Neil Young, “Before and After.” Neil Young has never been afraid to confound, for better or worse, and his latest project presents a novel way of presenting material that, to varying degrees, hasn’t been heard much, if at all, over the years. Before and After Neil Young Reprise, Dec.…

Peter Gabriel, “io.” A small subset of British prog rockers from the 1960s and ’70s lost their hair and wound up puttering about in their gardens. The list includes Brian Eno, Ian Anderson and now, Peter Gabriel (Yes’ Jon Anderson retains a wonderfully coifed mane!). Like a fine wine,…

Take That, “This Life.” With or without Robbie Williams, pop group Take That has remained one of the U.K.’s best-selling acts over the years. The one-time quintet, quartet and now trio ruled the charts and drove fans mad over the first half of the ’90s with songs like “Back…

André 3000, “New Blue Sun.” In a move almost no one had on their 2023 bingo card, OutKast rapper André 3000 released his first new record in 17 years—an album of instrumentals, with Benjamin playing flute. New Blue Sun Andre 3000 Epic Records, Nov. 17 9/10 Get the album on…

Billy Porter, “Black Mona Lisa.” On Black Mona Lisa, multitalented singer Billy Porter proves that he can do just about anything. The EGOT-adjacent artist (he;’s got a Grammy, Tony and Emmy) leans into pop hit-making on these dozen tracks. He and producer extraordinaire Justin Tranton combine to make pop…

Vince Clarke, “Songs of Silence.” In 1981, Vince Clarke left Depeche Mode just a year after the legendary synth band’s formation. The English keyboardist then went on to become the primary songwriter for Erasure with Andy Bell and scored a string of hits in the ’80s and ’90s. Songs…

Brandy, “Christmas with Brandy.” “The Boy is Mine,” “I Wanna Be Down” and “Love Again” artist Brandy has released her first holiday album. Christmas with Brandy Brandy Motown, Nov. 10 7/10 Get the album on Amazon Music. One of the biggest names in ’90s and early aughts soul and…

Aesop Rock, “Integrated Tech Solutions.” For however many albums Aesop Rock has released in the month of November, you’d think he’d lean into it and try to create his own holiday. The solitary wordsmith returns to share his observations and anxieties regarding humankind’s relationship to technology in our daily…

Foghat, “Sonic Mojo.” English rockers Foghat looked to the past to create their present on Sonic Mojo. The band’s 17th album, and first in seven years, is a nod to blues visionaries of the past that paved the way  for the “Slow Ride” quartet. Sonic Mojo Foghat Foghat Records,…

Chris Stapleton, “Higher.”   Chris Stapleton is one of the most accomplished musicians in country music today. The Kentucky native has garnered eight Grammy awards and 14 Country Music Awards. Plus, he’s penned hits for everybody from Kenny Chesney to Taylor Swift. Stapleton’s latest album, Higher, his fifth, travels…