Smalltown Supersound

Despite being just three tracks, each over ten minutes long (the first of which is almost thirty minutes!), Lindstrøm’s first true album isn’t the attention sapper you’d fear it might be. Instead, it utilizes the long format as a means of slowly building each song (and the whole album) into a very coherent, disco space odyssey. The album starts out droning, preparing for a psychedelic experience, but quickly morphs into the slick, melodic beats that Lindstrøm is renowned for. The songs are repetitious in parts, but there are enough clever layers and twists to make this an opus to space out to — repeatedly.

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Light in the Attic Records

While Black Angels surely fall into the psychedelic-rock category, the opening track on their sophomore album previews a versatility that’s not often heard in an age of genre-conscious throwbacks that are too often easily pigeonholed. Though the band is named after a Velvet Underground song, Directions To See A Ghost belongs more among Earthless, Joy Division, and the Doors — a (perhaps unimaginable) combination that really is superb. Droning bass, guitar, and macabre vocals are complimented paradoxically by structured drums, some peppy tambourine, and a dash of sitar, making this Austin quintets’ latest trip a standout from its myriad peers.

Blue Note Records

Al Green’s Lay It Down is an eleven-song sermon, preaching love without sounding preachy. While resurrecting his signature old-school R&B sound marked by joyful horns, quiet beats, and his wide-ranging but always smooth vocals, Green has injected a bit of hip-hop swagger into his latest album. This is due, no doubt, to slick co-production by the Roots’ ?uestlove Thompson and James Poyser. The best moments of Lay It Down achieve a seamless mix of classic and current by sharing the vocal limelight with co-conspirators and fans including John Legend, Corinne Bailey Rae, and Anthony Hamilton. Unquestionably, Green still has more love to spread.