The Number Ones

While Slade's early to mid-'70s hit repertoire represents one of the most perfect runs in British rock history and has been amply anthologized accordingly, it is often easy to forget that their career did not end when the number ones did. Slade kept going until the early '90s, enjoying a roller coaster of highs and lows as they did so, and this package delves into most of them. Picking up in 1979, as the band came off a short-lived stint with manager Chas Chandler's Barn label, and fading out with the band's last proper LP, 1987's You Boys Make Big Noize, the package runs through 17 songs, but eschews, peculiarly, the hits for which the period is best remembered.

For longtime fans of genre-bending jazz piano trio the Bad Plus, 2016's It's Hard will feel pleasantly familiar. Once again showcasing the talents of pianist Ethan Iverson, bassist Reid Anderson, and drummer David King, It's Hard finds the Bad Plus reworking a set of well-curated pop covers. In that sense, the album fits nicely next to the group's previous covers albums, all of which helped build their reputation as a maverick, forward-thinking outfit unafraid to recontextualize both modern pop songs and traditional acoustic jazz. Particularly effective here is the trio's languid, impressionistic take on Crowded House's "Don't Dream It's Over."