The Week's Best New Albums: Harry Styles, War Child's 'Help(2)', and More
A curated list of the most noteworthy album releases this week, featuring the latest from Harry Styles, a star-studded War Child compilation, and exciting new sounds from Johnny Blue Skies, Bonnie “Prince” Billy, and more.
Navigating the ever-expanding universe of new music can be daunting. Fear not, intrepid listener! This week's sonic landscape offers a diverse array of sounds, from pop royalty to indie gems. Let's dive in.
Harry Styles: Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally. [Columbia]
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Forget Harry’s House; welcome to Harry Styles' sophisticated club, a space where disco grooves meet introspective meditation. The album, Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally., marks a departure from his previous honeyed tones, embracing dance-pop, funk, and post-punk influences. Lead single "Aperture" sets the tone for this refined collection. Expect soulful ballads like "Paint by Numbers" alongside the dancefloor fillers. Executive produced by Kid Harpoon, the album boasts contributions from Wolf Alice’s Ellie Rowsell, The Smile’s Tom Skinner, and a full gospel choir.
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Buy at Rough Trade
Various Artists: Help(2) [War Child Records]
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War Child returns with Help(2), a compilation album featuring an impressive roster of artists. Recorded at Abbey Road, this project includes the first Arctic Monkeys single since 2022. The compilation also showcases new tracks from Big Thief, Cameron Winter, Olivia Rodrigo (covering The Magnetic Fields), King Krule, Fontaines D.C., Bat for Lashes, Pulp, Wet Leg, Depeche Mode, and Black Country, New Road. Expect unexpected collaborations: Arooj Aftab and Beck; Damon Albarn, Grian Chatten, and Kae Tempest; Anna Calvi, Dove Ellis, and Nilüfer Yanya, and more. It's a truly star-studded effort for a vital cause.
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Buy at Rough Trade
Johnny Blue Skies & The Dark Clouds: Mutiny After Midnight [Atlantic]
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Sturgill Simpson's alter ego, Johnny Blue Skies, emerges with Mutiny After Midnight, an album steeped in barroom swagger and rebellious spirit. Imagine whiskey-soaked nights, loose collars, and impassioned rants – this album sounds like the soundtrack to the best party at the end of the world. Expect disco stabs, country rock riffs, and politically charged lyrics.
Bonnie “Prince” Billy: We Are Together Again [No Quarter]
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Will Oldham's latest Bonnie “Prince” Billy offering, We Are Together Again, confronts a hostile world with community and connection. Orchestral-folk warmth permeates the album, punctuated by melodic dissonance and Oldham's reassuring tenor. It's an album rooted in simple ethos: plant these songs into your soul’s brain, into your existence’s heart and the trees will grow and fruit and flourish and nourish.
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Buy at Rough Trade
Arima Ederra: A Rush to Nowhere [Arima’s Lab/RCA]
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Following up on her 2022 debut, Arima Ederra's A Rush to Nowhere continues her exploration of soulful meditations. The Los Angeles-based artist weaves through psychedelic funk (think Tame Impala), hazy guitar pop, and R&B, reminiscent of Childish Gambino's orchestral grandeur. Ederra's vocals are captivating, navigating grief and hope. She possesses the rare ability to find softness amidst life's harsh realities.
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Slayr: Bloodluxe [self-released]
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Slayr, the 18-year-old Philadelphia rapper, delivers a defiant statement with Bloodluxe. This release arrives as a follow-up to Half Blood, expanding the sonic palette with 10 tracks of trap, rage, and digicore. Lucy Bedroque makes a guest appearance, adding another layer to this explosive mixtape.
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Shabaka: Of the Earth [Shabaka Records]
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Shabaka returns with Of the Earth, further exploring the sonic territories he mapped on 2024’s Perceive Its Beauty, Acknowledge Its Grace. He brings his expansive jazz to life with colorful percussion and electronic production, often switching gears to feathery ambient, dancehall, and blunted hip-hop. There’s another surprise. Shabaka taking a stab at rapping.
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Buy at Rough Trade
Ohyung: Iowa [self-released]
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Ohyung's Iowa is a sonic exploration of the American Midwest. Inspired by time spent throwing raves and collaborating with local producers in the state, the album blends glistening synths with a palpable sense of unease. Dedicated to the late Chris Wiersema, Iowa captures the drama of an outsider observing a new and often unsettling world.
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