On November 23, 2011, author, singer, and songwriter Leonard Cohen released "Show Me the Way" as a precursor to Old Ideas, his first album since 2004. Two more new songs, "Lullaby" and "Darkness," were showcased during his two-year world tour that lasted from early 2008 to last year. They are included on the new album, whose topics are deeply spiritual in nature and range from mortality to sexuality, loss, and acceptance. Old Ideas will be released on January 31, 2012. Its producers include his partner, singer/songwriter Anjani Thomas; his saxophonist, Dino Soldo; poet Ed Sanders; and Patrick Leonard.

Liner Note Authors: Mitch Winehouse; Janis Winehouse; Mark Ronson; Salaam Remi.
Recording information: Amy's House, London (03/2006); Bennett Studios, Englewood, NJ (03/2006); Creative Space, Miami, FL (03/2006); Daptone Records' House Of Soul (03/2006); Doghouse Studios, Henley (03/2006); EMI Studios, London (03/2006); Instrument Zoo, Miami, FL (03/2006); La Source Studios, London (03/2006); Platinum Sound, NY (03/2006); Read World, Bath, England (03/2006).
Photographer: Bryan Adams.
Having always divided opinion with her controversial private life while ultimately possessing one of the greatest voices of her generation, Amy Winehouse's life came to a tragic end in the summer of 2011. Lioness: Hidden Treasures is an album that features previously unreleased material from the late singer, including a duet with rapper Nas on "Like Smoke" and a touching cover of Ruby & the Romantics' 1963 hit single "Our Day Will Come."

This collection from Universal features 22 cuts from the 2012 Grammy nominees, and covers a myriad of styles. Highlights include British vocal powerhouse Adele ("Rolling in the Deep"), dubstep newcomer Skrillex ("Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites"), veteran hard rockers Foo Fighters ("Walk"), and indie folk hitmakers Bon Iver ("Holocene") and Mumford & Sons ("The Cave").

The Black Keys' seventh studio album finds the duo teaming up again with Danger Mouse. Viral promos for El Camino include a video of a random man dancing badly and lip-syncing "Lonely Boy," and a used-car commercial satire starring Mr. Show funnyman Bob Odenkirk.

Singer/songwriter Kathleen Edwards has different kinds of traveling in mind on her album Voyageur. There is the geographic kind, of course, but also the journey through the seasons of nature, and, especially, the trip a love affair represents from its beginning to end. Edwards seems to be in transit right from the start, at least in terms of intentions, with the folk-pop leadoff track proclaiming, "I'm movin' to America," before the singer quickly adds, "It's an empty threat." Still, that's a good representation of the themes of the record, as Edwards explores troubled feelings, often expressing dissatisfaction with a lover she is simultaneously obsessed with and unhappy about. "I don't want to feel this way," she says on the slow, ethereal "Pink Champagne," but by the next song she is declaring, "Anywhere you go, I'll follow," even though the song is called "Going to Hell." The folk and rock arrangements, sometimes ambient, sometimes reminiscent of Sheryl Crow (especially the deliberately paced electric guitar rocker "Mint"), support Edwards' listless, melancholy soprano singing, which in turn reflects her unhappiness and pessimism. It all culminates in the seven-minute "For the Record," on which she simultaneously compares her suffering with the passion of Christ and dismisses it as simply her chosen profession. "Hang me up on your cross," she sings, "For the record, I only wanted to sing songs." She manages to sing through her torment on Voyageur, in hope that the journey is ultimately redemptive. ~ William Ruhlmann

Recording information: Eightysevenfourteen Studios, Los Angeles, CA; Eyeknowasecret Studios, Brentwood, CA; Fly Eye Studio, London; Jungle City Studios, New York, NY; Roc The Mic Studios, New York, NY; Sofitel Paris Le Faubourg; The Grand Hotel, Oslo, Norway; The Hide Out Studios, London; The Park Hyatt Hotel, Hamburg, Germany; The Radison Royal Blue Hotel, Copenhagen, Denmark; The Savoy London; Westlake Recording Studios, Los Angeles, CA.
Photographer: Ellen Von Unwerth.
Rihanna follows 2010's Loud, still riding high on the charts, with Talk That Talk. The singer's sixth studio album features the euphoric, Calvin Harris-produced "We Found Love" -- already a number one single in several countries. Once again, Swedish songwriting and production team Stargate is involved, as is Jay-Z, who appears on the title track.

Personnel: Onitsha Shaw, David Loucks, Ravaughn Brown, Jane Lynch, Drew Ryan Scott, Tim Davis , Kamari Copeland, Cory Monteith, Zac Poor, Chris Colfer, Storm Lee, Dianna Agron, Amber Riley, Kevin McHale, Lea Michele, Damian McGinty, Jenna Ushkowitz, Heather Morris, Alex Anders, Jayma Mays, Chord Overstreet, Mark Salling, Naya Rivera, Kala Balch, Darren Criss, Emily Benford, Harry Shum, Nikki Anders, Jeanette Olsson, Windy Wagner, Matthew Morrison, Adam Anders (vocals); Martin Persson (programming).
Audio Mixer: Peer Astrom.
Recording information: Chalice Recording Studios, Hollywood, CA; RFT Studios, Calabases, CA; The Village Recorder, Los Angeles, CA.
Arrangers: Peer Astrom; Adam Anders.
Despite Glee's unpredictable plot twists in its third season, Glee: The Music, Vol. 7 shows that its music is as reliable as ever, a mix of traditional glee club favorites with some seemingly risky choices thrown in for good measure. Songs like "You Can't Stop the Beat" and "ABC" are such typical, and effective, choices for the cast to sing that it's almost surprising they haven't been done already, but they underscore how Glee, along with talent competition shows such as American Idol and The Voice, fill the void of the old-fashioned variety show in TV programming. The Adele mashup "Rumour Has It/Someone Like You" rises above its tricky concept and features star turns by Heather Morris, Naya Rivera, and Amber Riley. Likewise, the straightforward but successful version of "Constant Craving" shows that Glee's music still has plenty of mileage when it chooses interesting songs for the cast to sing well. ~ Heather Phares

Paul McCartney's first full-length studio album in four years, Kisses on the Bottom is a collection of vocal standards -- the first of its kind in his discography. The son of a '20s bandleader, McCartney no doubt heard many of these songs while growing up, and this album shows a special kinship between singer and song that goes far beyond the many songbook collections attempted by others of his generation. Produced by jazz and vocal associate Tommy LiPuma, the album features guestwork from the likes of Eric Clapton, Stevie Wonder, and Diana Krall. The lead-off track (and the inspiration for the album title) is Fats Waller's "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down (And Write Myself a Letter)."

Personnel: Richard Julian (vocals, guitar); Norah Jones (vocals, piano); Jim Campilongo (guitar); Dan Rieser (drums).

Tributee: Bob Dylan.

The much-anticipated full-length debut from husky, internet savvy singer/songwriter Lana Del Ray featured 12 cuts, including the self-described "Gangsta Nancy Sinatra"'s omnipresent 2010 hit "Video Games." Born to Die drops January 27, 2012 on Interscope.

Personnel: Alexander Almgren (guitar, whistle, keyboards, drum programming); Gary Philips (guitar, keyboards, drum programming); Rob Mosher (saxophone); Mark Piro (piano); John Deaderick (keyboards).
Audio Mixer: Gary Philips.
The 21st volume in the seemingly endless Kidz Bop catalog features the usual assortment of punk, dance, and teen pop hits, all of which are delivered with the signature high fructose corn syrup attack of the Kids Bop Kidz and their producer overlords. Highlights include manic renditions of Lady Gaga's "The Edge of Glory," LMFAO's "Party Rock Anthem," and Gym Class Heroes' "Stereo Hearts." ~ James Christopher Monger