīna Garanča is extraordinary in a very fine account of Wagner’s fascinating score
This new recording is taken from stage performances of Kirill Serebrennikov’s divisive 2021 production for Vienna State Opera. Jonas Kaufmann leads a superb cast with Philippe Jordan conducting a recording that is amongst the finest Parsifals on disc - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarSheer Mag: Playing Favorites review – euphoric expansion by one of today’s great American bands
What started life as a disco EP designed to help the band through personal difficulties has evolved into a refined, joyful take on their distortion-lagged rock - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarHurray for the Riff Raff: The Past Is Still Alive review – a time-shifting personal journey
The US singer-songwriter reminisces about their runaway past and loved ones lost on their folk-inflected ninth album - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarDaymé Arocena: Alkemi review – propulsive Cuban folk-pop
The singer trades acoustic improvisation for intricate, infectious hooks, with flavours of bossa nova, neo-soul and doo-wop - Ammar Kalia
starstarstarstarstarAmaro Freitas: Y’Y review – transcendent sounds inspired by the Amazon
The Brazilian jazz experimentalist draws on the atmosphere of the rainforest and its mythical beings to create his most explosive, explorative LP yet - Ammar Kalia
starstarstarstarstarThe Body and Dis Fig: Orchards of a Futile Heaven review – awe-inspiring music for heavy times
A collaboration between the alt-metal duo and Berlin-based shapeshifter Felicia Chen creates a dark but nourishing LP of hellish depth - Ben Beaumont-Thomas
starstarstarstarstarMGMT: Loss of Life review – surprise TikTok stars play to their strengths
The newly viral US duo seem to take inspiration from Bowie, Simon and Garfunkel and the Gallagher brothers on an album of glossy, impressively melodic psychedelic pop - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarStravinsky: Pulcinella Suite – Falla: El Retablo de Maese Pedro album review – fascinating and intense
An intriguing comparison of sound worlds that includes Falla’s Harpsichord Concerto – one of the lost masterpieces of 1920s modernism - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarGoblin Band: Come Slack Your Horse! review – rowdy, flamboyant folk
Born out of a London musical instruments shop where members worked, the Paul McCartney-approved band’s first EP is eager and theatrical, sometimes to a fault - Jude Rogers
starstarstarstarstarDua Lipa: Radical Optimism review – ‘psychedelic pop-infused’? Pull the other one!
The British superstar has said her new album is influenced by Britpop, rave culture and Primal Scream, but you could go mad trying to find the evidence - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarJustice: Hyperdrama review – an uncertain return to the dancefloor
The French producer duo attempt a return to their roots, but the results are a little too polished - Ammar Kalia
starstarstarstarstarPearl Jam: Dark Matter review – the faithful will rejoice
With superproducer Andrew Watt working his magic, the Seattle grunge veterans sound on point and full of energy in their 35th anniversary year - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarElgar: The Dream of Gerontius album review – Spence soars in otherwise passion-light period instrument recording
Paul McCreesh’s historically informed performance of the composer’s greatest choral work has many gains but ultimately never really catches fire - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarBodega: Our Brand Could Be Yr Life review – uneven railing against the evils of capitalism
The New York indie-rockers retool early work into an eclectic set of musings on porn, Tarkovsky and filthy lucre - Damien Morris
starstarstarstarstarGirl in Red: I’m Doing It Again Baby! review – ambitious alt-pop overshadows candid lyrics
Fresh from a support slot on Taylor Swift’s Era tour, the Norwegian singer-songwriter pivots from lo-fi indie to full-blown widescreen pop - Katie Hawthorne
starstarstarstarstarVegyn: The Road to Hell Is Paved With Good Intentions review – steely relentlessness and glossy melodies
An engaging, 90s trip-hop-inspired turn from the English producer combines fractured storytelling and long instrumental passages - Damien Morris
starstarstarstarstarCharlie Pyne Quartet: Nature Is a Mother review – soaring, effervescent jazz
A punchy set of originals from bassist/vocalist Charlie Pyne and her crew, celebrating the ups and downs of motherhood - Neil Spencer
starstarstarstarstarThe Black Keys: Ohio Players review – a little soul, a little lush, less magic
A diffusion of the band’s hallmark earwormy blues feels somewhat lightweight, albeit with splashes of classy experimentation - Rachel Aroesti
starstarstarstarstarWhile She Sleeps: Self Hell review – exploding out of metalcore with a scream
On their sixth album, the hardcore Sheffield quintet bring furious riffs, howling, swearing and … acoustic guitars? - Dave Simpson
starstarstarstarstarWaxahatchee: Tigers Blood review – sprightly Americana with added poise
Katie Crutchfield’s latest album swaps the strung-out drama of its acclaimed predecessor for precision and broad relatability - Damien Morris
starstarstarstarstarThe Jesus and Mary Chain: Glasgow Eyes review – the Reid brothers get their mojo back
Forget the odd longueur – their first album in seven years rekindles the Scottish indie band’s gift for mixing melody and dissonance - Phil Mongredien
starstarstarstarstarJulia Holter: Something in the Room She Moves review – the best track is the simplest
Found sounds and touches of jazz enliven the American singer-songwriter’s woozy evocation of being present in changing times - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarGossip: Real Power review – a welcome return that could be braver and weirder
Beth Ditto-fronted US indie trio Gossip’s first album in 12 years feels strongly personal and political. Musically, though, it pulls its punches - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarStravinsky: Petrushka; Debussy: Jeux; Prélude à l’Après-midi d’un Faune album review – flat and muted
Despite first-rate playing, the young conductor with the orchestral world at his feet fails to deliver the drama behind the vivid gestures - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarPnau: Hyperbolic review – comeback from kings of kitsch can sound overly polished
After a tortuous career that briefly peaked with a viral remix of Elton John and Dua Lipa, the trio return with 10 reliable hits – while sacrificing some of their bizarro glory - Jack Tregoning
starstarstarstarstarKacey Musgraves: Deeper Well review – tasteful zen has its limits
The US country singer’s sixth album finds her maturing musically and philosophically, though veering towards the generic - Shaad D'Souza
starstarstarstarstarKacey Musgraves: Deeper Well review – folk-pop that’s high on life and pure as mountain air
The crossover star’s sixth album opens with a spectacular one-two of the most beautiful songs you’ll hear all year – but the loved-up mood and back-to-nature wonder becomes twee - Rachel Aroesti
starstarstarstarstarJustin Timberlake: Everything I Thought It Was review – pop pariah dances past the discourse
Painted as a villain following Janet Jackson and Britney Spears controversies, the pop-R&B megastar gets back to brass tacks – and bed-rattling - Laura Snapes
starstarstarstarstarStrauss: Josephs Legende album review – not top-drawer Strauss but there’s much worth savouring
Four harps, a wind machine and a heckelphone feature on this little known score for an abandoned Nijinsky ballet. - Erica Jeal
starstarstarstarstarDiscovery Zone: Quantum Web review – expertly rendered synth fantasias
While at times it brings to mind the hold music for a healing-crystal company, there is plenty of brilliantly retro songwriting - Ben Beaumont-Thomas
starstarstarstarstarTchaikovsky: Orchestral Works Vol 2 album review – first-rate playing even if some of the music is less so
Some of Tchaikovsky’s lesser known pieces are on this disc by Alpesh Chauhan and the BBCSSO - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarOisín Leech: Cold Sea review – you can almost taste the salt
Recorded on the wild coast of Donegal, the Lost Brothers’ musician’s first solo outing has a lonesome, atmospheric simplicity - Neil Spencer
starstarstarstarstarMGMT: Loss of Life review – a victory of style over substance
The band’s fifth album finds them veering towards exquisitely crafted, ornate pop without much in the way of winning hooks - Phil Mongredien
starstarstarstarstarGhetts: On Purpose, With Purpose review – brimming with elegant fury
The grime veteran proves he’s still on the up with a well-crafted collection of thoughtful, impassioned tracks - Damien Morris
starstarstarstarstarQuatuor Agate: Brahms – The String Quartets album review – a suave and refined debut
The Paris-based group’s first disc is a wonderfully detailed recording of Brahms quartets that at times might benefit from a more muscular edge - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarLiam Gallagher John Squire review – their best work since Oasis and the Stone Roses
To the surprise of no one, the duo’s prosaically titled debut sounds like a cross between their former bands – and their fans will love it - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarPorij: Teething review – dance music without drama or daring
The Manchester band sing about edginess and emotional danger, but never manage to give their beats any tension - Shaad D'Souza
starstarstarstarstarShakira: Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran review – revenge served disappointingly tepid
Despite a hit diss track so withering it affected the stock market and enlivening turns from Cardi B and leading regional Mexican musicians, the Colombian’s wan 12th album washes out her adventurous spirit - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarKim Gordon: The Collective review – so close to the edge it sometimes falls off
The former Sonic Youth bassist’s follow-up to her acclaimed solo debut has some great moments, but tips over into a barrage of distortion - Damien Morris
starstarstarstarstarBleachers: Bleachers review – uninspiring shades of Springsteen with Jack Antonoff and co
The New Jersey-born superproducer of Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey and more can’t quite capture the same magic with his own band - Phil Mongredien
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