unknown mortal orchestra – II
If their self-titled debut was any indication of an experiment in funk and garage, UMO’s II delves deeper into the jazz-tinged psychedelia end as guitarist Ruban Nielson’s riffs become a more prominent character alongside his strange, otherworldly vocals. Diverging a long way from The Mint Chicks, his previous power-punk outfit that indulged in two-minute hits of adrenaline, Nielson’s UMO has developed even further with this new collection of personal cuts that explore themes of loneliness and isolation. Read the full review on Pretty Much Amazing

Jim James – Regions of Light and Sound of God
If My Morning Jacket’s albums have mostly come together like a revival meeting– a group playing live, working together to create something larger than its members– James’ first solo album, Regions of Light and Sound of God, emerges from something closer to meditation. James holed himself away in his Louisville home studio, writing and piecing together songs, playing most of the parts himself. It’s process-based music, and he admits it in the album’s first seconds. On “State of the Art (A.E.I.O.U.)”, James breaks his creative process down to its primordial elements– vowels, nursery rhymes– like he’s leading a workshop on discovering one’s inner poet. Read the full review on Pitchfork

Richard Thompson – Electric
When Thompson isn’t working in peak form, this recurring theme can become tiresome. But this time around, working with producer Buddy Miller — who mostly favors spare settings for Thompson’s guitar and voice — the songs on the new Electric have a crisp clarity that wrings out most of the self-righteousness. Two songs stand out in particular. The first is “Stony Ground,” in which the 63-year-old Thompson imagines a codger older than himself, still feeling goatish and erotically greedy, and still getting poked in the nose for his urges. The result is what might happen if Philip Roth wrote the words for a song with roots in British folk music. Read the full review on NPR