10 New Albums to Stream Today
Photos via Crackerfarm, Lenore Melo & Paul Bergen/Getty Music Lists New Albums
Well, the president wasn’t removed from office, and the Iowa caucuses were an utter disaster, but did you see that Sunflower Bean is playing a Bernie Sanders benefit? We’re stoked for all involved. That was my segue from “messy politics talk” to “music talk,” so let’s get going on the latter point: Today is a good one for new albums. Not one, not two, but three of our 2020 country artists to watch, plus old favorite Tenille Townes, are releasing new albums today. Additionally, we’re being treated to some fire new indie-folk by way of The Lone Bellow, what’s sure to be an entertaining pop journey from La Roux and the Texas music collaboration of the year courtesy of Leon Bridges and Khruangbin. All these albums and more are waiting for you right here—have at it!
1. Aubrie Sellers: Far From Home
Who’s the Nashville starlet who can cover Dwight Yoakam, jam with Steve Earle and sing her way right into your heart without skipping a beat? That’s Aubrie Sellers, a Nashville singer/songwriter who’s been around country music for more than a minute (since birth, actually—she’s Lee Ann Womack’s daughter), but 2020 is bound to be her take-off year. Her sophomore LP, Far From Home, is out today, and so far the singles have been very impressive. Her roots run deep, but Sellers isn’t just another Music City wannabe: She’s an honest storyteller with a singular personality. She can both float in on a cloud of love songs and crank out existential country-rock, like on album single “Worried Mind”: “I can see people laughing and drinking / All I can think is they’re not thinking / With a worried mind,” she sings. —Ellen Johnson
2. Fat Tony: Wake Up
Out today on Carpark Records is Fat Tony’s follow-up to his 2018 effort 10,000 Hours, Wake Up. He collaborated on this album, originally slated as an EP, with Taydex. “I had such a good time working with him that I decided to invite him to co-produce a song called ‘Poet’ from my last album,” Fat Tony said in a statement. “After that, I just decided, let’s make an EP together.” —Ellen Johnson
3. HMLTD: West of Eden
London five-piece HMLTD are finally releasing their debut album, West of Eden, today via British indie label Lucky Number. “This is not dystopia, but a mirror up to late capitalism; where we are and where we’re headed,” frontman Henry Spychalski said of their recently released single “The West Is Dead.” “Sick dolphins lap at the tide, the insects have all dropped from the skies and the global economy enters free fall. Ecological catastrophe guaranteed. The West is dead. Atomised, alienated and apathetic.” That may sound grim, but their new album is meant to spark conversation, not depress, per a press release. —Ellen Johnson
4. John Moreland: LP5
You probably already know John Moreland, the Oklahoma singer/songwriter who has been on the receiving end of considerable press buzz for the better part of five years now. This year, he’s releasing LP5, his—you guessed it—fifth full-length album. But while Moreland has been steadily gaining popularity over the last few years, it really feels like he may break out even bigger in 2020. For his new record, he recruited producer Matt Pence (Jason Isbell, The Breeders) to gussy up his mostly stripped-back sound, and the results have so far been striking. But his lyrics are just as straightforward and understandable as ever: On the techy “Harder Dreams,” Moreland maps out the complicated desires of adulthood and the struggles of finding joy in a media-crowded landscape. —Ellen Johnson
5. Khruangbin & Leon Bridges: Texas Sun
The announcement of a collaboration between rising psychedelic instrumentalists Khruangbin and neo-soul singer Leon Bridges was a bit of a shock initially, but after listening to Texas Sun, it’s obvious that this partnership represents the best of both of their respective worlds. Bridges’ ultra-smooth croon works perfectly when placed on top of guitarist Mark Speer’s deft playing, evoking the wide-open plains and endless roads of Texas. Beautiful and laid-back, Texas Sun’s only fault is its short runtime: At just under 21 minutes across four songs, you’ll find yourself playing the EP over and over again, hoping that a full album is in the mix at some point down the line. —Steven Edelstone
6. La Roux: Supervision
Pop rulebreaker La Roux is back after nearly six years of silence. The British singer returns today with her third LP and first since 2014’s Trouble In Paradise, Supervision. She released three singles ahead of the album: “International Woman of Leisure,” “Gullible Fool” and “Automatic Driver.” —Ellen Johnson
7. The Lone Bellow: Half Moon Light
For their fifth full-length album, prominent indie-folksters The Lone Bellow teamed up with The National’s Aaron Dessner at his studio in upstate New York. “I want it to bring comfort,” the band’s Brian Elmquist said of the new album in a statement. “But it’s not all hard conversations. There’s a lot of light and some dancing that needs to happen.” —Ellen Johnson
8. Shopping: All Or Nothing
British post-punk trio Shopping have previously shared “Initiative,” the first single from All Or Nothing, out today. The track shows the group continuing to lean into their punchy sound that’s all at once aggressive and uplifting, with clear political undertones in the lyrics. “Initiative”—like countless punk tracks before it—was written in a basement. The quite literally underground genesis of the track shows in the strongly rooted drive that the group displays within. From the start, we’re thrown an ambitious bass groove, frenetic drums and cutting vocals from singer Rachel Aggs. The chorus is punctuated with the accusation, “Why can’t you show some initiative?” “We found ourselves singing about being true to yourself, in an often binary and belligerent digital age, and reclaiming agency when it feels like our personal freedom and privacy is constantly eroding,” the group said of their new album. —Hayden Goodridge
9. Tenille Townes: The Road to the Lemonade Stand
While we await the forthcoming new album (projected to be released this spring) from Canadian country singer Tenille Townes, we can listen to a new EP, The Road to the Lemonade Stand, out today. “I wanted to put out this EP to continue to tell the story of these songs,” Townes said in a statement. “This EP is for everyone that has been on this road with me so far…the ones who have shared their stories at the shows and in messages and who have given these songs a home.” —Ellen Johnson
10. William Prince: Reliever
Not to be confused with a certain heir to the English monarchy, the husky-voiced Wiliam Prince seems destined to sit atop another throne: King of Canadian Country Music. The Winnipeg-based artist today follows his 2018 album Earthly Days with his Glassnote Records debut, Reliever. With a voice like Kris Kristofferson’s and a heart like John Prine’s, Prince is a modern Highwayman. He made a splash at last year’s AmericanaFest and is sure to have a great year ahead of him. His recently-released song “The Spark” showcases his emotional breadth in terms of songwriting, as well as the comfortable warmth that spreads over all his music. —Ellen Johnson