Jay-Z: 4:44
Already one of the greatest rappers in history, this is the kind of late-career artistic gem that will cement Jay-Z’s place on rap’s Mount Rushmore.
Adam Finley
BNQT: Volume 1
Volume 1 is a pleasant love letter to '70s rock, but rarely does it transcend its constituent members and feel like a true "super group" album.
Five Alarm Funk: Sweat
Sweat is a solid blast of fun that shows why Five Alarm Funk, on album number six and decade number two, are still a force with which to be reckoned.
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah: The Tourist
Alec Ounsworth takes his long-running project in a different direction -- a new branch on a creative tree 12 years in the making.
The Good Life: Everybody’s Coming Down
If the actor can't muster the energy to pretend the scene is real, how is the audience supposed to believe it?
Ruby Amanfu: Standing Still
Standing Still bleeds organic warmth—the kind sorely lacking from today's high-fructose musical fare.
MC Lars: The Zombie Dinosaur LP
The Zombie Dinosaur LP isn't going to bridge the gap between mc chris and the A$AP Mob, but Lars fans are sure to enjoy it.
Run the Jewels: Meow the Jewels
The jewel runners go full Cheezburger, pointing claws and snatching collars in the finest feline-based album in the history of everdom.
Raccoon Fighter: Spiral Flag
The masters of the short-form album return with another winning EP.
If ‘Bad English’ Gets Your Dander Up, You Should Read Ammon Shea’s Latest
Sticklers, scolds, and prescriptivists beware: you aren't as smart as you think you are.
Jim Croce: The Definitive Croce
Jim Croce is an essential artist, but The Definitive Croce is not an essential record.
DMX: Redemption of the Beast
This year is barely eight weeks old, but Redemption of the Beast will likely be the worst rap album of the year.