ELECTRONIC
Bastille
“Bad Blood”
Producers: Mark Crew, Dan Smith
Virgin Records
Release date: Sept. 3
Already No. 1 in the United Kingdom, Bastille’s debut “Bad Blood” sees its U.S. release. With a propelling drum beat, “Pompeii” sets the tone for what the Dan Smith-led synth-pop outfit does best: big choruses, anchored by Smith’s soothing vocals, and distinct electronic flourishes that speak to the music’s production value. -Jill Menze
ROCK
Neko Case
“The Worse Things Get, the Harder I Fight, the Harder I Fight, the More I Love You”
Producer: Neko Case
Anti- Records
Release date: Sept. 3
On her first album in four years, Case delivers a radiant gem that bypasses her taste for country and conflates the buoyancy and urgency of rock’n’roll with the directness of filter-free lyrics. Standouts “City Swan” and “Man” are endearing and thought-provoking. Fun aside, Case constantly asks that new viewpoints be taken. -Phil Gallo
Related
POP
Ariana Grande
“Yours Truly”
Producers: various
Republic Records
Release date: Sept. 3
Grande’s debut could’ve easily featured 11 carbon copies of her breakout hit “The Way,” but “Better Left Unsaid” is a slow-building club banger and “Piano” is an uptempo pop track that should make Sara Bareilles envious. “Yours Truly” benefits from ace production by Babyface and Harmony Samuels (among others), but credit Grande for acing her mainstream bow. -Jason Lipshutz
ROCK
Volcano Choir
“Repave”
Producer: Volcano Choir
Jagjaguwar
Release date: Sept. 3
With Volcano Choir, Justin Vernon and his Wisconsin brethren find peace with a lower profile than his more famous band. This sophomore set marks a newfound self-awareness, with the grandiose “Byegone” and gentle “Alaskans” among these carefully realized, blooming arrangements. -Nick Williams
SOUL
Black Joe Lewis
“Electric Slave”
Producer: Stuart Sikes
Vagrant Records
Release date: Aug. 27
On his third LP, Black Joe Lewis fully realizes the raw yet hard-won place where James Brown meets Iggy Pop. “Skulldiggin” is a blues-punk gnasher that would fit as well in a rundown roadhouse as a top-shelf liquor commercial. “Young Girls” inherits the drive of Pop’s “Lust for Life,” but powered by Lewis’ seductive vocals. -Evie Nagy
ROCK
The 1975
“The 1975”
Producer: Mike Crossey
Vagrant/Interscope
Release date: Sept. 3
British quartet the 1975’s output of three EPs earlier this year only hinted at the bounty of post-new wave hooks on this 16-track collection. Singles “Chocolate” and “Sex” are youthful bursts of hedonism, but tracks like “Robbers” and “Heart Out” are even meatier offerings from a band that manages to sound like veterans despite being barely old enough to drink in the States. -Andrew Hampp