Music Reviews

Producer and singer-songwriter Abel Tesfaye became an Internet phenomenon in 2010, when he began self-releasing free mixtapes of woozy, haunted R&B songs. His proper major-label debut, Kiss Land, marks his official step into the limelight.

A key to the ongoing allure of Dylan's music lies in its ability to stand apart from its time. A new collection of alternate takes and demos re-evaluates the critical flop that was 1970's Self Portrait.

Duke Ellington's piece for Queen Elizabeth II is included in a new collection of late-period suites.

The long-running rock band's latest album is driven by themes of loss and grief, set against ferocious guitars and soaring vocals. Fresh Air critic Ken Tucker says the provocatively titled I Hate Music is full of typically superlative moments.

In 1950, a red-haired Alabama boy who'd learned about radio and electronics in the U.S. Army opened a recording studio to document the blues and country music he loved. A new box set compiles the beginnings of Sam Phillips' Memphis Recording Service, and the record label he would soon create.

The Austin singer-songwriter's latest album is his fourth since he started making them in 2004, at age 50. Critic Robert Christgau says Baker's backstory, which includes surviving a terrorist attack, "must be told."

Listen and look past his roué image, and the chart-topper is revealed as an earnest nostalgist.

Evans can be a heavy hitter at the keyboard, but on his new album, he reins himself in a bit.

A new double set of unreleased S.O.S. tunes, Looking for the Next One on the Cuneiform label, was recorded in concert and in the studio in the mid-1970s. John Surman, Mike Osborne and Alan Skidmore could sound timeless, of and ahead of their time.

Recently reissued Brahms and Mozart recordings by the Stuyvesant Quartet convey natural refinement, balance and a kind of inward grace. Fresh Air critic Lloyd Schwartz says they take their place among the most luminous chamber-music performances on record.