There are a lot of new releases to talk about -- stuff by newly-minted critical darlings like Sleigh Bells and Shearwater come to mind, but so does new music by dusty old icons like Bruce Springsteen and Van Halen. The music keeps coming at breakneck speed. I've been spending some time with new albums that have been getting buzz, but what should I really be investing my limited listening time to?
If you're like me, you have a constant feeling that you're missing the best stuff. And this is the reason I'm such a big fan of Metacritic. With a few mouse click I'm easily able to see what the critics are goo goo over. Combine that with a music subscription service and I'm listening in no time flat.
Yes, life is good.
Anyway, for this playlist I looked at the top rated new releases based on Metacritic scores, which are simply an average of critical reviews from across the music press. From each of these, I pulled a single song into this playlist and pressed play. It's a great way to get a sense of what's grabbed the ears of the critics. And it's very different than what's grabbed the ears of radio programmers. So if you ask me, it's a must-listen.
What's your favorite new release?
10 Songs From The Most Critically Acclaimed New Albums
1. Painted on Canvas - Gregory Porter
2. Kindred - Burial
3. Turn It Around - The Men
4. Good Things - The Menzingers
5. Young Man In America - Metallica
6. Bonafide Overdue - yU
7. Misery Beat - Pete Swanson
8. Tshena Ndekela - Baloji
9. Going Home - Leonard Cohen
10. Asteroids - Wussy
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