Welcome to New Music Friday, NPR Music’s podcast dedicated to sharing the best albums out each week. We listen to dozens of new releases in advance, identify the ones we think you need to hear, and highlight our favorite five in a brisk mix of clips, context and commentary.
The podcast is hosted by NPR Music’s Stephen Thompson, and each episode features a member of the NPR Music Network of public radio stations. This week, our guest is Laura Grant of WEXT Radio in New York.
Scroll down to see which albums we discussed this week and links to our New Music Friday playlists, where you can hear singles from each album. Then scroll down to see the long list and Dora’s Corner, where NPR Music production assistant Dora Levite shares her favorite albums that didn’t make the podcast.
The Starting 5
🎵 Death Cab For Cutie, I Built You A Tower (ANTI-)
- Recommended If You Like: The Shins, Modest Mouse
🎵 Vince Staples, Cry Baby (Loma Vista)
- RIYL: Denzel Curry, Isaiah Rashad
🎵 Jalen Ngonda, Doctrine of Love (Daptone)
- RIYL: Thee Sacred Souls, Durand Jones
🎵 Zoh Amba, Eyes Full (Matador)
- RIYL: Big Thief, Jason Molina
🎵 Laura Misch, Lithic (One Little Independent)
- RIYL: Kate Bush, Nubya Garcia
New Music Friday is a feature of NPR’s All Songs Considered podcast. Hear the discussion on the NPR App, Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
The Lightning Round
Five more albums we wish we could have discussed on the podcast, recommended by NPR Music’s staff:
⚡ FIGHTMASTER, Tolerance (Many Hats)
⚡ The Red Clay Strays, Grateful (RCA)
⚡ Suzanne Ciani, CIANI/ORKEST (AKP, Atmospheric & CyKIK)
⚡ Slippers, Slippers 08 (perennial)
⚡ Tara Clerkin Trio, Somewhere Good (World of Echo)
Listen to each album’s best songs on our New Music Friday playlists on Spotify and Apple, or wherever you stream music.
Dora’s Corner
Dora Levite is New Music Friday’s production assistant, an occasional All Songs Considered guest, and 17 years old according to her Spotify wrapped. Below are her picks for the best albums not featured on the show.
💿 horsegiirL, NATURE IS HEALING (horsegiirL/RCA)
💿 Bedouine, Neon Summer Skin (Thirty Tigers)
💿 Bella White, A Sign In The Weather (Rounder)
The Long List
Rock/Alt/Indie
- Modest Mouse, An Eraser and A Maz (Glacial Pace)
- of Montreal, Aethermed (Polyvinyl)
- Widowspeak, Roses (Captured Tracks)
- 100 Demons, Embrace The Black Light (Closed Casket Activities)
- Deer Tick, Coin-O-Matic (ATO)
- Hammok, When Does This Place Become Our Scene (Sargent House)
- Haylie Davis, Wandering Star (Fire)
- Jared Mattson, Ruban Nielson, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, FEAR (Jagjaguwar)
- Rosa Walton, Tell Me It’s A Dream (Transgressive)
- SLIFT, Fantasia (Sub Pop)
- SWALLOW, Blown (Reissue) (4AD)
- A.A. Williams, Solstice (Reigning Phoenix)
- Bad Stuff, Bad Stuff (Relapse)
- BROCKHOFF, Easy Peeler (PIAS)
- Bye Parula, Something Out Of Nothing (Secret City)
- Clock DVA, Thirst (Remaster) (Mute)
- Converge, Hum of Hurt (Epitaph)
- Evanescence, Sanctuary (BMG)
- Guilt Trip, Armour Of Angels (Roadrunner)
- overpass, Elsewhere, Always (Communion)
- Seahaven, Seahaven (Pure Noise)
Country/Folk/Americana
- John R Miller, The Great Unknowing (Concord)
- Lee Brice, Sunriser (Curb)
- Old Crow Medicine Show, Union Made (Hartland)
- The Carter Sisters, Voice From The Ridge – The Final Sessions (Reviver)
Electronic/OutThere
- Skrillex, Soma (OWSLA/Atlantic)
- DJ Seinfeld, If This Is It (Ninja Tune)
- Fundido, Get A Grip EP (DFA)
- Lee “Scratch” Perry & Mouse on Mars, Spatial, No Problem (Domino)
- Lyra Pramuk, Hymnal (Resung) (7K)
- Machinedrum, BL00MS (Ninja Tune)
- Massimiliano Pagliara, Selected Unreleased Works (funnuvojere)
- Prospa, Free Your Mind (CircoLoco)
- Thomas Bangalter, Mirage – Ballet for 16 Dancers (Parlophone)
- Spekki Webu, Bootstrap Paradox (H-Productions)
- Jake Muir, Pareidolia (Enmossed)
- Pleasure Systems, Leave It in the Sand (Ending Music)
Global
- Fatoumata Diawara, Massa (Nare Productions)
- MXKA, Xclusiva (Empire)
- Vybz Kartel, God & Time (TJ / Vybz Kartel Muzik)
Jazz
- Lakecia Benjamin, We Dream (Artwork)
- Sharada Shashidhar, One Foot on the Ground (Colorfield)
- Jeff Goldblum & The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra, Night Blooms (Universal)
Pop
- Isabel LaRosa, Promising Young Woman EP (RCA)
- Lizzo, B**** (Atlantic/Nice Life)
- Malcolm Todd, Do That Again (Columbia)
- Niall Horan, Dinner Party (UMG
- Beatrice M, Sinking (Tectonic)
Rap/Hip-Hop
- Protect, Slimedude2003 (Atlantic)
- Wax & DJ Hoppa, Highway Hotel (Ineffable)
Credits
Host: Stephen Thompson • Guest: Laura Grant, WEXT • Audio: Noah Caldwell • Producer: Elle Mannion • Production Assistant: Dora Levite • Editor: Otis Hart • Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed • Executive Director: Sonali Mehta
Copyright 2026 NPR
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