7 albums you need to hear this week
With music by Arctic Monkeys, Loyle Carner, and Taylor Swift
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 Arctic Monkeys, Loyle Carner, and Taylor Swift.
Arctic Monkeys, The Car
On their seventh album, Arctic Monkeys deliver one of the most accomplished records of their career. We’re a long way from the all-out rock of AM, but stirring efforts such as ‘There’d Better Be a Mirrorball’ and ‘Perfect Sense’ prove that there’s a whole let of mileage left in this car. A stunning return.
Listen on: Spotify | Apple Music | TIDAL | Amazon Music
Architects, The Classic Symptoms of a Broken Spirit
The 10th studio album from Architects comes hot on the heels of last year’s For Those That Wish to Exist, and demonstrates the current creative energy that has seen them become leaders in the British rock scene. The Classic Symptoms of a Broken Spirit captures the energy and spontaneity of a band recording in a room together after COVID restrictions led their previous record to be put together remotely, from anthemic tunes to atmospheric moodscapes.
Listen on: Spotify | Apple Music | Bandcamp | TIDAL | Amazon Music
Carly Rae Jepsen, The Loneliest Time
On The Loneliest Time, Carly Rae Jepsen melds the glossy synth-pop of her now-classic 2015 album Emotion with the emotional heft of 2019’s more understated moonlit disco record Dedicated. Uplifting pop songs meet lyrics of bad dating experiences, while fellow Canadian songwriter Rufus Wainwright pops up for a duet on the album’s title track.
Listen on: Spotify | Apple Music | TIDAL | Amazon Music
Dry Cleaning, Stumpwork
Stumpwork, the new album Dry Cleaning, arrives 14 months after their debut. Frontwoman Florence Shaw sings about family, money, politics, self-deprecation, and sensuality. There is a warmth about family that comes following the death of two loved ones who were important in the London post-punk group’s lives: bassist Lewis Maynard’s mother, and guitarist Tom Dowse’s grandfather.
Listen on: Spotify | Apple Music | Bandcamp | TIDAL | Amazon Music
Loyle Carner, Hugo
Race, identity, and the newfound pressures of fatherhood are all tackled on Loyle Carner’s impressive third album Hugo. ‘Ladas Road’ is a strong, multi-layered examination of race complexities, while ‘Blood on My Nikes’ is an effective skewering of knife crime. Carner’s powerful voice ensures he still remains a singular talent.
Listen on: Spotify | Apple Music | TIDAL | Amazon Music
Taylor Swift, Midnights
On Midnights, Taylor Swift ditches the wistful country of her last two albums and returns to something vaguely closer to the sounds of 1989 and Lover. Lavender Haze is a synth-pop fused battle against nosiness (“All they keep asking me / Is if I’m gonna be your bride), while ‘Anti-Hero’ sees Swift becoming similarly candid. Lana Del Rey collaboration ‘Snow on the Beach’ , meanwhile, is a gorgeous duet.
Listen on: Spotify | Apple Music | TIDAL | Amazon Music
Witch Fever, Congregation
The debut album from Witch Fever sees the Manchester quartet in what they call “full rage mode”. Filled with serious riffs and lyrical anger, Congregation goes hard and heavy from the off, but there’s nuance to frontwoman Amy Walpole’s lyrics rather than just directionless rage, much of it exploring themes of power abuse, much of it inspired by her own negative experiences growing up within the Charismatic Christian church.
Listen on: Spotify | Apple Music | TIDAL | Amazon Music