This week features two highly anticipated albums that both borrow heavily from the past. Kacey Musgraves‘ Pageant Material harkens back to the attitudes of Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn, yet still is fairly modern. Leon Bridges — who we’ve been big fans of — drops his debut, which favors the work of Sam Cooke and other ’60s soul men.

We’ve also got new records from Conor Oberst’s long dormant side-project Desaparecidos, electro queen Class Actress, and more in the albums you need to hear this week.

Kacey Musgraves, Pageant Material

The sophomore album from country star Kacey Musgraves puts her in a strange category. Always considered somewhat of an outsider from the Nashville scene because of her largely progressive lyrics and attitudes, this album serves as a kiss-off to those in the country establishment who reject her.

Her new single, “Biscuits,” has already been pulled from the radio because of this battle, but she’s landing on the cover of indie mags. Irrespective of all that noise, Pageant Material is ornate, sharp, and gratifying. You get the feeling that, ultimately, this will be one of those situations in which the music stands for itself.

Leon Bridges, Coming Home

While there’s been a great resurgence of soul pros making new material like Charles Bradley, Lee Fields, and Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings, most of those acts were established and long-working in the music business. Leon Bridges is a young man who was inspired by all this great music and wanted to bring his own voice to it.

Coming Home is a love letter to the Sam Cookes and James Browns before him, but never does it feel put upon or like he’s playing in his father’s clothes; this is who he is. Tracks like “Coming Home” truly drive home that feeling.

Desaparecidos, Payola

Now that Conor Oberst has closed the book on Bright Eyes (for now, anyway), he’s decided to pick up with his old post-hardcore supergroup in Desaparecidos. In 2015, there’s still plenty to be angry about if you take a look, and the band does their best to take down the injustices they see around them. Tracks like “MariKKKopa,” dedicated to the controversial Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio, and “Anonymous,” about the online activist group, are just a sampling of what Oberst and co. have to shout out of their bullhorn.