8 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 RAYE, Robyn, Central Cee, Tom Misch, Elmiene, Fcukers, Courtney Barnett and Snail Mail.

RAYE – THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE.

On her second album, RAYE opts for that most casual and palatable of things: A 71-minute opus. Thankfully it’s a record which justifies every minute of that gut-busting length. There’s Bond-esque glory on ‘I Will Overcome’, a stunning collab with Hans Zimmer on ‘Click Clack Symphony’ and even euphoric disco on ‘Joy’. It makes for an eclectic, unpredictable and hugely exciting listen.

Read our full review of THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE. here.

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

Robyn – Sexistential

There are almost enough songs on Robyn’s new album Sexistential (nine) to assign one to each year since she released her last album, Honey (eight). With another eight years before that since she released the classic Body Talk, it’s clear the Swedish pop icon now only shows herself when she’s really got something worth saying. Sexistential is an album that sees her growing in every way – more brash, more careful, more loving. While ageing might often come with fears of less, Robyn gives more in every department and flips the script on both her own narrative, as well as those traditionally associated with pop stars her age.

Read our full review of Sexistential here.

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

Central Cee – ALL ROADS LEAD HOME

A year on from his celebrated debut album, Cench’s latest sees the West London MC provide fans with a tantalising glimpse of where he’s headed next. ‘Feelings’ offers up a subtle trap beat, while the previously released ‘Slaughter’ – a collab with J Hus – sounds even more electric in the context of this seven track project. Fans of the UK rap great will lap it up.

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

Tom Misch – Full Circle

After establishing himself as a leading voice in London’s nu-jazz scene of the 2010s, Tom Misch was forced to reckon with what happens when burnout hits. He dissects the reality on Full Circle, an album about the importance of needing a creative reset when things become too much. The searing ‘Echo from the Flames’ captures that feeling of emotional weight, while the charming ‘Old Man’ sees him reckoning with hitting his thirties. The sound of this record is that of someone who, contrary to that title, feel fresher than ever.

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

Elmiene – sounds for someone

Elmiene’s anticipated debut sees the London star offer a record which effortlessly weaves in all his influences. There’s shades of Lauryn Hill on ‘Light By the Window’ and a whiff of Sade on ‘Lonely People’. It’s incredibly emotional too, as shown on Cry Against the Wind’, as Elmiene wrestles with his guilt around the death of his father Jameel. A rich sonic palette, paired with soul-baring honesty, results in a debut that will rank among the year’s best.

Read our full review of sounds for someone here.

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

Fcukers – Ö

Old school indie sleaze and the thump of messy, chaotic club music collide on the debut album from New York duo Fcukers. With the deliciously grubby beats of Jackson Walker Lewis paired against the straight-talking vocals of Shanny Wise, it’s a record that demands you dance. The key to their brilliance is in simplicity, shown best on lead single ‘I Like It Like That’, based around a simple but undeniable vocal hook that should by rights define festival summer.

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

Courtney Barnett – Creature of Habit

Creature of Habit arrives at a crossroads in Courtney Barnett’s career as well as her life. Written amid a relocation from her native Melbourne to Los Angeles, and with the shuttering of her influential Milk! Records label, this creature of habit had to learn new ways of living. On the record, she sensitively tackles the change with her customary wit and songwriting that continues to grow stronger.

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

Snail Mail – Ricochet

Change has followed Lindsey Jordan around in the few years leading up to the creation of new Snail Mail album Ricochet. Moving out of New York to small town North Carolina, as well as undergoing surgery for vocal polyps and intensive speech therapy, the record marks a new chapter in multiple ways. Further down the road from the romantic and idealistic songs of her first two albums, Ricochet grapples with regret, death and dissatisfaction, all sung with a newly toughened voice.

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