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Bob Dylan's new album, Modern Times, hit the top of the record charts last week. Now 65, the singer-songwriter continues to explore blues and older pop styles with lyrics that frequently contain contemporary references.

A collection of miniatures brought to life via multi-tracking, Spirits finds Jarrett using a total of 18 instruments to bring simple, sometimes folk-song-like melodies to life. He plays everything himself, including hand drums and soprano saxophone.

Beck is something of a musical chameleon — he's been called a cracked folkie, a hip-hop joker, a sonic innovator, even a pop star. His latest CD finds him in all these guises, and more. Full of narcotic funk and psychedelic rock, it may well be a classic.

For maximum effect, Steve Reich's "Music for 18 Musicians" should be heard in its entirety, in order to capture the full complement of drama, color and urgency. But to dive right in, head straight for Section 6, where the patterns are as thick, colorful and confusing an exquisitely woven Persian carpet.

Soul diva Gladys Knight talks about her new album of jazz standards, Before Me, with Farai Chideya.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews The Captain and the Kid, Elton John's new album.

Best known as a member of the Stars and Broken Social Scene, Millan draws on themes of love and loneliness, and gives in to her country whims with her own take on the whiskey-drenched confessional.

Amos Lee's voice sounds tired on "Night Train" — quietly worn from long days of trouble and a need for rest. But the quietness draws attention to every syllable, every subtle inflection and shift of instrumentation. In the middle of everything, it creates a moment of utter peace.

The music of Handel is the subject of a CD from Natalie Dessay. Music critic Tom Manoff says the music, with poetry by Vatican Cardinal, can seem opulent and highly ornate. The CD is Delirio, with music by George Frideric Handel.

On an album full of epic tracks, Silversun Pickups' "Lazy Eye" is the powerhouse, mixing Smashing Pumpkins-esque bombast with the complexity and ambitious oddness of Slint. At times, the song seems to move so quickly that Brian Aubert's vocals can barely keep up.