Capping nearly three decades on the scene, Sum 41 bid farewell the only way they really could: merging their punk and metal extremes on the sprawling double album Heaven :x: Hell. All those years of stylistic evolution collide on this 20-song collection, which is split evenly into the pop-punk Heaven side and the metal-leaning Hell side (naturally). Finding the sweet spot among Billy Talent, Green Day, and blink-182, this is standard, anthemic pop-punk goodness, designed for pogo-bops, fist-pumping, and light moshing, all centered on Deryck Whibley's acrobatic vocals. The big singalong choruses of catchy standouts like "Dopamine" and "Bad Mistake" ride Frank Zummo's freewheeling drumming, as the twin guitar attack of Dave Baksh and Tom Thacker propel this track headlong into the sunset. Heaven, according to Sum 41, sounds fun, urgent, and energetic (even when the lyrics say otherwise). Descending into Hell, fans of 2016's 13 Voices and 2019's Order in Decline will have plenty to enjoy as the relatively lighthearted punk fest gives way to a hardened, emotionally charged whirlpool of rage and frustration. The pummeling "Rise Up" crushes with a head-caving breakdown and death scream, while the hardcore "Stranger in These Times" shreds and tears its way through "imbecilic morons" and Whibley's insecurities. Hell highlight "I Don't Need Anyone" lurches its way atop Jason McCaslin's bass groove before a killer guitar solo slashes its way through this metal assault, just as emotions are pushed to the limit on the Linkin Park-leaning "How the End Begins." There's even a martial cover of the Rolling Stones' "Paint It Black" that showcases their technical skill and adaptability (especially on the breakdown). Regardless of which Sum 41 you prefer, there are two expertly executed albums here, each highlighting just how this group has grown from being rascally jokesters to hardened, concerned members of society. As far as swan songs go, Heaven :x: Hell is a heartfelt goodbye to fans, an overly generous gift that aims to please the full spectrum of diehards and thank them for all their years of dedication.© Neil Z. Yeung /TiVo

Gogo Penguin is an experience, almost a challenge. We know the fascination of Chris Illingworth, the pianist of the trio from Manchester, for robotics and the concepts of transhumanism and human upgrading. The music he’s been creating since 2012 with bass player Nick Blacka and drummer Rob Turner manages to merge machine and human like no one else. A classic formation, a jazz education, an electronic consumption and, in the end, this GoGo Penguin sound, incomparably fluid and superbly recorded by producer and sound engineer Joe Reiser, the true fourth member of the band. With A Humdrum Star, the palpable tension between acoustic sonorities and electronic ones is magnified even more. The melodic fabrics are also further refined. The legacies of this or that illustrious elder can also show up from time to time (Brian Eno, Philip Glass, E.S.T., Roni Size, St Germain, Amon Tobin, Massive Attack, Bill Evans, John Cage…), GoGo Penguin still manages to take all the credit and keep their own identity. Finally, the atmospheric feelings cherished by the three Englishmen are never a smokescreen hiding shaky skills. Quite the contrary, in fact. Illingworth, Blacka and Turner could easily cause an unnecessary sensation, but they prefer to focus on the compositions, their improvisation phases and most of all the blurring of stylistic boundaries… Starting with softwares like Ableton and Logic and ending up with such musical intimacy demonstrates how far GoGo Penguin has come in only a few years. The future is theirs, now more than ever. © MD/Qobuz

Award-winning film composer Brian Tyler is no stranger to franchises, having helmed seven installments of the Fast & Furious, The Expendables Trilogy, and multiple Marvel projects. Tyler joined Nintendo's Mario video game franchise with his score for the computer-animated adventure film The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Incorporating new melodies with the original themes from longtime Mario composer Koji Kondo, Tyler infuses the past with a fresh coat of paint, turning 8-bit motifs into epic orchestral moments. Also included are the singles "Mario Brothers Rap" and "Peaches," the latter of which was co-written and performed by Jack Black. © James Christopher Monger /TiVo

The Jonas Brothers didn't go into hibernation immediately after the 2009 release of Lines, Vines and Trying Times, but they did slowly slip into a hiatus that lasted the better part of a decade. The trio may not have been working together, but they never seemed absent, not when Kevin appeared in a reality TV show, while Nick toiled away at a solo career and Joe took a brief journey through dance clubs before settling down with Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner. Combined, it was enough activity to make their splashy 2019 return to action feel not quite like the comeback it was intended. And, make no mistake, Happiness Begins was designed to push the Jonas Brothers back into the big time, arriving with the support of a documentary called Chasing Happiness that chronicled their ascendency, plateau, and recharge -- all part of a campaign that helped the spry "Sucker" become the trio's first number one single prior to the album's release. "Sucker" feels bright and colorful, yet its tempered disco bounce doesn't quite feel contemporary. Elsewhere on Happiness Begins, some modern sounds are threaded into the mix -- deep, elastic bass anchors even sweet pop songs, and there's a digital glassiness to the arrangements -- but the entire vibe of Happiness Begins feels proudly out of step with 2019. The Jonas Brothers have no time for the kind of depressive party music that fuels so much of the late nights of the late 2010s; they still pledge allegiance to good times and sweetly sad tunes meant to comfort and console. Such openheartedness and melodicism does mean Happiness Begins feels immediate in way so many big pop albums of the twilight of the 2010s do not, but individual tracks are crafted to slide onto as many cross-genre play lists as possible: the strummy pop of "Cool" winds up bouncing to a big beat, "Only Human" grooves to a spruced-up reggae rhythm, and "I Believe" is a sleek bit of retro-'80s nostalgia that works as well in the day as the night. This eclecticism can glide by unnoticed, since the Jonas Brothers -- with the assistance of executive producer Ryan Tedder -- polished Happiness Begins so it's so slick it gleams, but the understated savvy is another reason why the album is so appealing: the album offers old-fashioned pop values in a form that feels distinctly fresh and modern.© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo

After a year of personal and personnel problems, the Allman Brothers Band got back together to record the surprisingly consistent live-in-the-studio venture Where It All Begins. It lacks the ambition and stretch of Seven Turns or Shades of Two Worlds, along with their peaks, but it is still a solidly consistent album, driven by some of the virtues of live spontaneity. Highlights include Gregg Allman's frank drug song "All Night Train," the Bo Diddley-beat-driven "No One to Run With," and the glorious dual-guitar workout "Back Where It All Begins."© Bruce Eder /TiVo

While it didn't set the charts on fire like her previous albums, the ambitious Erotica contains some of Madonna's best and most accomplished music (including the hit singles "Deeper and Deeper" and "Rain"), even if it runs a bit long.© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo

The 18th Letter/The Book of Life set is an excellent collection of material that succinctly outlines the career of the well-known, highly respected, and deft lyricist Rakim. The first disc, also released alone as The 18th Letter, was released in late 1997 after a four-year period of inactivity and features 12 tracks of previously unreleased material. The collection of producers on this album shows Rakim's ability to change his lyrical and vocal style so as not to bore the listener, but at the same time maintain a consistent and dependable level of creativity and ingenuity. The two R&B-tinged tracks, "Stay a While" and "Show Me Love," represent two instances where R&B and hip-hop successfully merge without too much sugarcoating or hazy outlines. "The Mystery (Who Is God?)" is a serious lyrical synopsis of Rakim's spiritual beliefs and social commentary; still in the relaxed but intense style of delivery that Rakim is known for are "Guess Who's Back" and "New York (Ya Out There)," among other songs. No track on The 18th Letter stands out more than another, because each is strong in content and rhythmically powerful. The second disc in this set is a collection of popular songs from the four albums Rakim had released as one-half of a rapper-DJ duo with DJ Eric B.: Paid in Full, Follow the Leader, Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em, and Don't Sweat the Technique. Also included in the songs on this disc is "Know the Ledge," an edgy, up-tempo declaration of rhyming skill from the Juice soundtrack that provided a brief dose of Rakim during his hiatus after Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em. Including titles such as "I Know You Got Soul," "Microphone Fiend," "My Melody," "Move the Crowd," "Mahogany," and "Paid in Full," the second disc (known as The Book of Life) is an ideal introduction to the impressive past of Rakim as a lyricist.© Qa'id Jacobs /TiVo

The sequel to 2012's The Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron features music composed by Oscar nominee Danny Elfman and Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise alum Brian Tyler (Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World). Tyler has said that, while influenced by previous Marvel movie scores, the music pays homage to John Williams' sci-fi and adventure classics. Alan Silvestri's theme from The Avengers was also incorporated. Appropriately lavish, brassy, and adrenalized, the original score was recorded with the London Philharmonia Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios early in 2015 and, at well over an hour in length, was released by Hollywood Records in the spring of 2015.© Marcy Donelson /TiVo

For a brief time, it seemed as if the magic was back between Motown and the Jackson 5. The title track was their best up-tempo hit since "ABC," and put them back on top of the R&B charts for the first time in three years. It just missed topping the pop charts as well, peaking at number two. They even got a second chart hit from the album, and it restored their position within the pop and R&B communities.© Ron Wynn /TiVo

The follow-up to their 2018 debut Year of the Tiger, The Ides of March is the sophomore album from Washington musician and former Alter Bridge frontman Myles Kennedy. Taking notes from its roots rock predecessor and adding more classic, guitar-charged energy, the project focuses on lyrical themes of unity and perspective. Previewed by the thumping "In Stride," the project was released in May 2021.© David Crone /TiVo

Though it's still a picture of pristine commercial trap-pop, the shadow of grief hangs over the entirety of rap star Quavo's second studio album, Rocket Power. It's his first full-length effort since the November 2022 death of his nephew and fellow Migos member Takeoff, and while the beats are huge and the songs are full of energetic hooks and smooth, snaking flows, a sense of loss and mourning touches all of it. Takeoff himself is featured on "Patty Cake" and the bouncy "Back Where It Begins," and Quavo pays lyrical tribute to his fallen friend and partner on almost every song. The somber tone that carries Rocket Power is heavy, and makes even big moments like the funky, Future-featuring "Turn Yo Clic Up" feel a little bit darker and less ready to party than the usual Migos fare. There are sidebars into the melodic and yearning with the R&B-inflected, Young Thug-assisted "Focused," and closing track "Greatness" solders a trap rhythm to a rootsy reggae loop as Quavo remembers beautiful moments with Takeoff, looking forward and trying to find the answers as life continues without his beloved nephew. It's a hopeful end to an album torn between the pain of loss and the celebration of the times they shared.© TiVo Staff /TiVo

Candide, as a musical/opera, has a highly complex history, having gone through multiple alterations since it first premiered in 1956 with a book by Lillian Hellman. In the 1974 version, the book was rewritten by Hugh Wheeler (as adapted from Voltaire and at the insistence of director Hal Prince) with added humor, ultimately saving it from being a complete disaster by some accounts. In any case, the music is by Leonard Bernstein with lyrics by Richard Wilbur -- although additional lyrics are contributed by John Latouche, Dorothy Parker, Lillian Hellman, Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, and John Wells. This 1989 cast recording was the last time that Bernstein conducted his famous work. The production is beautiful, and this is one of the quintessential recordings of this musical.© Sarah Erlewine /TiVo