8 albums you need to hear this week
The best new releases on streaming this week, with music by Ibeyi, Sigrid, and Suki Waterhouse
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 Ibeyi, Sigrid, and Suki Waterhouse.
Arcade Fire, WE
On their sixth album, Arcade Fire deliver a record of two halves that come together to make their finest release for an entire decade. In the band’s own words, the first half of the record centres on the “fear and loneliness of isolation”, while the second side revolves around the “joy and power of reconnection”. ‘Unconditional I (Lookout Kid)’ sees the band deploy soaring synths for an ode to the wonders and naivety of childhood, while the power of all-out love song ‘Unconditional II (Lookout Kid)’ is bolstered by a cameo from prog icon Peter Gabriel.
Listen on: Spotify | Apple Music | TIDAL | Amazon Music
Belle and Sebastian, A Bit of Previous
An over-reliance on wit and whimsy is the stick that long-term detractors of Belle & Sebastian have traditionally used to beat the Glaswegian indie-pop septet with. But their first album in seven years sees the band mining new lyrical depths, most notably on ‘Reclaim the Night’. Over darkened synths, vocalist Sarah Martin delivers an urgent ode to societal change in the wake of Sarah Everard’s murder. “Reclaim the night, don’t lose another / This time the world demands an explanation,” comes her powerful plea.
Listen on: Spotify | Apple Music | Bandcamp | TIDAL | Amazon Music
Ibeyi, Spell 31
The third album from Afro-French Cuban twins Lisa-Kaindé Diaz and Naomi Diaz is a departure from the form book. Ibeyi have talked about having abandoned writing on the piano in favour of beat-making, while early single ‘Sister 2 Sister’ teased this change in direction by suggesting a full-on turn towards R&B. The full 10-track album features guest turns from Pa Salieu and Jorja Smith, while East London rapper BERWYN guests – intriguingly – on a cover of Black Flag’s ‘Rise Above’.
Listen on: Spotify | Apple Music | Bandcamp | TIDAL | Amazon Music
Knucks, Alpha Place
On debut album Alpha Place, Kilburn-born rapper Knucks narrates his life from the beginning – ‘Alpha Place’ was the name of the street he grew up on, ‘Alpha House’ was his block on the estate – with help from guests like SL, M1llionz, Sainte, and Stormzy. Musically he demonstrates his ability to blend transatlantic elements with his uniquely North London persona – alongside harder hip hop and drill beats, you can also hear elements of jazz, soul, and R&B (Knucks is a fan of US rappers like Nas, J Cole, and MF Doom, who took a similarly eclectic approach).
Listen on: Spotify | Apple Music | TIDAL | Amazon Music
Sigrid, How to Let Go
On which the Norwegian pop sensation reckons with the prospect of the difficult second album. The pandemic, insecurities and her own mortality all influence the thematic bent of How to Let Go, on which she leans towards disco, as suggested by the four singles released in the build-up to the album, which began as far back as last May. There’s also her duet with serial unlikely collaborators Bring Me the Horizon on ‘Bad Life’, which (as she told Rolling Stone UK last month) is “a song that I hope can offer some comfort for anyone who’s having a rough day, knowing that it will pass”.
Listen on: Spotify | Apple Music | TIDAL | Amazon Music
Soft Cell, Happiness Not Included
Marc Almond and Dave Ball’s first album in 20 years lives up to its title thematically, with Almond on downbeat lyrical form as he reflects on the state of the world around him. Ball’s description of the record, meanwhile, has been “science fiction for the 21st century”. Both the title track and ‘Heart Like Chernobyl’ lay melodic synth work over brooding soundscapes (so, classic Soft Cell). It’s not all doom and gloom, though, with the Pet Shop Boys collaboration ‘Purple Zone’ a considerably higher tempo number that hints at both bands’ 80s glory days.
Listen on: Spotify | Apple Music | TIDAL | Amazon Music
Suki Waterhouse, I Can’t Let Go
On her debut album, model Suki Waterhouse delivers a collection of songs dripping with soul-searing honesty and a dissection of her own anxiety battles. “I’ve basically been working on this album for the past seven years. Only now am I at the point of being ready to put it out,” she recently told Rolling Stone UK.
Listen on: Spotify | Apple Music | Bandcamp | TIDAL | Amazon Music
Warpaint, Radiate Like This
Los Angeles quartet Warpaint return with their first album in six years. In that gap the band’s individual members have remained busy, both with solo projects and with developments in their personal lives, like having kids. Their reunion took place during the pandemic, with each member recording remotely and creating songs layer-by-layer and diving into the construction of it in a more intricate way than before. This wasn’t made purely for the studio though – though they delayed releasing the album until they could tour it live together.
Listen on: Spotify | Apple Music | TIDAL | Amazon Music