Chilean singer and songwriter Mon Laferte has experimented with and traversed an astonishing variety of musical styles and genres. Her earliest work was beat-conscious indie rock, while 2019's Norma ranged across 1940s big band, mambo, psychedelic cumbia, and salsa. In 2021, inspired by a documentary about the life and music of Chavela Vargas, she delivered Seis. Its songs run from ranchera and mariachi to bolero, banda, and corridos. Months later she issued the largely D.I.Y. 1940 Carmen, recorded in an L.A. apartment with her producer. The pair played all the instruments. Then there's 2023's Autopoiética, Laferte's only recording to deliberately borrow ideas from her catalog. Titled after the term "autopoiesis," coined by the Chilean biologist Humberto Maturan, it's defined as "a being able to self-create or re-create itself". Laferte claimed it as a metaphor for herself and humanity: We have the ability to re-create ourselves at any time, creating new universes and personal mythologies in that process.Opener "Tenochtitlan" weds bolero and trip hop in its hopes for a better life -- the singer tells his mother over and again he will send for her, but she dies before he can. "Prendele Fuego" weds electronica, Latin jazz, and tango in a sultry proceeding driven by hand percussion and an organ. Single "NO + SAD" is bumping, sinister reggaeton that offers sarcasm and irony in a paean to the danger a lone woman's liberation poses to society. The reggaeton jag is combined with polished salsa on "Metamorfosis." Single "40 y MM" melds trip hop, bolero, pop, rap, and Nuyorican-style salsa in relating the hard lessons Laferte's learned over 40 years. With a hint of salsa, the Chilean singer/songwriter keeps listeners on their toes musically intertwining several genres in less than four minutes. In "Levitico XX:IX" she employs ranchera and cumbia to take on one of the most oppressive verses in the bible that advocates stoning adulterers. "Ponocracia" melds cumbia and bolero in a pillowy, sensual weave of vocoders, electrified bandoneon, treated brass, and more before delivers "La Amantes Suicidas" in polished, articulate, vintage-style Cuban son. While "Mew Shiny," is minimalist neo-electro pop, closer "Casta Diva" is so abstract it's experimental. It possesses a sophisticated, cagey melody that, as it begins asserting itself in the refrain, is suddenly answered by a full choir buoying her. Before it ends, however, the entire track disintegrates into glitch and noise.In advance interviews, Laferte explains that the wide-open nature of her lyric writing and stylistic musical ambitions unite her past and present, thereby making Autopoiética her finest album. Though time will tell if that argument is truly sound, in the short term, her creative ambition musically, lyrically, and in the album's production makes one disinclined to argue.© Thom Jurek /TiVo

Family Dinner, Vol. 2 is the tenth album from American jazz outfit Snarky Puppy and follows their Grammy Award-winning 2015 release Sylva. As with previous releases the album features a whole host of guests, including vocalists and performers David Crosby, Laura Mvula, Susana Baca, and Salif Keïta, among others.© TiVo

When Florida Georgia Line covered Black Stone Cherry's "Stay," the single went straight to the top of the country music charts and provided some exposure for the Kentucky hard rockers outside heavy metal circles. The band's first two records -- 2006's self-titled album and 2008's Folklore and Superstition -- both possessed killer riffs and raw intensity but lacked songwriting finesse, while 2011's Between the Devil & the Deep Blue Sea went too far in the other direction. Magic Mountain assembles BSC's strengths cohesively with only a few missteps. Produced, engineered, and mixed by Joe Barresi (Melvins, Queens of the Stone Age, Chevelle), this 13-song set unabashedly reflects the band's biggest influences -- Lynyrd Skynyrd, Led Zeppelin, Cream, and vintage Whitesnake -- but places them in a 21st century post-grunge, hard rock context. The swaggering blues-metal of opener "Holding on... to Letting Go" possesses a mighty hook with sweeping guitar fills from vocalist/guitarist Chris Robertson and Ben Wells. The wah-wah guitar strut in "Bad Luck & Hard Love" is equaled only by the four-part vocal harmonies. While the single "Me and Mary Jane" may be overly obvious, the tune is irresistible because of its massive hook and its boogie quotient. Speaking of boogie, check the title track. Its twin leads, propulsive drum attack, and handclaps in the bridge make it the set's party jam. "Never Surrender" is crunchy death metal with low-tuned guitars run amok, tempered by a catchy chorus. The introductory bass throb in "Fiesta del Fuego" and its snarling vocal effects keep the nearly unhinged six-string rage inside the realm of chaos, while closer "Remember Me" is swaggering Southern hard rock tempered by flanged guitars and a pop-metal chorus. There are a couple of duds. The ballad "Sometimes" is pure filler. "Hollywood in Kentucky" sounds like it was recorded to appeal to either contemporary country radio or to be covered by other artists from the genre (its lyrics reference pickup trucks, boots, mom, good ol' boys, etc.). It doesn't belong here. These clunkers aside, Magic Mountain comes closer than any previous offering in providing the kind of excitement Black Stone Cherry generate live, and showcases their most refined songwriting to date.© Thom Jurek /TiVo

The discography of Manuel de Falla’s two most famous orchestral scores - El sombrero de tres picos (1916-1919) and El amor brujo (1919-1925) - reveals a certain proximity to French and (of course) Spanish orchestras. These two delicate ballets require fine balances and sharp attacks while showing a sensitivity to timbres and natural balances. Given the general scarcity of recordings of these ballets, fans of the composer must not miss this new Falla release, which presents two surprises: firstly, in El amor brujo, Pablo Heras-Casado uses a “cantaora”, in line with Josep Pons’ attempts more than twenty years ago, giving an exquisite touch of Iberian exoticism. The second surprise is that it is the Mahler Chamber Orchestra who are performing here (which could almost feel incongruous, were it not performed by musicians of such a high calibre). The orchestra is unfamiliar with this repertoire, yet the musicians undeniably virtuosic all the same. Though since Pablo Heras-Casado has been travelling all over the place, has he perhaps lost his sense of direction? El Sombrero de tres picos feels almost like Nielsen’s Aladdin here and the colours deployed in El amor brujo often evoke Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana or Nordic serenades. Doesn’t Falla’s Spain have more nerve and radiance? It calls for us to listen to Ataúlfo Argenta’s version with the Conservatory Concert Society (notably the recording of El amor brujo with Ana Maria Iriarte, 1953) again, just to make sure. © QobuzThe two splendid works on this album resulted from Manuel de Falla's encounter with the husband-and-wife team of dramatists Martínez Sierra-Lejárraga: El amor brujo, whose eminently ‘gypsy’ inspiration takes us to the very heart of the flamenco repertory, here magnificently embodied under the direction of maestro Pablo Heras-Casado; and the brilliant pantomime El sombrero de tres picos, for which Picasso designed the sets and costumes – exactly 100 years ago! © harmonia mundi

With a quivering, seductive, mournful, and remarkably flexible voice, Concha Buika earned a healthy following in her homeland as the great 2000s chanteuse of flamenco. The singer enchanted crowds on a U.S. tour just prior to her 2008 stateside debut, Niña de Fuego, a bewitching and diverse record featuring echoes of everything from Coltrane to Jobim to Radiohead. The sound ranges from the dark offbeat artistry of the title track to the downright breezy playfulness of “Arboles de Agua,” on an engrossing opening statement of an album.© Jason Thurston /TiVo

Daymè Arocena's first album in nearly four years is a surprising sonic stew of adventurous yet accessible, jazzy Afro-Caribbean R&B. The 32 year-old Afro-Cuban sensation, whose distinctive voice is equally smooth and powerful, wraps herself in slick modern production techniques to craft sensuous neo-soul that doesn't sound like anything else, near or far, old or new.Informed by and infused with the religious principles of santeria, Alkemi not only reflects its inspiration through its use of modern sounds deeply informed by centuries-old ones, but the songs themselves are about the power of transformation (especially the closer, "Die And Live Again"). The cover image shows the artist clad in gold powder, appearing to be lost in ritual. This is music to move your body to; it's not somber or obscure. These are songs you sway and get up off your feet to. The delirious and joyful "American Boy" will appeal equally to fans of Celia Cruz, Meshell Ndegeocello, and Sade. After heading to Puerto Rico from her then-home of Canada to record this, her fourth studio album, Arocena chose to stay put. The entire album is smooth and absolutely contemporary, thanks in large part to noted producer Eduardo Cabra (Calle 13). "Suave y Pegao" mixes bossa nova and urbano stylings while featuring reggaeton singer Rafa Pabön on guest vocals. This musical prodigy has been a professional singer since she was just eight, so she's won the right to reinvent herself and represent her heritage by forging new pathways forward. © Mike McGonigal/Qobuz

The debut album from Fat Freddy's Drop was originally issued on the band's own Drop label in its native New Zealand, where the disc promptly shipped gold and gained notoriety as the first indie album ever to hit number one on that country's pop charts. It ended up spending 42 weeks in the Top Ten. So expectations were high for the U.S. issue of Based on a True Story on the Kartel label, and the album doesn't disappoint. Although the band favors the term "hi-tek soul" to describe its music, the simple fact is that most of these songs fall squarely in the reggae/dub category, with occasional excursions into ska and jazzy, semi-electronic funk. Joe Dukie's voice is appealingly silky and soulful without being off-puttingly slick, and the band's horn section contributes alternately smooth and chunky chordal backing along with old-school organ and more modern synthesizer sounds. The mood of Based on a True Story is pretty consistently laid-back and mellow, and it's a little bit hard to identify highlights from among the album's mid-tempo offerings, but the extra funk edge of "Ray Ray" is especially nice, and "Cay's Crays" nicely evokes early UB40. The swinging ska beat and jazz flute of "Wandering Eye" are also lots of fun. Highly recommended.© Rick Anderson /TiVo

Manuel de Falla’s richly evocative music erupts in a riot of colour in this vibrant new recording from Kazuki Yamada with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande. Works included are the ever popular Noches en los jardines de España and El sombrero de tres picos as well as movements from La vida breve and El amor brujo. The sultry warm atmosphere of an Andalusian night is almost palpable in Falla’s spellbinding Noches en los jardines de España. With its shimmering, sensuous harmonies, exquisite orchestral colours and exuberant melodies and rhythms, it’s perhaps Falla’s most impressionistic work. Using a large orchestral canvas on which he paints with deft, luminous strokes, Falla skilfully integrates a virtuoso piano part to create lovingly evocative music, full of captivating beauty. Elsewhere with the sensational ballet El sombrero de tres picos, Falla conjures up music steeped in Andalusian culture which is boisterous, full-bloodied, and urgent. It’s impossible not to be swept along by the drama in this orchestral showpiece. By turns lyrical, sensuous, or dramatic, the meticulously written score is full of surprises and the work positively bristles with wit, energy and exuberant intensity. (Text label)