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Music Reviews Music reviews of new albums in pop, rock, folk, jazz, blues, classical, world, and hip-hop.

The new album of music by Estonian composer Arvo Pärt is a warm blanket of comfort in troubled times. Luciano Rossetti/ECM Records hide caption

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A disciplined plea for peace – and quiet – from composer Arvo Pärt

The Beatles, pictured here in 1969, just released what's been billed as the band's final song. Bruce McBroom/© Apple Corps Ltd. hide caption

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The Beatles' 'Now and Then' is a wistful curiosity, 45 years in the making

Bad Bunny performs during the 2023 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Coachella hide caption

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Can we still relate to Bad Bunny?

On Doja Cat's fourth album, Scarlet, she delights in playing the "demon" her haters and fans accuse her of being. Illustration by Jackie Lay hide caption

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On 'Scarlet,' Doja Cat finds power harnessing the darkness of online vitriol

Olivia Rodrigo returns with her sophomore album Guts. Nick Walker/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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On 'GUTS', Olivia Rodrigo is more than the sum of her influences

London-based company Nothing markets its Nothing Phone 2 as a less distracting smartphone. courtesy of Nothing hide caption

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Tiny Tech Tips: From iPhone to Nothing Phone

NewJeans released a new EP titled Get Up earlier this summer. ADOR hide caption

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NewJeans is a new kind of K-pop juggernaut

Before (left to right) Justin Vernon, Joe Westerlund, Phil Cook and Brad Cook started Bon Iver and Megafaun, they made music together as DeYarmond Edison. D.L. Anderson/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Sundial is against sitting idle, and calls not just to hear its own voice, but to enter into conversation in the griot tradition of call and response. Emma McIntyre/Getty Images hide caption

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Wayne Shorter performs during the Marciac Jazz festival in southern France in 2005. Two recent tribute projects each aim to capture the wandering spirit of the late saxophonist. Lionel Bonaventure/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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STILLPOINT is the first album in 12 years from pianist Awadagin Pratt. Rob Davidson/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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After 12 years, pianist Awadagin Pratt rediscovers his sweet spot

For Left Hand, Becca Mancari produced the album themselves, creating their most expansive work yet. Sophia Matinazad/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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2 Live Crew in 1989 (Mr. Mixx, Brother Marquis, Luther Campbell & Fresh Kid Ice) Raymond Boyd / Contributor/Getty Images / Michael Ochs Archives hide caption

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2 Live Crew fought the law with its album, 'As Nasty As They Wanna Be'

Jessy Lanza has spent the last decade developing house-pop music where weightless atmosphere is shot through with jittery drums. Trent Tomlinson/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Jessy Lanza's bubbly house music dwells in the moment

The Clientele's I Am Not There Anymore is out July 28. Andy Willsher/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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At the Newport Folk Festival in 2022, Joni Mitchell gave her first full-length performance in 22 years. The recording, At Newport, is out July 28. Nina Westervelt/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Joni Mitchell's return 'At Newport' reconfigures her legacy

The weathered but hopeful The Ballad of Darren is Blur's ninth album, and third since singer Damon Albarn launched his mega-collaborative project Gorillaz. Reuben Bastienne-Lewis/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Blur's 'Ballad' to bittersweet midlife

Prolific drummer Brian Blade leads his enduring Fellowship Band on the newly released Kings Highway. Mimi Chakarova/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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There are big rock riffs on Eye on the Bat, but El Kempner also stretches the sound of Palehound to new places. Tonje Thilesen/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Kim Petras, the 30-year-old German-born pop singer, is currently in the process of figuring out where she wants to be in the pop music echelon. Luke Gilford hide caption

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The misplaced promise of Kim Petras

Janelle Monáe explores masculine and feminine energies on 'The Age of Pleasure'

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