The top albums from New Music Friday for Oct. 31

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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 is none other than Halloween — the spookiest of all New Music Fridays! How appropriate that we have some spooktacularly-themed releases for you in the form of Florence + The Machine’s newest and Anna Von Hausswolff’s dirge-y pipe-organ post-rock.

Need to lighten the atmosphere up a bit? Australia’s The Belair Lip Bombs have got your ticket outta the smoke-machine fog so you can dance it up to their effervescent and poppy brand of rock ‘n’ roll via Third Man Records.

And what would a year be without at least one new Guided By Voices record to add to the pile? GBV is back with their 42nd album of all time, and fans should find it delightful (not frightful) that the band has such consistent staying power despite the considerable restraint they showed in 2025 — this is only their second album of the year (following Universe Room in February).

Happy New Music Friday!

Best new albums out Oct. 31

Florence + The Machine, Everybody Scream

‘Tis the season for the sixth album from Florence + The Machine. Just in time for Halloween, the project led by Florence Welch has released a collection of songs that captures her wild, dynamic energy.

Welch shared that these songs center around themes of witchcraft, folk horror, mysticism, magic, poetry and insanity, describing its sound as “Swans vs. Adele.” If you’re familiar with the music of Swans, that will make total sense to you. For those not familiar, “dark soul” is the basic through-line.

For vinyl-loving fans, there’s a standard black version via Republic Records and an additional glow-in-the-dark version in the U.S. with unique album cover artwork, a poster, a 16-page booklet and a double-LP, gatefold setup. There will also be four exclusive “chamber” versions of select songs on the glow-in-the-dark version. What a scream.

Anna Von Hausswolff, Iconoclasts

The amazing gothic-leaning Swedish artist Anna von Hausswolff releases her latest today. Known for singing over an old pipe organ that she plays herself, Hausswolff’s music will make you stop, drop and listen. Even with her arrestingly haunting sound, it can be said that this is her most pop-leaning record yet. On it, she invites collaborators like Iggy Pop and Ethel Cain to join her, but it’s the lead track where she truly shines solo, leaning into her inner Kate Bush.

Take in the epic Iconoclasts via the warm sound of vinyl on a double-gatefold version in the United States on plain black on YEAR0001 Records.

The Belair Lip Bombs, Again

Australian indie rock band The Belair Lip Bombs continue their introduction to U.S. music fans by sharing their second studio album. While they’re relatively new to the scene in the States, it won’t be long before they’re a household name thanks to their effervescent, new wave-y, darkly bright, garage-pop sound.

In September, they kicked off their first ever North American tour with two sold-out shows in Chicago, so hopefully this means more dates to come. You can find Again on wax via Third Man Records on indie-exclusive blue vinyl or a classic black version at any indie shop near you.

Guided By Voices, Thick Rich and Delicious

There’s clearly no slowing down for Robert Pollard of Guided By Voices, as the band releases their 42nd album. The band formed in 1983, which averages out to a new album each year. That’s not even including the few times they disbanded and then reformed, proving that the well of material they have seems to be infinite.

There are countless modern artists inspired by GBV’s sound, and it’s fun that the inspiration can keep flowing, seemingly for a long time to come. Fans can file another one into their Guided By Voices artist section of their home shelves, with Thick Rich and Delicious available on standard black vinyl now.