New Albums

* Ruben Blades, “Mundo,” Columbia. Every decade or so, this ever-inventive artist makes a milestone album. This is a sweeping, occasionally breathtaking work that ties together the diverse musical strains he’s explored for decades while moving far beyond anything he’s done before. All the elements that have made Blades so appealing and inspiring are here: the imaginative storytelling, the rousing social vision, the true-grit rhythms and memorable melodies. Blades demonstrates that all music comes from a common source, like the humans who make it.

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Also:

Peter Case, “Beeline,” Vanguard

The Chieftains, “Down the Old Plank Road: The Nashville Sessions,” RCA Victor

Enrique Iglesias, “Quizas,” Interscope

Shemekia Copeland, “Talking to Strangers,” Alligator

Ivy, “Guestroom,” Minty Fresh

Nine Days, “So Happily Unsatisfied,” Epic

OK Go, “OK Go,” Capitol

Scapegoat Wax, “SWAX,” Hollywood

The Vandals, “Internet Dating Super-Studs,” Kung Fu Records

Various Artists, “Cuisine Non-Stop: Introduction to the French Nouvelle Generation,” Luaka Bop