Zlet Me In

For her third album, Chely Wright switched record labels and teamed up with producer Tony Brown, who helmed the boards for records by George Strait and Reba McEntire, among others. Brown stripped Wright's music down to the core – for much of Let Me In, she's singing over clean acoustic arrangements; only a few cuts are adorned with pop/rock instrumentation. Wright benefits from the spare arrangements, which only emphasize her lovely voice and charisma. The result is her most accomplished and arguably best album to date.

Look Me in the Eye, the third album from New Zealand trio Mermaidens, bristles with pent-up energy, sounding forever on the point of combustion, a lit match held tentatively over spilt petrol. Post-punk would be an easy way to describe it, yet they navigate their soundscapes like high-wire climbers, the songs blessed with a jazz-like quality that can see them take any direction they please.