FOLK
Iron & Wine
“Ghost on Ghost”
Producer: Brian Deck
Nonesuch Records
Release Date: April 16
Ambitious alt-folk act Iron & Wine dips into jazz and blue-eyed soul on its Nonesuch debut. A horn section wails in “Lovers’ Revolution,” while opener “Caught in the Briars” channels Van Morrison’s laid-back confidence. Leader Sam Beam’s voice, once a whisper, powerfully rises to match the energy of his backing band. -DG
COUNTRY
Granger Smith
“Dirt Road Driveway”
Producer: Granger Smith
Pioneer Music/Thirty Tigers
Release Date: April 16
Long a top artist on the Texas scene, Smith takes aim at expanding his audience. Rocking hard on “We Do It in a Field,” he turns romantic on “Silverado Bench Seat” and “I Am the Midnight.” Releasing his strongest collection of material yet, Smith is ready for that next step. -CD
COUNTRY
Brad Paisley
“Wheelhouse”
Producer: Brad Paisley
Arista Nashville
Release Date: April 9
Not many artists could get away with singing about “Those Crazy Christians,” but Paisley’s musicianship and winning demeanor allows him to traverse that tricky terrain and come out alive. And he’s as clever as ever here, with help from friends like Dierks Bentley, Roger Miller, Hunter Hayes and LL Cool J. -GG
ROCK
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
“Mosquito”
Producers: David Sitek, Nick Launay, James Murphy
Interscope Records
Release Date: April 16
Mosquito tosses aside the dance moves of 2009’s “It’s Blitz!” for gospel choirs and murky atmosphere. “Subway” is the most hushed the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have ever been, while “Buried Alive” lays Dr. Octagon rhymes over U2-grade stadium rock. But the gritty title track proves the band still knows how to rage. -DG
ELECTRONIC
The Knife
“Shaking the Habitual”
Producer: The Knife
Mute/Rabid/Brille
Release Date: April 9
As multiple songs break the 10-minute mark, pop hooks are sanded away, with electronic twitches and found-sound clanging used to fill the elongated silences. “Shaking the Habitual” is a hugely ambitious project focused on gender politics, but one wishes that its sticking points were more accessible. -JL
ELECTRONIC
James Blake
“Overgrown”
Producer: James Blake
Republic Records
Release Date: April 9
The 10 half-lit tracks on Blake’s sophomore effort splice the Weeknd’s electronic soul with Burial’s haunted dubstep. It’s fitting that ambient pioneer Brian Eno co-produced eerie single “Digital Lion,” but Blake’s songcraft ties the rest of the collection to the earth, redefining “singer/songwriter” for the modern age of the producer. -KM