The Best New Vinyl to Spin This April

Both Sides of the Sky, by Jimi Hendrix
Most of the track list of this new Hendrix retrospective has never been released, making it a unique piece of the legend’s lore. Produced by Janie Hendrix and Eddie Kramer, this record features a Stephen Stills cameo on “Woodstock,” and Johnny Winters shows up in “Things I Used to Do.” Both tracks are great, but Jimi didn’t need special guests to help him rock out; “Mannish Boy” opens the record with undeniable groove and power, and “Lover Man” is driven by one of Jimi’s best licks, with a surprisingly heavy bridge that beat Black Sabbath to the punch.

Ultimate Dirty Dancing
Ultimate Dirty Dancing is a remastered version of the classic 1987 film’s soundtrack, with the tracklist arranged in the order of each song’s appearance. The soundtrack is as much a piece of American pop culture as the movie, featuring a mix of classic 1960s pop like the Ronettes’ “Be My Baby,” the Surfaris’ “Wipeout,” and the Five Satins’ “In the Still of the Night,” as well as more contemporary tracks. The most famous, of course, is “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life,” but Eric Carmen’s “Hungry Eyes” was also a big hit. Patrick Swayze even got a song in, performing the quintessentially ’80s ballad “She’s Like the Wind.”

The Last Jedi Original Soundtrack
John Williams returns to the composer’s chair for The Last Jedi (because really, who else could have done it?), with predictably fantastic results. Over the course of twenty tracks, Williams controls mood and tension with ease, with clever allusions to both The Force Awakens and Terry Gilliam’s 1985 dystopian film Brazil (referenced in “Canto Bight”). Williams also builds musical identities for interactions between Rey and Luke Skywalker, as well as the Resistance’s escape from the First Order, meaning there are still plenty of surprises to be found in The Last Jedi‘s score. This record is a must-own for soundtrack collectors and Star Wars fans alike.

I’ll Be Your Girl, by the Decemberists (B&N Exclusive on purple vinyl)
I’ll Be Your Girl is the Decemberists’ first album in three years, and like a lot of recent pop records, it’s in part a reaction to the 2016 presidential election. Vocalist Colin Meloy describes the album’s mindset as “finding the balance between real rage and humor,” and more generally as a celebration of absurdity. In keeping with that, some of the songs on this record have a synthpop feel that echoes New Order or Depeche Mode, a style at which Meloy and company excel. Lead single “Severed” is a ready-made example; the interplay between the synth melody and Meloy’s voice is pitch perfect.

Lady Bird Soundtrack (Barnes & Noble Exclusive on cherry red opaque vinyl)
Film soundtracks (as opposed to scores) have the potential to be more eclectic and interesting than conventional compilation albums, because while each song was chosen for a specific purpose, that purpose isn’t always clear to the listener without the accompanying visuals. Such is the case with Lady Bird; the soundtrack is a delightful romp through several divergent pop genres: Alanis Morrisette (“One Hand In My Pocket”), Reel Big Fish (“Snoop Dog, Baby”), Bone Thugz-N-Harmony (“The Crossroads”), and Dave Matthews Band (“Crash Into Me”) all make appearances, as does Ani DiFranco (“Little Plastic Castle”) and even the Adolf Fredrik Girls Choir (“Panis Angelicus”).

Love, Simon Original Soundtrack
The first major studio film centered on gay teenage romance, Love, Simon has the same heart and vulnerability as John Hughes’ teen romcoms of the 1980s, a trait also shared by this film’s soundtrack. Featuring tracks from Bleachers, Troya Sivan, the 1975, and two classics by Whitney Houston and the Jackson 5, the songs reflect the film’s timelessness. Bleachers actually contributes four songs, one of which is the lead single, and their late-’80s/early ’90s pop style is best and most obviously expressed in “Alfie’s Song (Not So Typical Love Song).” Troya Sivan’s quieter, folksier “Strawberries & Cigarettes” is another standout.

Final Tour: Copenhagen, March 24, 1960, by Miles Davis & John Coltrane 
The final collaboration between jazz legends Miles Davis and John Coltrane has been pressed onto limited edition red vinyl, and it is glorious. Titled Final Tour: Copenhagen, March 24, 1960, this record captures a 1960 concert in which Davis and Coltrane—backed by pianist Red Garland, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Philly Joe Jones—held nothing back. That special, volatile mix of Davis’ skillful melodies and Coltrane’s world-burning solos was once described by critic Ira Gilter as “sheets of sound,” but it’s more than that. Perhaps more than any other two musicians, Davis and Coltrane define the spontaneity and structure of modern jazz, and this record is them at their best.

Boarding House Reach, by Jack White 
Jack White’s retro obsessions are well-known to fans of the White Stripes and the Raconteurs, but Boarding House Reach is his most modern-sounding record yet. As expected, White is the principal musician here, handling vocals, guitars, drums, organs, and synthesizers, and he produced and co-mixed the record, too. Can’t fault the guy for a lack of ambition. His hard work pays off in a really interesting album, featuring odd vocal flourishes (“Over and Over and Over”), stormy composition, (“Connected By Love”), shades of jazz and funk (“Ice Station Zebra”), and no shortage of catchy, straightforward riffs and synth melodies (“Corporation”).