5 albums you need to hear this week
With music from AJ Tracey, The Cure, Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts , King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard and Slick Rick.
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 from AJ Tracey, The Cure, Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard and Slick Rick.
AJ Tracey – Don’t Die Before You’re Dead
AJ Tracey’s latest record sees the British rap heavyweight on typically furious form, but it’s tempered with a level of introspection that makes for his most personal work to date. The heart-rending ‘3rd Time Lucky’, for example, is an ode to his mum and her battle with cancer. But it’s a clear sonic step-up too, as shown on the soaring ‘Red Wine’ – a collab with indie star Master Peace – and a lovely collab with Aitch and Headie One on ‘Friday Prayer’. It’s a record that, just like the recent fortunes of his beloved Tottenham Hotspur, could be sending the West Londoner to the biggest of leagues.
Listen on: Spotify | Apple Music | TIDAL | Amazon Music
The Cure – Mixes of a Lost World
The Cure’s long-awaited 2024 album, Songs of a Lost World, has been given a lick of paint and an electronic-focused new direction with a mammoth new remix record. Mixes of a Lost World sees Robert Smith and co. recruit Daniel Avery, Orbital, Four Tet, Shanti Celeste and more for a record that both fleshes out the (lost) world of their most recent LP and continues their conversation with both the 90s heyday and current cutting edge of dance music.
Listen on: Spotify | Apple Music | TIDAL | Amazon Music
Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts – Talkin to the Trees
Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts’ Talkin’ To The Trees is his first with the Chrome Hearts and arrives just weeks before Glastonbury. It’s meandering at times, but there’s enough to suggest that the fire in the belly of this North American great burns brighter than ever. “If yer a fascist, then get a Tesla”,” he spits on ‘Let’s Roll Again’. It’s this same indomitable spirit that will no doubt shine through down on Worthy Farm.
Listen on: Spotify | Apple Music | TIDAL | Amazon Music
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard – Phantom Island
Of all the musical left turns that Aussie psych weirdos King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard have taken in their 15 years and 26 albums so far, the new path trodden on Phantom Island might be their most unexpected. On it, they collaborate with conductor and Mozart scholar Chad Kelly to make an album infused with sweeping strings and a more glacial sound than their fizzy, spiky psych rock. The album will also be brought to life with orchestral shows at the Royal Albert Hall, conducted by Kelly, later this year.
Listen on: Spotify | Apple Music | TIDAL | Amazon Music
Slick Rick – Victory
Talk about star-studded. Idris Elba, Giggs and Nas all make cameos on this first album from Slick Rick since 1999. “Victory is all about perseverance, storytelling, imagination and evolution,” says Rick. “A visual blend of art and heart — a sonic journey that reflects where I’ve been and where I’m going. Victory isn’t just music — it’s a bold in your face statement, showcasing British artistry at its finest!” It’s a defiant ode to the British-born rapper’s roots, but also a clear sign that this bonafide rap great is still able to produce moments of true greatness.
Listen on: Spotify | Apple Music | TIDAL | Amazon Music