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.<\/p>\n
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. Our first guest of 2026 is Nashville’s own Celia Gregory of WNXP, where she’s on the air every morning from 6-10 a.m. CT.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The Starting 5<\/h2>\n\n\n \n <\/picture>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n Mon Rov\u00eea.
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Carter Howe\/Nettwerk<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n Carter Howe\/Nettwerk<\/p>\n
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\ud83c\udfb5 Dry Cleaning<\/strong>, Secret Love<\/em> (4AD)<\/p>\n\n- Recommended If You Like: speak-singing, Cate Le Bon<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\ud83c\udfb5 Jenny On Holiday<\/strong>, Quicksand Heart<\/em> (Transgressive)<\/p>\n\ud83c\udfb5 Mon Rov\u00eea<\/strong>, Bloodline<\/em> (Nettwerk)<\/p>\n\n- RIYL: Singer-songwriters, Sufjan Stevens<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\ud83c\udfb5 Home Star<\/strong>, A Binding Life<\/em> (Born Losers)<\/p>\n\n- RIYL: Pop-punk, Modern Baseball<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\ud83c\udfb5 Kris Davis and the Lutos\u0142awski Quartet<\/strong>, The Solastalgia Suite<\/em> (Pyroclastic)<\/p>\n\n- RIYL: Climate activism, jazz-classical hybrids<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
New Music Friday is a feature of NPR’s All Songs Considered podcast. Hear the discussion on the<\/em>\u00a0NPR App<\/u><\/em><\/a>,<\/em>\u00a0Apple<\/u><\/em><\/a>,<\/em>\u00a0Spotify<\/u><\/em><\/a>\u00a0or<\/em>\u00a0wherever you get your podcasts<\/u><\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\nThe Lightning Round<\/h2>\n\n\n ![\"Zach](\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/3716x1709+93+1281\/resize\/1100\/quality\/50\/format\/png\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fb7%2F11%2Ff5bb0db0411191b280b0aa50c324%2Fzach-bryan-lucas-creighton.png\")
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Lucas Creighton\/Warner Records<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n Lucas Creighton\/Warner Records<\/p>\n
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Five more albums we wish we could have discussed on the podcast:<\/p>\n
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Carter Howe\/Nettwerk<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n Carter Howe\/Nettwerk<\/p>\n <\/span>\n<\/div><\/div>\n \ud83c\udfb5 Dry Cleaning<\/strong>, Secret Love<\/em> (4AD)<\/p>\n \ud83c\udfb5 Jenny On Holiday<\/strong>, Quicksand Heart<\/em> (Transgressive)<\/p>\n \ud83c\udfb5 Mon Rov\u00eea<\/strong>, Bloodline<\/em> (Nettwerk)<\/p>\n \ud83c\udfb5 Home Star<\/strong>, A Binding Life<\/em> (Born Losers)<\/p>\n \ud83c\udfb5 Kris Davis and the Lutos\u0142awski Quartet<\/strong>, The Solastalgia Suite<\/em> (Pyroclastic)<\/p>\n New Music Friday is a feature of NPR’s All Songs Considered podcast. Hear the discussion on the<\/em>\u00a0NPR App<\/u><\/em><\/a>,<\/em>\u00a0Apple<\/u><\/em><\/a>,<\/em>\u00a0Spotify<\/u><\/em><\/a>\u00a0or<\/em>\u00a0wherever you get your podcasts<\/u><\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n \n Zach Bryan. Lucas Creighton\/Warner Records<\/p>\n <\/b> toggle caption<\/b><\/b>\n <\/div>\n <\/p>\n Lucas Creighton\/Warner Records<\/p>\n <\/span>\n<\/div><\/div>\n Five more albums we wish we could have discussed on the podcast:<\/p>\n\n
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The Lightning Round<\/h2>\n
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