BAT FOR LASHES The Haunted Man [Capitol] After earning Mercury Prize nominations for each of her previous albums, Natasha Khan, aka Bat for Lashes, remains broody and beguiled on her self-produced third album. On this cohesive collection, she spins languid arrangements of gentle electronics and channels the ’80s heyday of Kate Bush—to the extent that she even mentions running up hills. Khan’s aptitude for subtle yet striking rhythm is particularly... 

MUSE The 2nd Law [Warner Bros.] Muse singer Matthew Bellamy has said his group’s new album would sound like the work of three different bands if it weren’t for his voice. That may be an understatement. Yes, Muse’s latest is a set of wildly divergent songs that coalesce around Bellamy’s voice—but the trio’s sheer force of will and considerable musical chops don’t hurt either. With a massive guitar riff and imposing strings, opener “Supremacy”... 

BOB DYLAN Tempest [Columbia] Bob Dylan’s 35th studio effort isn’t his “death album.” He’s been singing about kicking the bucket since his 1962 debut, and fans looking for evidence of Dylan facing mortality will find more clues on 1997’s Time Out of Mind—though there’s plenty of life on that one, too. What’s funny about Tempest is how comfortable Bob sounds staring into the abyss. Whether detailing a deadly love triangle (“Tin... 

AEROSMITH Music From Another Dimension [Columbia] Having weathered interpersonal issues, health problems and frontman Steven Tyler’s American Idol stint, Aerosmith return with their first album of all-original material since 2001. Working with Jack Douglas, who produced Get Your Wings, Toys in the Attic and other records from their prime, the band delivers a slick album, trying hard to meet high expectations. On the Diane Warren-penned “We All... 

TIFT MERRITT Traveling Alone [Yep Roc] Although Tift Merritt has always shown a knack for vivid, poignant songs, her albums have occasionally ducked nuance in favor of emphasizing her robust voice. That changes on Merritt’s latest, a collection that draws much of its power from the quieter moments. She embraces the dusty romance of a solitary life on the road in the title track, sighs through curtains of steel guitar on “Feeling of Beauty”... 

BENJAMIN GIBBARD  Former Lives [Barsuk] Benjamin Gibbard is known for being earnest. The Death Cab for Cutie frontman’s solemn reputation precedes him, and given his recent divorce from singer and actress Zooey Deschanel, fans might expect his solo debut to be a bit dour. To be sure, Gibbard’s trademark broken heart is ever present, but this is no typical breakup record. Featuring songs discarded and half-written over the last eight years, Former... 

Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap  [Indomina] DVD REVIEW  In rap, you are whatever you say you are. Until someone contradicts you with faster, flashier rhymes, your words carry a kind of truth. It’s music of self-definition, and as such, it’s the perfect genre to tell its own story—and spin its own mythologies. With  The Art of Rap, director Ice-T chats up old- and new-school MCs from the Bronx—the birthplace of hip-hop—to Compton,... 

VAN MORRISON Born to Sing: No Plan B [Blue Note] Like any free spirit, Van Morrison follows his muse wherever it takes him. He may tilt toward R&B, country or traditional Irish music, but he never sounds like anyone else. That’s led to a certain predictability—and a certain coziness. Born to Sing is as familiar as Van Morrison albums come. It’s his first set of all-original material since 2008, but these tunes could have turned up at any... 

JASON ALDEAN Night Train [Broken Bow] By combining country and arena rock like a macho-hillbilly alchemist, Jason Aldean has become Music Row’s most popular male vocalist. Helmed by his longtime producer Michael Knox, Night Train sticks close to Aldean’s hicks-from-the-sticks formula. Rattling off the usual menu of Southern-fried clichés, he sings with attitude over screaming guitar riffs. The lead single, “Take a Little Ride,” and the title... 

JEFF THE BROTHERHOOD Hypnotic Nights [Warner Bros.] After 10 years of thrashing around with garage-rock aesthetics, real-life band of brothers JEFF the Brotherhood have begun to explore new sonic territory. Hypnotic Nights, their seventh album and major-label debut, shows a great sense of adventure. Jake and Jamin Orrall give each song a unique touch, using rolling pianos, synthesizers—some psychedelic, others futuristic—and the odd guitar twang... 

THE ROLLING STONES  Some Girls: Live in Texas ’78    [Eagle Rock] As the Stones mark their 50th anniversary with talk of a new album and tour, it’s useful to look back to ’78, when Mick, Keef and the gang were in their mid-30s, and the band was nearly 20 years old. These days, their longevity is a source of wonder, and for all the gruff they get for shaking their sexagenarian rumps like a bunch of frisky grandpas, few really want them to... 

THE ROBERT CRAY BAND Nothin but Love [Mascot]  For decades, singer and guitarist Robert Cray has been in an odd position. He’s credited with bringing the blues back into the mainstream yet criticized for making the genre shiny and acceptable. His fans outnumber his detractors, though, and Nothin but Love reveals why. Produced by Kevin Shirley, the album is audacious and potent yet tidy and accessible. Cray and his band prefer their blues soundly... 

ANITA BAKER Only Forever [Blue Note] Soul-jazz chanteuse Anita Baker is a timeless performer who weaves challenging emotions into the smoothest of melodies. Only Forever, her first album since 2004’s My Everything, is filled with romantic paeans, and on songs like “Lately” and “Play Me Your Music,” Baker expresses the many facets of love with a religious fervor. “Free,” a gorgeous ballad that explores her bout with empty-nest syndrome,... 

RY COODER Election Special [Nonesuch] Ry Cooder has played so many roles—go-to guitarist, in-demand soundtrack composer, booster of World Music and Americana—that one almost forgets his sizable and generally exceptional body of solo albums. In recent years, Cooder has grown comfortable as a songwriter, penning tunes increasingly topical in nature. Election Special comprises broadsides in the tradition of Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie and Phil Ochs.... 

BAND OF HORSES Mirage Rock [Columbia] Band of Horses wasted no time following up 2010’s Grammy-nominated Infinite Arms, and on Mirage Rock, the intention to move forward is clear. The band focuses on ramshackle alt-country, seldom playing straight rock songs and occasionally forgoing the “alternative” altogether. After recording their first three albums with Phil Ek, the group recruited producer Glyn Johns. The slight country twang frontman...