8 albums you need to hear this week

In the age of streaming, it’s never been easier to listen to new music — but with over 60,000 new songs added to Spotify every day, it’s also never been harder to know what to put on. Every week, the team at Rolling Stone UK will run down some of the best new releases that have been added to streaming services.

This week, we’ve highlighted records by SOPHIE, Ezra Collective, Lady Gaga, Montell Fish, Vulture Authority, Rahim Redcar and Dolores Forever.

SOPHIE – Sophie

The final album from SOPHIE, and her first posthumous release, was finished in the wake of her death by close collaborators and family. It shows the breadth of her artistry and the sonic terrains she could have conquered next. In a statement, the family said: “This album has always told the story of Sophie’s musical journey, a cacophony of skill and creative vision eclipsing time and genre. Her unique sound world moves at an emotional level, encouraging the listener to intuitively embrace the ever-evolving landscape of light and dark, soft and hard, to the end of self-love and joyful self-acceptance.”

Listen on: Spotify | ‎Apple Music | TIDAL | Amazon Music

Ezra Collective – Dance, No One’s Watching

As Ezra Collective’s Femi Koleoso recently told Rolling Stone UK, there was little pressure to follow up on the Mercury Prize-winning success of 2022’s Where I’m Meant to Be, because this latest album was essentially finished by the time that victory came around. This means that Dance, No One’s Watching has the sound of a band still striving to achieve something big, with an all-consuming fire in their bellies. 

The soaring ‘God Gave Me Feet For Dancing’ employs the voice of London soul star Yazmin Lacey for something that eventually becomes an audible equivalent of liquid gold. It’s a similar situation on the soaring ‘No One’s Watching Me’, an excellent collab with Olivia Dean. Meanwhile, ‘Ajala’ — which feels like the perfect reflection of their mantra to bring jazz to the people — feels like it’s tailor made to go off at their upcoming Wembley Arena show. All things considered, there’s no Mercury hangover to be found here

Listen on: Spotify | ‎Apple Music | TIDAL | Amazon Music

Maxïmo Park – Stream of Life

On their eighth album, these indie veterans prove they’re not just surviving, but thriving. They still deal in hooks big enough to catch a shark and the comforting, recognisable vocals of frontman Paul Smith, but it’s a state of the nation record too. ‘No Such Thing As A Society’ sees the group tackle the state of the world, while ‘Favourite Songs’ seemingly sees the band reflect on their own place in music. When the results are as good as this, it’s of little wonder they’re still at it.

Listen on: Spotify | ‎Apple Music | TIDAL | Amazon Music

Lady Gaga – Harlequin

Harlequin may be a companion album to Joker: Folie à Deux, but for the most part it feels like Lady Gaga getting another opportunity to indulge her love of big band sounds. There’s soaring covers of That’s Life and other jazz standards that fans will lap up. There’s no reinvention of the wheel here, but it’s all a pleasant enough way to wile away 40 minutes.

Listen on: Spotify | ‎Apple Music | TIDAL | Amazon Music

Vulture Authority – Superyachts For Everyone

There’s certain records where it’s best advised that you suspend reality before diving in, and this latest effort from northern noisemakers Vulture Authority firmly fits into that category. After all, we’re dealing with 24 tracks and a whopping 1 hour 44 (yes) runtime here. But lean into the madness and you’ll find there’s plenty of fun to be found. Joy Keane, a brilliantly unhinged tribute to Man United legend Roy, is a stand-out gem. It remains to be seen whether we’ll all get a Superyacht one day, but we can at least revel in the communal madness that’s found here.

Rahim Redcar – Hopecore

The artist formerly known as Christine and the Queens’ first album under his new moniker, Rahim Redcar, sees the enigmatic artist dive even deeper into dance and avant-garde sounds, leaving behind the bright and accessible pop with which he made his name. Explaining the idea behind the album, Redcar said: “Hopecore was made with tears, blood, and mostly an unwavering faith in the raw, pure expression of the soul. Music took here its full prophetic vastness, got wilder, and called for an absolute quest where no one else came in to tamper with intentions. A call of the flesh, a prayer for justice and freedom.”

Dolores Forever – It’s Nothing

On their debut album, duo Julia Fabrin and Hannah Wilson prove they’re experts at pairing solid indie pop hooks with relatable and, where necessary, scathing lyrics. There’s unbridled fury on ‘Not Not Kids’ – a stinging riposte to the stale political class – while Someday Best sees them urging us to “shut up and eat the pasta”. Despite what the title reckons, this little gem is far more than nothing…

Listen on: Spotify | ‎Apple Music | TIDAL | Amazon Music

Montell Fish – Charlotte

Give Montell Fish’s latest album one spin and you’ll find the obvious touch points – with soul flavours of D’Angelo and the funk spirit of Prince found throughout. But if you dwell on those aforementioned artists too much, it feels like you’re at risk of missing Fish’s singular talent too. The soul-searching ‘SCREAM MY NAME’ is among these highlights. It’s of little wonder he’s already got two massive dates in London lined up later this year.

Listen on: Spotify | ‎Apple Music | TIDAL | Amazon Music