5 albums you need to hear this week
With music from Ariana Grande, Bleachers, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Judas Priest and Kim Gordon
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 Ariana Grande, Bleachers, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Judas Priest and Kim Gordon.
Ariana Grande – Eternal Sunshine
On her seventh album, Ariana Grande delivers what might just be the best break-up album you’re likely to hear all year. The central arc, in her case, is the breakdown of her marriage to real estate guru Dalton Gomez, who she divorced last October just two years after they tied the knot. Laden with all-out bangers, it’s a break-up record that teems with defiance and an overwhelming tribute to the power of one self. “Why do you care so much whose… I ride?” she asks of her critics on the club-primed ‘Eternal Sunshine’. Elsewhere, the stirring ‘Bye’ is the closest she’s ever come to a true disco stomper. Grande’s personal life might have dealt her a tough hand, but she can safely say there’s a silver lining when it’s produced songs as good as these.
Listen on: Spotify | Apple Music | TIDAL | Amazon Music
Bleachers – Bleachers
Though it’s ostensibly a Jack Antonoff solo project, Bleachers has transformed – especially in the live arena – into a collaborative gang based around the super-producer. The new, self-titled album, Antonoff’s best under the Bleachers name, honours this team spirit and is a record bursting with life and collaboration. Away from his day job as producer for Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey and countless other superstars, Bleachers remains an avenue in which Antonoff can dive deep into his love of Springsteen and open-hearted rock’n’roll. On every second here, he sounds like he’s having an absolute blast.
Listen on: Spotify | Apple Music | TIDAL | Amazon Music
The Jesus and Mary Chain – Glasgow Eyes
Age has seemingly mellowed the tumultuous relationship of brothers Jim and William Reid. On their first album since 2017, the Shoegaze pioneers seem together in a way that’s rarely been seen since their late 190s split. ‘Pure Poor’ feels like their wild spirit distilled into one track, while closer ‘Hey Lou Reed’ is a glorious six-minute tour-de-force of art pop. It feels like this particular chain is stronger than ever.
Listen on: Spotify | Apple Music | TIDAL | Amazon Music
Judas Priest – Invincible Shield
Do not go gentle into that good night, Dylan Thomas once famously advised. Judas Priest, it appears, have no intention of doing so. The Metal God himself, Rob Halford, may be 72, but this album is injected with the energy and spirit of a group several decades younger. The unrepentant fire of ‘The Serpent And The King’ is among their best moments in recent memory, while the whole record shows that Halford’s vocals – among the greatest to have ever graced heavy metal – show no sign of faltering any time soon. That eponymous invincible shield? We’re beginning to think that these icons might just their own…
Listen on: Spotify | Apple Music | TIDAL | Amazon Music
Kim Gordon – The Collective
Kim Gordon’s second solo album begins with the blown-out, intense beats of first track ‘BYE BYE’, and the relentless energy rarely lets up from there. Over these trap beats and industrial instrumentation, she throws out scathing observations on modern life. The album’s power is how she exorcises these demons through its relentless production, providing a cathartic escape from the trappings she sing-speaks of.
Listen on: Spotify | Apple Music | TIDAL | Amazon Music