
An exciting new batch of albums are here to light up the weekend.
Elton John and Brandi Carlile have followed through on a years-long tease and finally moved past one-off collaborations, while Black Country, New Road have kept their momentum alive with their third studio album. Plus, Djo (A.KA. Stranger Things‘ Joe Keery) returns with his new album The Crux, while resurrected British rock outfit Panchiko offer their second album since reforming in 2020.
Check out our picks for new albums to stream this New Music Friday.
Editor’s Note: Enjoy these albums and more on Amazon Music Unlimited, which is currently offering a free three-month trial. Learn more here.
2hollis — star
One of our emerging artists to watch in 2025, 2hollis returns today with his latest full-length and first formal release for Interscope. If you haven’t kept up on the Hollis beat, there’s a reason the young singer, rapper, and producer has earned such a loyal legion of followers. His glitched-out electroclash and strangely vulnerable songwriting often sounds like it came from another planet, or even just the far future. Inspired by the loss of his childhood home as a result of the wildfires in LA this year — plus his skyrocketing profile in the music scene — star is 2hollis’ biggest offering yet.
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Black Country, New Road — Forever Howlong
Black Country, New Road are finally back with Forever Howlong, the follow-up to the art rock act’s widely celebrated 2022 effort Ants From Up There and their 2023 live album Live at Bush Hall. Serving as the the band’s first studio album not to feature former frontman Isaac Wood, the new record finds Black Country, New Road further venturing into sounds of baroque pop, indie folk, and delicate-but-dynamic indie.
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Craig Finn — Always Been
Craig Finn, best known as the frontman of The Hold Steady, arrives today with his sixth solo album, Always Been. Produced by Adam Granduciel of The War on Drugs and boasting features from the likes of Kathleen Edwards and Sam Fender, Finn described the new set as “the most narrative record [he has] made.”
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Dirty Projectors & s t a r g a z e — Song of the Earth
Conceived during the COVID-19 pandemic, Dirty Projectors frontman David Longstreth began working on Song of the Earth as he escaped the 2020 California wildfires and made a trip to Alaska. However, the singer-songwriter made it clear in a press statement that the album “is not a ‘climate change opera’” — instead, he was hoping to “find something beyond sadness: beauty spiked with damage. Acknowledgement flecked with hope, irony, humor, rage.” Put together in partnership with the s t a r g a z e orchestral collective, the album comprises a total of 24 songs and shares its name with the 1908 German poem “Das Lied Von Der Erde” by Gustav Mahler.
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Djo — The Crux
Actor-musician Joe Keery returns as Djo with his third full-length album, The Crux, his first since 2022’s DECIDE and his prior single “End of Beginning” went viral. Co-written and co-produced with longtime collaborator Adam Thein at the legendary Electric Lady Studios, this 12-track LP features three singles: the acoustic, falsetto-driven “Potion,” the shimmering “Basic Being Basic,” and the soft rock-influenced “Delete Ya.” While his acting roles in Stranger Things and Fargo command attention, Keery’s musical prowess continues to impress.
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Elton John & Brandi Carlile — Who Believes In Angels?
After penning the Oscar-nominated “Never Too Late,” it was only a matter of time before Elton John and Brandi Carlile recorded an entire album together — which is why the duo announcing Who Believes In Angels? wasn’t exactly a surprise as much as it was a relief. In addition to having previously worked together “Simple Things” and the aforementioned “Never Too Late,” the two have shared the stage multiple times, most notably at the final US show of the “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” tour back in 2022. With a bundle of colorful new songs together, the pair have finally fulfilled their destiny.
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Momma — Welcome to the My Blue Sky
Brooklyn indie rockers and former CoSigns Momma have returned with Welcome to My Blue Sky, a dreamy, hook-laden ode to friendship, new relationships, life on the road as touring musicians, and coming back a changed person. They previewed the new record last year with the excellent lead single “Ohio All the Time,” which we named as one of the best songs of 2024, and have followed it up with the similarly-killer singles “I Want You (Fever),” “Bottle Blonde,” and “Rodeo.” Stay tuned for the band’s Track By Track breakdown of Welcome to My Blue Sky.
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Panchiko — Ginkgo
After nearly two decades of inactivity, Panchiko was brought back to life after one of their demo EPs from 2000 was discovered on 4chan. Thanks to the internet’s magic, the English group that originally formed back in 1997 is now releasing only their second studio album in 2025. With an assist from American rapper billy woods, Grinko is made up 13 enchanting tracks that are sure to continue reviving interest in the five-piece.
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Buy: Vinyl
Scowl — Are We All Angels
Rising hardcore band Scowl roars back with their sophomore album, Are We All Angels, their first since moving from Flatspot to indie tastemaker Dead Oceans. The Santa Cruz act delivers a blends of furious hardcore energy, punk-rock, and melodic sensibilities, with singles like “Not Hell, Not Heaven,” “B.A.B.E.,” “Tonight (I’m Afraid),” and “Special” which earned a mention as Consequence’s Heavy Song of the Week. While there’s less room for the unrelenting screams of their acclaimed debut, Are We All Angels doesn’t abandon their roots; the speed, the bare-knuckle aggression, and the fire are all still there.
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Sleigh Bells — Bunky Becky Birthday Boy
Brooklyn noise-pop duo Sleigh Bells, comprised of Alexis Krauss and Derek E. Miller, are back with Bunky Becky Birthday Boy, the follow-up to 2021’s Texis. Despite the goofiness of its title, the album deals with some serious themes, like the passing of Alexis’ beloved dog, Riz. “Even though the title sounds ridiculous — and it’s totally okay to laugh at it — with a little context, it’s actually about life and death,” Miller explained. “We lost someone we love, and we gained someone we love.” Ahead of the album’s release, Sleigh Bells have offered “Bunky Pop,” “This Summer,” and “Wanna Start A Band?,” three high-energy cuts that prove the duo is far from done experimenting.
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