Elvis Costello & the Imposters - Momofuku
Originally planned as just a vinyl record and digital download but now seeing release as a CD, Momofuku stands apart from all recent Elvis Costello by not being a conceptual project but rather a collection of songs. Written and recorded quickly at the start of the year, the album benefits from its speedy conception as it has energy and its songs aren’t fussy, two things that help make this one of Costello’s stronger latter-day records.

Gavin DeGraw - Gavin DeGraw
This week, Gavin DeGraw delivers his second album. It’s been a long five years between Chariot and Gavin DeGraw but the singer/songwriter hasn’t changed much, if at all, during that half decade as the only clear difference between the two albums is that this is bigger and slicker than the debut.
 
 
 
Neil Diamond - Home Before Dark
Home Before Dark is Diamond’s second collaboration with producer Rick Rubin. He is accompanied by Benmont Tench and Mike Campbell from the Heartbreakers, and session aces Smokey Hormel, and Matt Sweeney. There are no drums, just Diamond’s old-school, percussive acoustic guitar banging. Lyrically, Diamond offers direct, searing honesty combined with hook-drenched tunes. It’s a lean, hungry and wildly inspired album.

The Last Shadow Puppets - Age of the Understatement
Put together the Arctic Monkeys’ Alex Turner, the Rascals’ Miles Kane, string arrangements by Final Fantasy’s Owen Pallett and inspiration courtesy of early David Bowie and Scott Walker, and you get the Last Shadow Puppets’ The Age of the Understatement, a collection of songs with the sweeping drama of ’60s symphonic pop and the viewpoint of two modern-day angry young men. This album is timeless, and satisfying, enough to win over even those who haven’t heard of Turner and Kane’s day jobs.

Mindi Abair - Stars
Clay Aiken - On My Way Here
Misha Alperin - Her First Dance
Ersi Arvizu - Friend for Life
Barenaked Ladies - Snacktime!
Dierks Bentley - Greatest Hits: Every Mile a Memory
Brian Blade Fellowship - Seasons of Changes
Blank Blue - Western Water Music, Vol. II
Carney - Nothing Without You
Confederate Railroad - The Very Best of Confederate Railroad
Taylor Eigsti - Let It Come to You
Everest - Ghost Notes
Firewater - The Golden Hour
Tim Fite - Fair Ain’t Fair
Four Tet - Ringer EP
Nik Freitas - Sun Down
Josh Groban - Awake Live (CD/DVD)
Scott Hamilton & Friends - Across the Tracks
Kayo Dot - Blue Lambency Downward
Toby Keith - 35 Biggest Hits
Scott Kelly - The Wake
Hal Ketchum - Greatest Hits
The Long Blondes - Couples
Matmos - The Supreme Balloon
Midnight Oil - Diesel and Dust (CD/DVD)
Millencolin - Machine 15
Mint Condition - E-Life
Jeb Loy Nichols - Days Are Mighty
No Age - Nouns
Evan Parker/Transatlantic Art Ensemble - Boustrophedon (In Six Furrows)
Edith Piaf - La Vie en Rose 1935-1951
Russian Circles - Station
Chris Sligh - Running Back to You
Socratic - Spread the Rumors
Charlotte Sometimes - Waves & the Both of Us
Steve Turre - Rainbow People
Armin van Buuren - Imagine
Steve Von Till - A Grave Is a Grim Horse
Marcin Wasilewski Trio - January
Various Artists - Ayombe!: The Heart of Colombia’s Musica Vallenata
Original Sountrack - Ironman (Original Soundtrack)
Various Artists - Soul Messages from Dimona