Ryan Adams
Demolition (Lost Highway)
The twang-rocker’s new record is culled from five unreleased albums.
Beck
Sea Change (Geffen)
Beck tries his hand at country and western telegraphed with the unsmiling sensibility of Johnny Cash.
Speech
Spiritual People (IMusic)
The former Arrested Development front man returns with more organic hip-hop.
Joshua Redman
Elastic (Warner Bros.)
Live studio album recorded in New York; more boogie than bebop.
Layo and Bushwacka!
Night Works (XL/Beggars Group)
British D.J. duo who were eighties before the eighties offer an album of synthy house highlighted by a dance-floor smash that samples Devo’s “Mongoloid.”
Enrique Iglesias
Quivás (Columbia)
The Latin pop heartthrob releases his first Spanish-language album in the U.S.
Various Artists
Kindred Spirits: A Tribute to the Songs of Johnny Cash (Sony Nashville)
Tribute to the man in black that includes gritty contributions from Springsteen and Dylan.
Peter Gabriel
Up (Geffen)
His first album in a decade is as conceptual and big-minded as his eighties albums like So.
Wynton Marsalis
All Rise (Sony Classical)
A rare choral-orchestral work from Marsalis.
Mike Skinner
Original Pirate Material (Vice Records)
D.J. and production wunderkind Mike Skinner has created an album that vividly captures the state of youth culture in the UK.
The Rolling Stones
Forty Licks (Virgin)
The latest offering from the legendary band.
Caetano Veloso
Tropical Truth (Knopf)
Live in Bahia (Nonesuch)
The Bahian pop singer Caetano Veloso is known as the Bob Dylan of Brazil.
Kim Richey
Rise (Lost Highway)
Rise is a masterpiece that’s as bluesy, resilient, and seductive as vintage Lucinda Williams.
Jon Bon Jovi
Bounce (Universal)
On Jon Bon Jovi’s first album since 9/11, the arena rocker remembers where he came from.
Toni Braxton
Title To Be Announced (Arista)
Toni Braxton is actually much happier than she sounds.
Tom Petty
The Last D.J. (Warner Bros.)
An odd title for such an avowed hater of disco, but Petty stays on the roots-rock trail, even bringing along Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham.
Jurassic 5
Power in Numbers (Interscope)
Los Angeles’s great interpreters of old-school hip-hop return.
Santana
Title TBA (Arista)
Now that Clive Davis has decamped to J Records, perhaps Santana’s follow-up to Supernatural will have less guest-spot pandering and more ax inspiration.
Röyksopp
Melody A.M. (Astralwerks)
Norwegian duo turn the stale “chill-out” genre into something fun, kicky, and weird.
Nick Carter
Now or Never (Jive).
The Backstreet Boys’ youngest gun goes solo but retains BSB producers like Max Martin, a shame considering how former ‘N Sync–er Justin Timberlake is apparently heading into more outré territory with his first solo project.
Various Artists
Red Hot + Riot! (MCA).
The likes of D’Angelo, Meshell Ndegeocello, and Roy Hargrove tackle the formidable legacy of afro-pop star Fela Kuti.
Badly Drawn Boy
Have You Fed the Fish? (Artist Direct/XL). Fresh off the success of his About a Boy soundtrack, the UK singer-songwriter returns with more narcoleptic folk. The Donnas
Spend the Night (Atlantic).
The major-label debut of the Ramones-worshiping three-chord wonder girls.
Whitney Houston
Title TBA (Arista)
The diva’s long-awaited return. Unfortunately, the terrible new single “Whatulookinat” doesn’t spell comeback.
Lil’ Kim
Title TBA (Atlantic)
She had a major sophomore slump, but the rude girl’s still got it in her.
TLC
Title TBA (Arista).
To no one’s surprise, this is reportedly heavy on contributions from deceased singer Left Eye. Ironic given that Arista still won’t release Left Eye’s solo album in the U.S.
Craig David
Title TBA (Atlantic).
England’s baby-faced soul man attempts to replicate the success of his 2000 debut. Longtime David collaborator Mark Hill is again onboard, so expect more of the same slinky R&B.
Matchbox 20
Title TBA (Atlantic).
Alt rock’s masters of the Milquetoast return with more balladeering and straight-ahead rock anthems.
Gavin DeGraw
Title To Be Announced (J Records)
Wholesome and polite, DeGraw writes and sings straightforward, easy-on-the-ears tunes in an appealing, precociously soulful voice.
To Be Scheduled:
Also look for new albums from Nas, Jay-Z, Tracy Chapman, and Third Eye Blind.