Yahoo News 7 albums you need to hear this week
In the age of streaming, it’s never been easier to listen to new music — but with over 60,000 new songs added to Spotify every day, it’s also never been harder to know what to put on. Every week, the team at Rolling Stone UK will run down some of the best new releases that have been added to streaming services.
This week, we’ve highlighted records by The 1975, Brian Eno, and M.I.A.
The 1975, Being Funny in a Foreign Language
On 2020’s Notes on a Conditional Form, The 1975 delivered a record of middling returns, with 22 tracks of varying quality over an arguably self-indulgent 80 minutes. Two years later, it seems they’ve learned that less is sometimes more. Their newest album clocks in at a relatively lean 43 minutes and sees Matty Healy returning with a laser sharp focus. Lead single ‘Part of the Band’ sees Healy offering some sage self assessment (“Am I ironically woke? / The butt of my joke?”), while ‘Looking for Somebody (to Love)’ sees him exploring toxic online subcultures through the eyes of a high school shooter. The result is one of The 1975’s best albums yet.
Listen on: Spotify | Apple Music | Bandcamp | TIDAL | Amazon Music
The Big Moon, Here is Everything
The cover art of The Big Moon’s Here is Everything sees a heavily pregnant Jules Jackson kneeling on a bed, proudly showing the frontwoman’s bump as motherhood beckons. It’s no surprise, then, to report that the record tackles the realities of how life changes when a tiny human is thrown into the mix. Soaring opener ‘2 Lines’ explores the effect of receiving a positive pregnancy test, while ‘High and Low’ offers an uncompromising look at the realities of sleep deprivation during parenthood. This is only one side of the record, however. ‘Daydreaming’ is a shining slice of indie pop that stands out in its own right, while ‘Suckerpunch’ is an ode to the power of resilience (“You’ve been waiting for the future, like a heavyweight champion / But when you think you’d beat the underdog, she learns to sucker-punch”.) It all makes for their best album to date.
Listen on: Spotify | Apple Music | TIDAL | Amazon Music
Brian Eno, ForeverAndEverNoMore
On his 22nd studio album, legendary producer and ‘non-musician’ Brian Eno explores his own feelings surrounding the climate emergency. Take, for example, ‘There Were Bells’, written after Eno performed with his brother Roger at the Athens Acropolis last year during 45-degree heat as wildfires raged outside the city — leading him to comment, “Here we are at the birthplace of Western civilisation, probably witnessing the end of it.” Notably, ForeverAndEverNoMore is the first Eno album to feature the artist’s vocals on the majority of tracks since 2005’s Another Day on Earth.
Listen on: Spotify | Apple Music | TIDAL | Amazon Music
The Lightning Seeds, See You in the Stars
On their first album in 13 years, The Lightning Seeds deliver a record that leans heavily into their indie-pop past, while also offering a secure vision of the future. The stirring ‘Green Eyes’ is described by frontman Ian Broudie as a “postscript” to the band’s big hit ‘Pure’, while the title track sees Broudie powerfully showing off his tender side with an emotional ode to a late friend.
Listen on: Spotify | Apple Music | TIDAL | Amazon Music
M.I.A., Mata
The sixth album from M.I.A. arrives just days after its release was overshadowed by a string of bizarre tweets from the rapper in which she made a series of links between Covid vaccines and far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. A crying shame, given that the record features some of her strongest work in years. Lead single ‘The One’ sees her offering a slice of understated humane self-reflection, while ‘Beep’ is a bass-heavy banger typical of the singer.
Listen on: Spotify | Apple Music | TIDAL | Amazon Music
PVA, Blush
PVA bring a dancefloor twist to the speak-singing ‘sprechgesang’ strain of post-punk revivalism that’s found a loyal following in the UK over the past few years. On Blush, the South London trio add the psychedelic basslines of acid-house and the rhythmic pulse of disco to a more typical rock band format, continuing in the lineage of acts like Factory Floor and Golden Teacher, or record labels like Output Recordings and DFA.
Listen on: Spotify | Apple Music | Bandcamp | TIDAL | Amazon Music
Tove Lo, Dirt Femme
Dirt Femme is the fifth album from Grammy-winning, multi-platinum-selling Swedish pop star Tove Lo. The album sees Tove Lo looking inwards and reconnecting with her femininity: “I’ve been seeing a lot more celebration of feminine traits, and it’s made me like those parts of myself a bit more again,” as she recently told Rolling Stone UK. Guest features on come from SG Lewis, Channel Tres, and fellow Swedes, First Aid Kit.
Listen on: Spotify | Apple Music | TIDAL | Amazon Music
