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4 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 Muse, Gwilym Gold, William Orbit and Altered Images.

<strong>Muse – Will of the People</strong>
Muse – Will of the People

Muse, Will of the People

Following a series of dramatic teasers and months long build-up, Muse are back with their ninth studio album, influenced by the “increasing uncertainty and instability” in the world. The record is “a personal navigation through those fears and preparation for what comes next,” according to frontman Matt Bellamy. Fans can find the band at their most versatile on Will of the People, channelling everything from urgent metal, sensationalist pop and experimental electronica, with shades of classic Muse throughout.

Listen on: Spotify | Apple Music | TIDAL | Amazon Music

Gwilym Gold – Blue Garden
Gwilym Gold – Blue Garden

Gwilym Gold, Blue Garden

The former vocalist and keyboardist of London trio Golden Silvers returns with his first new album since 2018’s Sky Blue Room. It’s an allegorical collection of gentle, earthy tracks written and recorded entirely in solitude to create a deeply raw output. Inspired by a bittersweet time of “love, loss and rebirth”, the album explores the interconnection of the different shapes of love in all its purest forms, incorporating natural sounds like rivers and birdsong to create a listening “sanctuary”.

Listen onSpotifyApple Music | TIDAL | Amazon Music

William Orbit – The Painter
William Orbit – The Painter

William Orbit, The Painter

On his first new album in over eight years, William Orbit promises magic. The London musician and producer, who has worked with artists like Madonna, U2 and Robbie Williams, wanted to make an album for people to listen to “en masse”. Following a turbulent period with substance abuse and mental health struggles, Orbit returns with music that champions feeling and narrative, communicated through powerful sonics and transportive electronic melodies. As Orbit puts it, “Each song feels like its own short story.”

Listen on: Spotify Apple Music | TIDAL | Amazon Music

Altered Images – Mascara Streakz
Altered Images – Mascara Streakz

Altered Images, Mascara Streakz

A 38-year hiatus practically offers a whole lifetime of reflection and reinvention. The Scottish new wave band are back with their first new album since 1983’s Bite, with singer Clare Grogan describing the title track as a “metaphor for life”,  from “the fun, the dancing, the drama, the tears, the tequila shots, the lust”. Inspired by artists like Kraftwerk and Tom Tom Club, Mascara Streakz showcases Grogan’s distinctive, fluid vocals atop a more modern, lively sound with a retro sheen .

Listen on: Spotify | Apple Music | TIDAL | Amazon Music