Corinne Bailey Rae: Black Rainbows review – an extraordinary new sound
Rock, jazz, Afrofuturism… the British singer-songwriter is transformed on this record inspired by Chicago’s archive of Black art - Damien Morris
starstarstarstarstarMitski: The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We review – a songwriter with stunning melodic power
Playing country-inflected orchestral pop with sardonic wit and deep feeling, Mitski underlines why she’s one of the very best singer-songwriters working today - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarRóisín Murphy: Hit Parade review – a masterful album with an ugly stain
To DJ Koze’s warped soul and dub techno, Murphy examines unrequited love and the ecstasy of being seen for who you are – a theme that jars with her recent comments about trans kids - Laura Snapes
starstarstarstarstarThe Gentle Good: Galargan review – mesmerising Welsh folk songs for summer’s end
Gareth Bonello’s latest album sees him excavating his homeland’s folk classics, interpreting each with drowsy, melancholic voice, guitar, cello and piano - Jude Rogers
starstarstarstarstarTyshawn Sorey Trio: Continuing review – genre-hopping triumph from award-winning drummer
Standard-song jazz interpretations by this group, helmed by drummer, composer and improviser Sorey, just don’t sound like anybody else’s - John Fordham
starstarstarstarstarKenneth Hamilton Plays Liszt, Volume 2: Salon and Stage review – classics reworked for piano with tremendous verve
Pianistic flair and technical brilliance are the hallmarks of this winning record, in which Hamilton delivers Liszt’s transcriptions of works by Schubert, Wagner and others - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarGrace Carter: A Little Lost, A Little Found review – worth the wait
The British soul-pop singer’s first EP in five years is an ambitious, sophisticated work that makes the most of her affecting voice - Damien Morris
starstarstarstarstarGabriels: Angels & Queens review – sensational second chapter from the retro-future soul trio
Proud and seductive, part two of the UK-LA band’s debut album is a wonder from start to finish - Damien Morris
starstarstarstarstarAnohni and the Johnsons: My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross review – piercing heartache
Recorded at speed, Anohni’s first album since 2016 adds a soulful swagger to poetic, cathartic rock - Michael Cragg
starstarstarstarstarJulie Byrne: The Greater Wings review – a stunning study of love and loss
Recorded both before and after the death of a friend and collaborator, the US singer-songwriter’s new album feels as though it sits outside time and space - Ben Beaumont-Thomas
starstarstarstarstarVarious artists: A Collection of Songs in the Traditional & Sean-Nós Style review – Gaelic sadness and longing
Recorded in pubs, kitchens and community halls, these old Irish songs are a thrilling reminder that the voice needs no technology to move us deeply - Jude Rogers
starstarstarstarstarAmaarae: Fountain Baby review – sexy, sparkling dream pop
Drawing on a whole world of sounds, the Ghanaian American’s second album proper is a summery delight - Tara Joshi
starstarstarstarstarChristine and the Queens: Paranoïa, Angels, True Love review – a grief-stricken masterpiece
A howl of despair sublimated into beautiful experimental pop, the artist’s fourth album is his best yet - Rachel Aroesti
starstarstarstarstarSpeakers Corner Quartet: Further Out Than the Edge review – flawless hymn to fusion
This long-awaited debut from the south London spoken-word night house band is rich in guests and dark, downbeat textures - Ammar Kalia
starstarstarstarstarSparks: The Girl Is Crying in Her Latte review – one artful banger after another
Overflowing with delicious melodies and lyrics to match, the Mael brothers’ 26th album is all hits, no misses - Phil Mongredien
starstarstarstarstarPaul Simon: Seven Psalms review – a surprise and a revelation
The veteran singer-songwriter ponders faith and mortality in seven beautiful, impressionistic movements - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarNaïssam Jalal: Healing Rituals review – cinematic album salutes the natural world
A remarkable artist, the visionary flautist and her skilful partners have created a startling album that draws on techniques from classical, jazz, hip-hop and more - John Fordham
starstarstarstarstarOvermono: Good Lies review – certified bangers galore
The Russell brothers mix weapons-grade nostalgia with two-step, trap and sped-up vocals in a set full of emotional ambushes - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarThe Lemon Twigs: Everything Harmony review – rarely has stark despair sounded so lovely
With their classic late-60s songwriting and beautiful harmonies, the New York duo have never mined the past more effectively than on this fourth album - Ben Beaumont-Thomas
starstarstarstarstarJessie Ware: That! Feels Good! review – 21st-century disco packed with personality
The retro mood of Ware’s brash pop never feels like a costume, as her tight melodies, killer choruses and dry humour wear vintage details with style - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarEverything But the Girl: Fuse review – still staking out pop’s frontier after 40 years
Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt have absorbed the revolutions in dance and electronic music since their previous album in 1999, and shaped them into melancholic, finely detailed stories - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarAvelino: God Save the Streets review – long-awaited debut sets the bar high
The London rapper shines on a powerful set of urban stories and mea culpas - Damien Morris
starstarstarstarstarBoygenius: The Record review – Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus blaze with feeling
The US indie-rock supergroup skewer the male ego on this magnificent meeting of harmonies and minds - Tara Joshi
starstarstarstarstarJames Holden: Imagine This Is a High Dimensional Space of All Possibilities review – a dance album like no other
With his fourth album, the acclaimed British producer has created the vintage rave soundtrack he would have wanted as a teenager. The result is magnificent - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarEddie Chacon: Sundown review – delightful career renaissance for former one-hit wonder
The 59-year-old singer of Charles & Eddie fame is back with a second album of tightly written melodies and abstract tracks that draw you in to a rich, heady world - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarBlack Country, New Road: Live at Bush Hall review – magical resurgence by this odd little chamber orchestra
The six-piece’s first new material without frontman Isaac Wood, recorded over three nights in London, proves their malleability and resilience - Ben Beaumont-Thomas
starstarstarstarstarLankum: False Lankum review – folk radicals get in touch with their softer side
Without diluting their power or abandoning their gothic intensity, the Dublin group’s fourth album lulls the listener with songs of exquisite softness and deeply affecting harmony - Jude Rogers
starstarstarstarstarLigeti: Metamorphoses review – Quatuor Diotima meet quartets’ challenges with accuracy and brilliance
Superlative renditions of the composer’s two string quartets illuminate his musical transition from communist Hungary to the western avant garde - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarShana Cleveland: Manzanita review – a perfectly woven tapestry of musical delight
Baroque psychedelia mingles with west coast pop and gothic folk in this dazzling third solo album from the La Luz frontwoman - Michael Hann
starstarstarstarstarPuccini: Turandot review – rare bonus material and vibrant playing make Pappano’s version stand out
Puccini’s original score was ‘finished’ by Franco Alfano, whose additions are heard uncut on this dramatic all-star recording - Erica Jeal
starstarstarstarstarMasego: Masego review – behold a wizard at work
The multitalented Micah Davis returns with a signature blend of trap, house and jazz that is nothing short of magical - Damien Morris
starstarstarstarstarSlowthai: Ugly review – the unravelling psyche of a true British great
Fusing rap, alt-rock and abrasive electronics, the Northampton rapper mints a sound all his own on his third album - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarSchubert: The Piano Trios, etc review – wonderful swan song from Lars Vogt
The late pianist is outstanding in these last recordings, accompanied by his longtime collaborators, the violinist Christian Tetzlaff and his cellist sister Tanja - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarGaz Coombes: Turn the Car Around review – genial English rocker’s best album in 20 years
The former Supergrass frontman’s gorgeous, heartfelt new songs are intoxicating - Damien Morris
starstarstarstarstarThe Murder Capital: Gigi’s Recovery review – superlative downbeat rock thrills
The Irish post-punk band go bigger and deeper on a second album that exudes muscular drama - Damien Morris
starstarstarstarstarSamia: Honey review – blackly comic indie-rock confessionals
On her second album, the Nashville-based musician dwells on broken relationships, toxic behaviour and addiction all too relatably - Michael Cragg
starstarstarstarstarSay She She: Prism review – boundary-busting discodelic soul
The Brooklyn trio conspire to produce an idiosyncratic album that ranges from drum-machine funk to small-hours sublimity - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarWhite Lung: Premonition review – a blazing farewell of love and anger
The punk band go full pelt for their final album, a set livid with worldly disgust and bitter humour - Emma Garland
starstarstarstarstarVince Guaraldi Trio: A Charlie Brown Christmas (Super Deluxe Edition) review – a festive classic
No one expected these songs of off-key melancholy, imperfect singing and seasonal disappointment to succeed, but nearly 60 years on, the jazz pianist’s masterpiece endures - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarSaunders: Skin; Void; Unbreathed review – important music, superbly delivered
Brilliantly sculpted textures, sometimes intensely fragile, sometimes furiously wrought, show Rebecca Saunders to be one of the leading figures of European music today - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarSault: Aiir, Earth, Today & Tomorrow, Untitled (God), 11 review – an act of supreme generosity
The esteemed collective release five dazzlingly eclectic albums, melding rap, post-punk and modern classical composition - Damien Morris
starstarstarstarstarEzra Collective: Where I’m Meant to Be review – brilliant follow-up from the inventive party band
This sophisticated second album from the five instrumentalists could just see them cross over to the big league - Kate Hutchinson
starstarstarstarstarThe Beatles: Revolver Special Edition (Super Deluxe) review – experimental genius in real time
New details tease out songs’ deeper meanings and reveal their transformational journeys in this expanded, remixed and remastered album - Annie Zaleski
starstarstarstarstarLoyle Carner: Hugo review – a beautiful, blistering masterpiece
The disarmingly open Londoner rapper tackles identity, mixed-race roots and relationships on his richly introspective third album - Damien Morris
starstarstarstarstarOne Leg One Eye: And Take the Black Worm With Me review – gorgeousness and menace
Lankum mainstay Ian Lynch’s debut as One Leg One Eye is an immersive world of created sounds and raw, resonant singing - Jude Rogers
starstarstarstarstarTaylor Swift: Midnights review – small-hours pop rich with self-loathing and stereotype-smashing
With its confident songwriting and understated synth-pop, Swift’s sophisticated 10th album indicates that she no longer feels she has to compete with her peers - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarBeethoven 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
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