6 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 Little Simz, MUNA, Basement, Aldous Harding, Lykke Li and The Lemon Twigs.

Little Simz – SUGAR GIRL

A year on from her sixth album, Lotus, Little Simz returns with an EP which goes far in reminding us of how this prodigious rap talent refuses to sit on her laurels. The pounding ‘That’s a No No’ leans into industrial distortion, while an all star array of guests including DEELA, JT and 070 Shake can be found across the four-track effort. It’s every bit as alluring as the bag of sugary treats adorning the cover.

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

MUNA – Dancing on the Wall

While MUNA’s music might sound euphoric and uplifting on the surface, there has always been tension and unease bubbling just below the surface. The Los Angeles trio transmit this best on fourth album Dancing on the Wall, which sees them trying to escape the shadow of political unrest through hedonism. On the single ‘Big Stick’ though, the former wins out as vocalist Katie Gavin sings: “America gives more than America takes / We give weapons to dictators in apartheid states / We give kids in Palestine PTSD / But we’ll never fucking ever give them something to eat.”

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

Basement – WIRED

On their first album in eight years, Ipswich rockers Basement reaffirm why they are a beloved mainstay of the UK rock and emo scene. In a track-by-track guide of new record WIRED for Rolling Stone UK, they say the new record “tells a good story of where we are at as a band and the journey we’ve been on since we started in 2010. Being confident and happy doing the band the way we know how and working with people who understand us and have been with us since the start”. It’s the sound of a band growing into themselves more than ever before.

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

Aldous Harding – Train on the Island

Aldous Harding’s new album is her third to be produced by John Parish (PJ Harvey), with the pair once again teaming up at Wales’ storied Rockfield Studios. As with her best work, the New Zealander makes music here that is intrinsically strange and layered, with plenty to discover within its weirdness. “I’m not afraid, like you’re not gay / And you’re not old, like I’m on the spectrum,” begins the album on opening song ‘I Ate the Most’, opening up a world of delightful surrealism that continues throughout.

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

Lykke Li – The Afterparty

The old saying suggests that less is more. Lykke Li is clearly a proponent too, on an album that packs nine songs into an incredibly lean 24 minutes. ‘Lucky Now’ leans into classic scandi disco, while the dopamine rush of ‘So Happy I Could Die’ feels like a soundtrack for the summer. The singer has previously said this could well be her last album, but you’ll be hoping she reneges when the results are as good as this.

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

The Lemon Twigs – Look For Your Mind!

The Lemon Twigs have always has one foot planted firmly in the past, but their latest record suggests it’s not always a bad place to be. The title track ‘Look For Your Mind’ is an electrifying blast of unfettered rock and roll, while the sunshine-soaked joy of ‘2 or 3’ feels like the perfect omen for the months ahead. It’s of little surprise to hear that retro sounds are once more at the fore here, but when they’re done as well as this, few complaints will surely be heard.

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