The top albums from New Music Friday for Nov. 7

Every Friday, 88Nine music director Erin Wolf and Lilliput Records co-owner Tanner Musgrove tell you about the new albums you can’t miss on a new episode of On Vinyl. Check out their top picks and a list of this week’s other releases, and listen to their full conversation using the player on this page or on the 88Nine airwaves at 1 p.m. every Friday.

This Friday, it’s all about that atmosphere. The cozy, flannel-shrouded womb of Whitney’s modern folk-rock. The atmospheric existentialism of Helado Negro’s synths and beats. Sessa’s insular-yet-worldly, woozy record about fatherhood. Sparkly-eyed Aussie dream pop from Hatchie (helped along by Jay Som and Alex Farrar).

You could close your eyes and pick any one of these records to pop on the turntable and bliss out. These are records that simply soothe, with the added bonus of warm hues being issued on the wax versions — crimson moon, opaque pink, old sun orange and liquorice red — so they look real purty spinning their magic.

Happy New Music Friday!

Best new albums out Nov. 7

Whitney, Small Talk

The Chicago softies are back with a fresh album that rides easy. Hearing lead single “Darling” made us feel like we’ve come back to a classic sound for the band. Their quality is as solid as ever, and they really underlined that classic sonic approach with additional pre-release singles “Dandelion” and “Back to the Wind.”

There are a couple variants for vinyl lovers out today via AWAL Records: an indie-exclusive bone-color vinyl, a cream-color, a “crimson moon” and a red velvet version, depending on where you pick it up. This one’s going to be a great, cozy listen — perfect as we make our way through fall.

Helado Negro, The Last Sound On Earth

Helado Negro is sliding into more atmospheric sounds on his new EP. Synths and beats rule this particular collection of songs and create a really fun vibe, even though the themes center on awareness and are a wee bit existential in nature.

Milwaukee fans may have caught Helado Negro earlier this fall at Cactus Club, so who knows when he’ll come back round again? In the meantime, you can find the new EP at your favorite local record shop; the vinyl is really lovely — 140 grams of pink opaque wax, compliments of Big Dada Records.

Sessa, Pequena Vertigem de Amor

Releasing his debut album back in 2019, Sessa is now back with his third studio effort, which translates to “Lil’ Vertigo of Love.” Adding new instruments to the mix like the electric piano and drum machine, the Brazilian folk-pop singer seems to be evolving his sound on this record about personal growth (especially as it relates to becoming a father and his relationship with music).

If you want to do a deep dive into the world of Sessa, you can find a vinyl bundle over at the Mexican Summer Records website, which includes all three of his studio albums. Or, if you’re looking to get your hands on this one in particular, Pequena Vertigem de Amor is available on “old sun orange” vinyl, limited to 1,000 copies exclusive to Sessa and Mexican Summer’s web stores. Otherwise, your local record shop will have an indie-exclusive cream-colored vinyl and the standard black.

Hatchie, Liquorice

Australian dream-pop musician Hatchie delivers her third LP, which was produced by Jay Som (who recently put out a new album of her own). The other folks who pitched in make it seem like this project was in really good hands. Mixing was done by Alex Farrar, who has collaborated with the likes of Wednesday, MJ Lenderman, Indigo De Souza and Hotline TNT; while mastering fell to Greg Obis, who’s worked with Wishy, Slow Pulp, Dehd and more.

Fans of dreamy sounds can find their latest euphoria in Liquorice and its extremely title-accurate vinyl options — indie-exclusive red or classic black, both of which will be available at your local record store.