Alternative Music Reviews

Music Critic's Alternative section includes smooth adult pop and rock and contemporary music. With a broader more diverse playlist, these albums are often from artists on the brink of reaching a mainstream audience. You might also want to check out our Rock section.

• 90
  

  25 Years

  By Sting

  Fantastic, based on reviews by 2 critics

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  Release date: Sep 27, 2011
  Genre: Adult Contemporary
• 90
  

  Summerteeth [Deluxe Edition]

  By Wilco

  Fantastic, based on a review by 1 critic

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  Release date: Nov 6, 2020
  Genre: Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
• 90
  

  What Does It All Mean? 1983-2006 Retrospective

  By Steinski

  Fantastic, based on reviews by 2 critics

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  Release date: May 27, 2008
  Genre: Alternative
• 90
  

  Continuum

  By John Mayer

  Fantastic, based on a review by 1 critic

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  Release date: Sep 12, 2006
  Genre: Adult Alternative
• 83
  

  Just Us Kids

  By James McMurtry

  Excellent, based on reviews by 2 critics

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  Release date: Apr 15, 2008
  Genre: Alternative
• 83
  

  A Moon Shaped Pool

  By Radiohead

  Excellent, based on reviews by 24 critics

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  Release date: May 8, 2016
  Genre: Alternative
• 80
  

  Ocean to Ocean

  By Tori Amos

  Excellent, based on reviews by 2 critics

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  Release date: Oct 29, 2021
  Genre: Adult Contemporary
• 80
  

  Drawing Restraint 9 OST

  By Björk

  Excellent, based on reviews by 2 critics

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  Release date: Aug 23, 2005
  Genre: Alternative
• 80
  

  Translated From Love

  By Kelly Willis

  Excellent, based on reviews by 2 critics

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  Release date: Jun 26, 2007
  Genre: Alternative
• 80
  

  Away from the World

  By Dave Matthews Band

  Excellent, based on reviews by 3 critics

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  Release date: Sep 11, 2012
  Genre: Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
• 80
  

  Break It Yourself

  By Andrew Bird

  Excellent, based on reviews by 16 critics

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  Release date: Mar 6, 2012
  Genre: Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
• 80
  

  Etch And Etch Deep

  By Haiku Salut

  Excellent, based on reviews by 6 critics

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  Release date: Jul 31, 2015
  Genre: Alternative
• 80
  

  Transnormal Skiperoo

  By Jim White

  Excellent, based on a review by 1 critic

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  Release date: Mar 4, 2008
  Genre: Alternative
• 80
  

  Are U Down?

  By Spencer.

  Excellent, based on a review by 1 critic

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  Release date: Sep 10, 2021
  Genre: Alternative
• 80
  

  Four Stones

  By Dean McPhee

  Excellent, based on a review by 1 critic

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  Release date: Jan 12, 2018
  Genre: Alternative
• 80
  

  Album No. 8

  By Katie Melua

  Excellent, based on reviews by 2 critics

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  Release date: Oct 16, 2020
  Genre: Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
• 80
  

  Dave Alvin & the Guilty Women

  By Dave Alvin & the Guilty Women

  Excellent, based on a review by 1 critic

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  Release date: May 26, 2009
  Genre: Alternative
• 80
  

  All That Echoes

  By Josh Groban

  Excellent, based on reviews by 2 critics

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  Release date: Feb 5, 2013
  Genre: Adult Contemporary
• 79
  

  Illuminations

  By Josh Groban

  Excellent, based on a review by 1 critic

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  Release date: Nov 15, 2010
  Genre: Adult Contemporary
• 79
  

  Beyoncé

  By Beyoncé

  Excellent, based on reviews by 15 critics

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  Release date: Dec 13, 2013
  Genre: Adult Alternative
• 78
  

  Midnight At The Movies

  By Justin Townes Earle

  Great, based on reviews by 3 critics

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  Release date: Mar 3, 2009
  Genre: Alternative
• 77
  

  Another Country

  By Tift Merritt

  Great, based on reviews by 3 critics

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  Release date: Feb 26, 2008
  Genre: Alternative
• 77
  

  'Em Are I

  By Jeffrey Lewis & The Junkyard

  Great, based on reviews by 8 critics

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  Release date: May 19, 2009
  Genre: Alternative
• 77
  

  American Ride

  By Willie Nile

  Great, based on reviews by 3 critics

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  Release date: Jun 25, 2013
  Genre: Adult Alternative
• 75
  

  Hymns Of The 49th Parallel

  By k.d. lang

  Great, based on reviews by 2 critics

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  Release date: Jul 27, 2004
  Genre: Adult Alternative
• 75
  

  The Wanting

  By Glenn Jones

  Great, based on reviews by 4 critics

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  Release date: Sep 13, 2011
  Genre: Adult Alternative
• 74
  

  Native Invader

  By Tori Amos

  Great, based on reviews by 12 critics

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  Release date: Sep 8, 2017
  Genre: Adult Contemporary
• 74
  

  Try Not To Freak Out

  By Slotface

  Great, based on reviews by 7 critics

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  Release date: Sep 15, 2017
  Genre: Alternative
• 74
  

  Crownsdown

  By Themselves

  Great, based on reviews by 2 critics

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  Release date: Oct 20, 2009
  Genre: Alternative
• 74
  

  Spirit in the Room

  By Tom Jones

  Great, based on reviews by 6 critics

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  Release date: Apr 23, 2013
  Genre: Adult Contemporary
• 74
  

  See You On The Moon

  By Tift Merritt

  Great, based on reviews by 4 critics

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  Release date: Jun 1, 2010
  Genre: Alternative
• 74
  

  So Runs The World Away

  By Josh Ritter

  Great, based on reviews by 7 critics

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  Release date: May 4, 2010
  Genre: Alternative
• 73
  

  Somewhere Under Wonderland

  By Counting Crows

  Very Good, based on reviews by 5 critics

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  Release date: Sep 2, 2014
  Genre: Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
• 73
  

  Sex And Gasoline

  By Rodney Crowell

  Very Good, based on reviews by 2 critics

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  Release date: Sep 2, 2008
  Genre: Alternative
• 72
  

  The Living And The Dead

  By Jolie Holland

  Very Good, based on reviews by 3 critics

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  Release date: Oct 7, 2008
  Genre: Alternative
• 72
  

  Country Club

  By John Doe & The Sadies

  Very Good, based on reviews by 4 critics

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  Release date: Apr 14, 2009
  Genre: Alternative
• 72
  

  Perils from the Sea

  By Mark Kozelek

  Very Good, based on reviews by 5 critics

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  Release date: Apr 30, 2013
  Genre: Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
• 71
  

  Field Music (Measure)

  By Field Music

  Very Good, based on reviews by 8 critics

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  Release date: Feb 16, 2010
  Genre: Alternative
• 71
  

  Murs For President

  By Murs

  Very Good, based on reviews by 5 critics

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  Release date: Sep 30, 2008
  Genre: Alternative
• 71
  

  Kamaal The Abstract

  By Q-Tip

  Very Good, based on reviews by 5 critics

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  Release date: Sep 15, 2009
  Genre: Alternative
• 71
  

  Long Lost Suitcase

  By Tom Jones

  Very Good, based on reviews by 5 critics

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  Release date: Dec 4, 2015
  Genre: Adult Contemporary
• 70
  

  Tears, Lies, And Alibis

  By Shelby Lynne

  Very Good, based on reviews by 3 critics

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  Release date: Apr 20, 2010
  Genre: Alternative
• 70
  

  American Standard

  By James Taylor

  Very Good, based on a review by 1 critic

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  Release date: Feb 28, 2020
  Genre: Adult Contemporary
• 70
  

  Throw Down Your Arms

  By Sinéad O'Connor

  Very Good, based on a review by 1 critic

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  Release date: Oct 4, 2005
  Genre: Alternative
• 70
  

  Mighty Ship

  By Angela Desveaux

  Very Good, based on reviews by 2 critics

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  Release date: Sep 9, 2008
  Genre: Alternative
• 70
  

  Summer Skin

  By Amy Cook

  Very Good, based on reviews by 2 critics

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  Release date: Aug 28, 2012
  Genre: Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
• 70
  

  Gutter Tactics

  By Dälek

  Very Good, based on reviews by 3 critics

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  Release date: Jan 27, 2009
  Genre: Alternative
• 70
  

  Hundreds Of Lions

  By Erin McKeown

  Very Good, based on reviews by 3 critics

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  Release date: Oct 13, 2009
  Genre: Alternative
• 68
  

  Privateering

  By Mark Knopfler

  Very Good, based on reviews by 5 critics

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  Release date: Sep 10, 2013
  Genre: Adult Contemporary
• 68
  

  Nostalgia

  By Annie Lennox

  Very Good, based on reviews by 5 critics

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  Release date: Oct 21, 2014
  Genre: Adult Contemporary