6 albums you need to hear this week
With music from Panic Shack, Lord Huron, Alex G, Laura Jane Grace, Billie Marten and We Are Scientists
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 Panic Shack, Laura Jane Grace, Lord Huron, Billie Marten, We Are Scientists and Alex G.
Panic Shack – Panic Shack
“The album is a welcome to our world, from start to finish,” Panic Shack’s Sarah Harvey told Rolling Stone UK of their self-titled debut in our new Play Next interview with the Cardiff rabble. Their world, it seems, is one that mixes brilliant, hedonistic fun with righteous anger, all told through hugely fun punk songs that present a proper gang. “It’s about our energy, what we do together as friends, our experiences, what we find funny, what pisses us off,” bandmate Em Smith added.
Listen on: Spotify | Apple Music | TIDAL | Amazon Music
Lord Huron – The Cosmic Selector V.1
The latest project for songwriter Ben Schneider as Lord Huron sees him asking the big questions, as represented on the cosmic destiny jukebox that adorns the albums cover. Schneider asks: “What if you could choose your fate like choosing a song on a jukebox? What if your finger slipped and you got the B-side instead?” These themes are represented on the haunting ‘Looking Back’, while the lilting Americana of ‘Who Laughs Last’ features a cameo from Kristen Stewart.
Listen on: Spotify | Apple Music | TIDAL | Amazon Music
Alex G – Headlights
For his first album on a major label after becoming the shining light of the 2010s lo-fi indie scene, Alex G turns down the sonic weirdness and harsh aesthetics of his most-known work for an album that feels softer and more introspective. Led by the glistening single ‘Afterlife’, it sees Philadelphia native Alex Giannascoli wrestling with his status as a symbol of independent resistance, one which he reveals on ‘Beam Me Up’ that he’s an unwilling figurehead of. As nonchalantly as ever, he sings: “Some things I do for love, some things I do for money / It ain’t like I don’t want it / It ain’t like I’m above it.”
Listen on: Spotify | Apple Music | TIDAL | Amazon Music
Laura Jane Grace in the Trauma Tropes – Adventure Club
It’s understandable that the place where you write an album could colour its entire mood, and that’s certainly the case on this latest punk masterclass from Laura Jane Grace. Written on an artist residency trip in Greece, the mediterranean climes have helped to create a record that proves as joyful as it does vital. The spiky ‘WWIII Revisited’ offers an anti-war riposte anchored by fizzing guitars, while ‘Your God (God’s Dick)’ is a brilliant stinging two fingers to anti-trans bigots who disguise their prejudice through religion. There’s moments of tender reflection too, as shown on the emotional ‘New Years Day’. It’s up there with Grace’s very best.
Listen on: Spotify | Apple Music | TIDAL | Amazon Music
Billie Marten – Dog Eared
On her fifth album, Dog Eared, Billie Marten moves beyond the pristine and pure folk that she made her name on. This is a record that exists in the depths of neuroticism and struggle, but still manages to retain its beauty. Recording in New York with producer Phil Weinrobe and a backing band featuring Sam Evian, Sam Amidon, Shahzad Ismaily and Maia Friedman. Weinrobe says: “Dog Eared is a fucking miracle. This record feels like what music is supposed to be — a creative dialogue between wide open musicians, all pushing in the exact same direction.”
Listen on: Spotify | Apple Music | TIDAL | Amazon Music
We Are Scientists – Qualifying Miles
On their latest album, these indie veterans return to the music that shaped the band’s childhoods, while also returning to the skewed and skittish guitar sound that allowed them to become a beloved staple of the noughties. The soaring ‘Please Don’t Say It’ is up there with their best, while the record leans heavily into dancefloor-primed hooks and razor sharp lyrics. There’s still plenty left in their tank.
Listen on: Spotify | Apple Music | TIDAL | Amazon Music