Jeremy Messersmith - Heart Murmurs

From Jim McGuinn's review of the album:

…with Heart Murmurs heading out to the big world, it remains to be seen if Jeremy Messersmith will become that kind of mega-artist we've thought he could be for so long. Will the world adopt him and hold him as dear as we have? Does it even matter? If he continues to make albums as strong as Heart Murmurs, he will join the pantheon of great Minnesota songsmiths — Bob Dylan, Paul Westerberg, Gary Louris, Dan Wilson. He's ours, but we're more than happy to share his music with the world. Heart Murmurs is an evolution of Jeremy Messsersmith as an artist and a great record to — like the narrator in "Steve" — take that bold step and offer oneself into an exciting, scary and unknowable future.

First Aid Kit - Stay Gold

From Bill DeVille's review of the album:

There is nothing like sibling harmonies. There is just something magical when they happen. Nobody makes that magic happen quite like First Aid Kit. The Swedish sisters Klara and Johanna Söderberg's impressive third album is called Stay Gold. … From the first track to the last, heartbreak is all over Stay Gold. We all go through it! As First Aid Kit say, "You gotta keep on keepin' on." These sisters from Sweden make you believe in the power of music!

St. Vincent - St. Vincent

From Mac Wilson's review of the album:

In 40 brisk minutes, St. Vincent features 11 electrifying tracks, each one packed with hooks of both the musical and lyrical sense. Each song boasts its own unique personality, while fitting in seamlessly with the broader record as a whole. If that seems like a rudimentary observation of the record, it's only because the meticulous care with which Annie Clark has assembled the record is evident in every twist and turn. It's all a bit strange, as would be expected, yet organic, natural, and free-flowing. … With each release, St. Vincent has been anointed new levels of acclaim. This is the record, I feel, where she takes a quantum leap forward, and into the top tier of artists making music in the 21st century.

alt-J This Is All Yours

From Jade's review of the album:

Are you more of a "lyrics person" or a "music person"? At The Current, we're usually split down the middle. I fall on the lyrics side of things. I think it's the English major in me that uses the lyrics of a song to "understand" music. Alt-J seem to be split down the middle, too, in their new album, This Is All Yours. And I don't mean that as a slight or to imply that the lyrics and music are both middling. I mean that the lyrics are both so important, and not important at all, to what makes up an Alt-J song. … Do you need to understand everything that Alt-J are saying to enjoy the new record? Of course not. Does it make you appreciate the album more? Possibly. If nothing else, it just shows how much is bouncing around in the minds of Alt-J.

Spoon - They Want My Soul

From Mary Lucia's review of the album:

Spoon's latest, They Want My Soul, rips into classic Spoon. The opening track — a big AC/DC-like stomp,"The Rent I Pay" — is a standout; few bands write their best song on their eighth album, but maybe it's been brewing in them for years and just never found its way out till now. "Do You" offers falsetto "Dooos and Woos" and asks weighty questions in the chorus: "Do you wanna get understood"? Do you run when it's just getting good?" Coupled with the understated strut of "Inside Out", these are easily some of their best songs to date.
The band's seamless grasp of joyous hooks shows no signs of slowing down. Daniel's raspy voice continues to command the tight groove that's always at their core. The band didn't need a comeback, but they somehow made one anyways, if that makes sense.

Jack White - Lazaretto

From David Safar's review of the album:

Lazaretto is a step away from White's repertoire of guitar riffs and re-imagined blues cliches. Instead, Lazaretto channels the voices, music and instruments White has mastered as a professor of the rock tradition. Without abandoning his signature guitar sound, Lazaretto celebrates the folk, blues and country sounds of White's recently newfound home of Nashville, Tenn. It's evident that his creative efforts to redefine the idea of a boutique label and record store has bled into his musical ambitions. When you listen to Lazaretto, remember that White has become a prolific writer, producer and songwriter. His musical abilities on Lazaretto cast light on his beginnings with The White Stripes and the potential for what in the years ahead.

Hozier - Hozier

From Kelsey's review of the album:

Even when the virality of Hozier's music video eventually dwindles, this album will still matter. He understands how to blend sharp-tongued lyrics seamlessly into a captivating soundscape, be it understated or anthemic. The hooks will remain in your ears and the lyrics on your mind. Hozier is a substantial yet incredibly accessible album.

Phantogram - Voices

From Mac Wilson's review of the album:

Phantogram's bread and butter is their murky keyboard/guitar mix, with Sara Barthel's frequently disaffected vocals. On past releases, their formula has tended to gradually run out of juice, but the standout anthems are distributed in a fashion to make this album a consistently interesting listen. The opening 1-2-3 punch of "Nothing but Trouble," "Black Out Days" and "Fall in Love" is tremendous, though it does underscore the homogeneity in the band's sound. (You don't realize how much "Black Out Days" and "Fall in Love" sound alike until you hear them next to each other.)

Beck - Morning Phase

From Steve Seel's review of the album:

In 2002, when Beck released his elegiac Sea Change, I knew right away I'd be predisposed to like it. I already adored Beck in his mournful mode: the droning, gorgeously self-pitiful "Nobody's Fault But My Own" from Mutations (my preferred Beck album) was in fact one of my favorite sad songs of all time, and so Sea Change was poised to hit all of my "sad bastard music" buttons. I enjoyed it, but despite how it quickly became "the record that proved Beck could write great sad songs," it didn't actually blow me away. Now, we have Morning Phase, an album that's billed as a sequel to Sea Change, and, lo and behold — Beck has finally delivered the album I'd wanted the first time around. What exactly is the difference? It's probably mostly subjective. But for me, there's a heavier gravity to this record; Beck's pensiveness is more reflective, his sadness somehow more informed. The result is songs that feel less "oh well" (see Sea Change's "Lost Cause") and more "Wow, I get it now."

The War on Drugs - Lost in the Dream

Released on March 18, Lost in the Dream was The War on Drugs' first album since 2011. This 10-track collection not only was a favorite with The Current's listeners, it also made Mojo's, American Songwriter's, Music OMH's, Stereogum's and The Guardian's best albums of the year lists for 2014.
The War on Drugs visited The Current's studio in September for this session with Jill Riley, in which they covered Bob Dylan's "Tangled Up in Blue."