5 albums you need to hear this week

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 James Blake, Ms Banks, Chalk, Kim Gordon and Anjimile.

James Blake – Trying Times

James Blake’s seventh studio album sees him settling into a new sonic landscape while trying to make sense of the relentless nature of modern life. It’s also his first independent album and reflects his recent moves to take full control of his musical universe. It comes together to make an album that is Blake at his most confident, despite the uncertainty at large that looms over the record, and led as always by one of the richest and most distinctive voices in British music.

Listen on: Spotify | ‎Apple Music | TIDAL | Amazon Music

Ms Banks – SOUTH LDN LOVER GIRL

“I really do want this album to empower young ladies and just let them know that no matter what obstacles are in your way, you can still create something from nothing and be exactly who you want to be,” Ms Banks tells Rolling Stone UK of long-awaited debut album SOUTH LDN LOVER GIRL. The record is righteous, angry, soft, loving and more, all dedicated to the singer’s younger self who would be in awe of her current strength. “Do it for you,” she said – to herself and her audience – “do it for the younger you”.

Listen on: Spotify | ‎Apple Music | TIDAL | Amazon Music

CHALK – Crystalpunk

“This record is us waving a flag for that generation — the ones who inherited confusion, resilience, and a fractured sense of self,” Belfast’s CHALK say of their dizzying debut album Crystalpunk. “The world of the album pulls from the cultural landscape that shaped us, and is a homage to the music and individuals that built it.” Specifically, this world is built around thudding techno bass and a whirlwind of post-punk guitars, reflecting the fractured nature of their city, but the intensity and strength that lies at its heart.

Listen on: Spotify | ‎Apple Music | TIDAL | Amazon Music

Kim Gordon – PLAY ME

Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon has had a late-career renaissance with a series of solo albums that have seen her experiment wildly and delightfully. Play Me, her third solo album in seven years, is the most confident and musically adventurous yet. “We wanted the songs to be short,” Gordon says. “We wanted to do it really fast. It’s more focused, and maybe more confident.” In tearing down the billionaire class and going deeper into her own anti-corporate politics, Play Me is a scything and inspirational state of the union address.

Listen on: Spotify | ‎Apple Music | TIDAL | Amazon Music

Anjimile – You’re Free to Go

Across his three studio albums, the Durham, North Carolina-based songwriter Anjimile has made deeply affecting and thoughtful folk music inspired by his struggles but always facing forwards. On new album You’re Free to Go, he collaborates with Iron & Wine and more on a record that tracks a transitional period in his life through gorgeous, heartfelt songs that feel more confident and rounded than ever.

Listen on: Spotify | ‎Apple Music | TIDAL | Amazon Music