Vinyl Albums Available Exclusively at Barnes & Noble

Outlander the Series, Vol 1 [Original Television Soundtrack], by Bear McCreary
The Outlander TV series centers on a married WWII nurse who gets sent back to 18th century Scotland by magic time-traveler stones, and promptly gets swept up by rebellion and a dreamy Highland warrior. It’s based on a series of books by Diana Gabaldon, and it has a killer soundtrack composed by Bear McCreary, who has also written music for Battlestar Galactica, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and The Walking Dead. The music itself is cinematic and lush, with plenty of strings, romantic flute, and Celtic-style percussion to honor the setting. Bear even brings out the bagpipes on a song or two as well, but don’t worry, he uses them sparingly.

Trust Fall (Side A), by Incubus
After Brandon Boyd basically admitted that the band’s 2011 album, If Not Now, When, was a misstep, Incubus fans were left wondering what their next album would sound like, or if there would be a next album at all. Luckily, Boyd and co. went back into the studio fully rejuvenated, and Trust Fall (one of two EPs the band plans to release this year) is a glorious return to form. The title track, clocking in at over six minutes, starts off the album by showing off how well drummer José Pasillas and bassist Ben Kinney work as a rhythm section. “Make Out Party” is unexpectedly sludgy for a song about sex, and “Absolution Calling” (the album’s lead single) is proof that, for all their experimentation, Incubus hasn’t forgotten their classic sound.

The Desired Effect, by Brandon Flowers
This album is the second solo effort from Killers vocalist Brandon Flowers, and features an impressive roster of musicians, including Pet Shop Boys’ Neil Tennant, fellow Killers member Ronnie Vannucci, Jr., and Carlos Alomar, best known for his guitar work on multiple David Bowie albums. Perhaps invigorated by the positive reactions to his first solo album, Flowers achieves a soaring, unpretentious, and unapologetically big pop-rock sound on The Desired Effect. Flowers’ vocals are sharp and punchy, and so is the production, but the choruses are what recommend this album the most. Literally every song on this album has a huge chorus just begging to be shouted back by a stadium full of people. I can only imagine how good they’ll sound on limited-edition yellow vinyl.

Johnny Cash Sings the Songs That Made Him Famous, by Johnny Cash
The word “timeless” gets thrown around a lot, and is often applied to musicians who don’t really deserve it, but it’s actually apt in Johnny Cash’s case. This album was his second, originally released in 1958, and features a couple of his best known songs (“Big River,” “I Walk the Line”) along with some others that aren’t as widely celebrated (“Don’t Make Me Go,” “I Guess Things Happen That Way”). Johnny’s country/rockabilly roots are more evident here, but he was already developing his own unique sound: sparse, minimalistic, and more plainspoken than that of his Sun Records contemporaries. Which, of course, is precisely why it still endures 57 years later. There wasn’t much like it then, and there’s definitely nothing like it now.

1000 Forms of Fear, by Sia
Australian singer/songwriter Sia is notable for two things: her amazing voice, and a refreshing lack of interest in fame or stardom. After releasing her 2010 album We Are Born, Sia decided to quit being a recording artist and focus her energies on songwriting instead. She went on to pen lyrics for Beyoncé, Flo Rida, and Rihanna, among others, but was still contractually obligated to release another album, which turned out to be 1000 Forms of Fear. As we all know, “Chandelier” blew up huge and has already been certified triple platinum, but “Eye of the Needle” and “Elastic Heart” have proven to be strong singles too, and “Dressed In Black” confirms that Sia’s deep cuts are every bit as good as her hits.

No Fixed Address, by Nickelback
And speaking of Flo Rida, he makes an unexpected guest appearance on Nickelback’s newest album, released last year on Republic Records. Because Nickelback’s poppy, post-grunge sound is so well established, any alterations they make are going to be noticeable, and No Fixed Address has more than a few. There’s an overtly political song (“Edge of a Revolution”) that the band released as their first single, a song with a horn section and the aforementioned Flo Rida cameo (“Got Me Runnin’ Round”), and other stylistic changes that are obvious, but not invasive. For a band that could very easily coast on past accomplishments at this point in their careers, Nickelback should be applauded for broadening their sound, and even more so for doing it successfully.

Before This World, by James Taylor
It took folk-rock legend and one-time Simpsons guest star James Taylor over 40 years, but he finally got a number-one album on the US Billboard 200 chart; Before This World, released in June 2015, holds that honor for him. It was also his first album of original material in 13 years. Before This World was written in almost total isolation, and was partly informed by Taylor’s fear that he couldn’t produce an original album again, but it doesn’t feel lonely or maudlin. Instead, it’s nostalgic and warm, as illustrated by the opening track, “Today Today Today,” and his ode to the Boston Red Sox, “Angels of Fenway.” The production here is spotless too, with sound as clear as the limited-edition vinyl it’s pressed on.

Man Plans God Laughs, by Public Enemy
Believe it or not, this is Public Enemy’s 13th album. Their music has progressed a lot since the height of their fame in the late-1980s/early-1990s, but their identity as a group—fierce, clever, angry, unabashedly political—hasn’t changed a bit, and Man Plans God Laughs is proof that P.E. hasn’t lost that inner fire. Producer Gary “G-Wiz” Rinaldo mixes a modern, EDM-influenced sound (inspired by Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, and Run the Jewels) with the chaotic funk that made Chuck D. and co. famous in the first place; “No Sympathy from the Devil” and “Corplantationopoly” are exemplary of this. Chuck’s delivery is slower and more deliberate on this album than on previous efforts, but his lyrics are more focused than ever.