Out of the Box

It’s an unprecedented time when women are leading the way in rock and roll and Bully’s new album “Lucky For You” is the latest to illustrate that fact.

Arlo Parks follows up her Mercury Prize winning debut from 2021 with “My Soft Machine” which finds her in a much better place than the pandemic inspired angst of the first album. The songs still deal with anxiety but the album has a much more optimistic tone.

The Dave Matthews Band has always been about the groove. On their tenth album “Walk Around the Moon” they continue to find innovative ways to keep it fresh.

Life is stunningly beautiful but does contain streaks of darkness that are just as natural. That’s the concept behind Parker Millsap’s album “Wilderness Within You.”

A phoenix rising the ashes is the way Eilen Jewell describes her new album “Get Behind the Wheel.”

One of the great bands of the 21 st century, The National have released their 9 th album “The First Two Pages of Frankenstein,” building on their already well-established core sound of poetic somberness.

Lael Neale is a Charlottesville area native who recently moved back to the area and her third album “Star Eaters Delight” distinguishes her as a lo-fi singer songwriter with a voice and instrumental approach that sound like no other artist today.

Natalie Merchant picked the perfect time to make her comeback. It’s been nine years since her last solo album.

Ruston Kelly’s new album “The Weakness” comes after his divorce from Kacy Musgraves.

Boygenius is a trio of indie artists, Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker and “The Record” is their full length debut album.