Will Hermes

Four female country stars — Brandi Carlile, Maren Morris, Amanda Shires and Natalie Hemby — are hitting the road as The Highwomen, a reinterpretation of the '80s supergroup The Highwaymen.

Sleater-Kinney's longtime drummer is leaving the band — but not before they release one last album together. It marks the end of an era for the indie rock power trio.

British soul singer Sam Smith's debut LP, In The Lonely Hour, showcased his remarkable voice. It was one of the best-selling records of 2014, won four Grammys, and drew comparisons to Adele. His second collection is titled The Thrill Of It All. Music critic Will Hermes says each track on the record is elevated by Smith's voice into something magnificent, that feels vintage, and at the same time, brand new.

The British group's moody debut carried the ring of 1980s post-punk. The grooves are magnified on its second album, and plenty of moments feel like straight-up club music.

Music critic Will Hermes reviews the new album from David Bowie which is being called Blackstar.

With a name like Destroyer, you might expect a heavy metal band. Led by musician Dan Bejar, the band's latest album, Poison Season, has a lighter sound with interesting, uniquely delivered lyrics.

Music critic Will Hermes has been won over by the remarkably beautiful, pure voice of Joan Shelley. He reviews her new album, Over and Even.

NPR music critic Will Hermes reviews an album that contains the best storytelling he's heard in a long time. It's the debut album from Courtney Barnett.

Though she's been a popular singer since the '80s, Natalie Merchant has often worn the air of one who finds pop stardom distasteful. On her new self-titled LP, she dredges that tension to the fore.

On the 2010 album Scratch My Back, Gabriel covered songs by the musicians he loves. For the follow-up, he invited those artists — who include Arcade Fire, Randy Newman, David Byrne, Regina Spektor, Lou Reed, Bon Iver and more — to cover his own material.