FLORENCE + THE MACHINE
Inspired by Jamaican grooves,
rhythms, and syncopation, neosoul singer Lianne La Havas
makes a play for the big time on
2015’s smartly produced Blood.
Sultry, smooth, and satin-laced,
the discreet sophomore set is the
sound of an emotionally confident,
internationally acclaimed artist
coming into her own.
$23.99 LDF44996
LP
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LP
+
$19.99 LDB22117
TAYLOR SWIFT
ALABAMA SHAKES Sound & Color
The Firewatcher’s Daughter
Wilder Mind
With a pure-as-driven-snow voice
capable of plumbing sorrowful
depths and climbing to falsetto
heights that express unguarded
susceptibility, Brandi Carlile is on
intimate terms with breathtaking
vocal prowess. The Firewatcher’s
Daughter continues her stirring
run of melodic folk- and countryrock deftness.
Mumford & Sons come out
swinging on Wilder Mind with a
bigger, bolder, broader sound
anchored by synthesizers, lead
guitars, mellotrons, and drum
machines. Not content to repeat
themselves, the Brits plug in and
largely relegate their familiar roots
instruments to the background of
this panoramic effort.
2LP
$23.99 LDC23717
LP
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GRACE
POTTER
2LP $19.99
“The magnetic pull of [Courtney
Barnett’s debut] owes to a savvy
combination of witty songwriting,
evocative melodies, concise
arrangements, and sly deliveries,”
raves TONEAudio. Rolling Stone,
Pitchfork, and the Los Angeles
Times concur: Don’t miss one of
2015’s best LPs.
$22.99 LDL17789
MUMFORD & SONS
BRANDI CARLILE
Sometimes I Sit and Think, and
Sometimes I Just Sit
Blood
Florence Welsh glances inward on
her band’s personal third record.
While still showing off the big,
bold voice and fantasy-based
poetry that turned their leader into
a festival headliner, Flo and the
Mash include gospel overtones and
vulnerable emotions that take their
music to another level.
2LP
COURTNEY BARNETT
LIANNE LA HAVAS
How Big, How Blue,
How Beautiful
JOANNA NEWSOM
$26.99 LDM20712
Resisting the dreaded sophomore
slump and putting to bed the
“revivalist soul” label, Alabama
Shakes return with a humdinger.
Replete with moody vibes,
atmospheric grooves, and confident
playing, Sound & Color encompasses
blues, psychedelia, R&B, and rock
while ceding the floor to vocal
powerhouse Brittany Howard.
180g 2LP
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$19.99 LDA26718
$26.99 LDA298
Colored 2LP
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TAME IMPALA
NEKO CASE
Tame Impala uses its fascinating
major-label debut not to build on
the guitar washes of its breakout
prior effort, but as a vehicle for
meaningful reinvention. One of the
year’s grandest pop statements,
Currents weds electronic
symphonies, disco-rock grooves,
and twinkling accents in a musical
ceremony not to be missed.
Newly remastered from the
original analog tapes, Neko
Case’s complete eight-album
discography enthralls every sense
on this gorgeous box. The singer’s
smoky tones, bluesy accents, and
seductive mix of whisper-soft
restraint and restless energy have
never sounded better. An 80-page
photography book seals the deal.
Truckdriver, Gladiator, Mule
Currents
2LP
$24.99 LDT63777
180g 9LP box set
2LP
$34.99
LDN56119
Divers
1989
2LP $24.99 LDS13548
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ARTIST ON PAGE 268
LDP32432
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BJORK Vulnicura
TORI AMOS Under the Pink
Getting personal in ways she never
has before, Bjork uses Vulnicura as a
break-up album steeped in strings,
electronics, and contorted beats that
get to the heart of her succession of
mourning, anger, and restoration. The
Icelandic’s singer’s transformative
voice stays at the core, leading
listeners through her finest work in a
decade.
Tori Amos’ impressionistic Under
the Pink, a crucial statement that
anchored the era’s female-driven
rock movement, receives remastered
treatment. Charged with soft-loud
contrasts, chamber-pop accents, and
visceral lyrics, the 1994 set remains
among the celebrated pianist’s most
accomplished efforts.
2LP
180g LP
$24.99 LDA57841
$17.99 LDB98585
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