The Best New Vinyl to Spin This August

Something Beautiful, by Jordan Smith
Jordan Smith made his name by winning The Voice‘s ninth season, and the Harlan, KY, native was the first singer that season to hit #1 on the iTunes Store pop charts. Three of his songs also unseated Adele’s “Hello” from the top spot on that list, so clearly the guy has chops. Smith’s vulnerable-yet-confident voice fills any room it’s in, and his clarity and pitch are remarkable. Smith’s voice soars on Something Beautiful, especially in his takes on “Beautiful,” “Over the Rainbow,” and “Amazing Grace,” for which his voice is particularly well suited.

Brave Enough, by Lindsey Stirling
We’re big fans of Lindsey Stirling, and we’ve been curious about how she would follow up her fantastic 2014 album, Shatter Me. Turns out, new album Brave Enough continues her exploration of classical violin and electronic music, and if lead single “The Arena” is any indication, this record will be the best thing she’s done yet—few artists expand the boundaries of their signature sound the way Stirling does. Like her previous albums, Brave Enough has a lot of guest vocalists and collaborators, including Raja Kumari, ZZ Ward, Christina Perri, who sings on the album’s title track, and Weezer’s own Rivers Cuomo, who has a cameo on “Don’t Let This Feeling Fade.”

Down In a Hole, by Kiefer Sutherland
Kiefer Sutherland, best known for playing Jack Bauer on 24, surprised a lot of people when he announced he was making a country album, and a fair amount of people in the media were expecting him to fall on his face. He decidedly has not: Down in a Hole is a rock-solid, old school country album, and Sutherland’s rustic baritone (inspired by Johnny Cash, no doubt) is way better than anyone expected. “Not Enough Whiskey” and “Can’t Stay Away” are the standout tracks. Sutherland’s musical talents are an unexpected, and welcome, gift.

Encore: Movie Partners Sing Broadway, by Barbra Streisand
For her 35th studio album, acclaimed singer/songwriter Barbra Streisand is pulling out all the stops and returning to a genre in which she has always excelled: Broadway show tunes. Not only that, she has put together a star-studded lineup of duets and collaborations for this record, available on lavender-colored vinyl exclusively through Barnes & Noble. Barbra sings alongside such celebrities as Anne Hathaway and Daisy Ridley (“At the Ballet”), Alec Baldwin (“The Best Thing That Has Ever Happened”), Hugh Jackman (“Any Moment Now”), and an especially dreamy duet with Family Guy creator and Broadway enthusiast Seth MacFarlane (“Pure Imagination”).

Sign O’ The Times, by Prince
One of the hallmarks of Prince’s career, aside from its longevity and endurance, was the wide range of different styles and influences his music blended together. All of them are in effect on this album, originally released in 1987. Sign ‘O The Times was Prince’s first record after disbanding the Revolution, and also his most critically acclaimed; the Village Voice’s Pazz & Jop critics poll voted it the best album that year, and it’s now considered one of the greatest albums of all time. None of that comes as a surprise to us, by the way. “Play In the Sunshine,” the eerie “If I Was Your Girlfriend,” “Strange Relationship,” and the title track are must-listens.