14 New Albums Worth Hearing Right Now: Lambchop, Julia Holter, Denzel Curry, Jorja Smith and Weezer
Pitchfork's fourteen new albums and EPs just landed, with Lambchop, Julia Holter, Denzel Curry, Rapsody, Jorja Smith, Weezer and a whole lot more competing for the same pair of headphones.
Buried inside that release-day pile is a much cleaner story: three very different lanes are opening at once, and the fun part is figuring out which one fits your weekend.
➜ The real story: New Music Friday only feels like homework when every record gets dumped into one giant bucket.
This batch makes a lot more sense once the art-pop left turns, guitar bands and rhythm-first records get their own corners.
Here’s the shortcut, minus the spreadsheet energy.
Lambchop, Julia Holter, GB, Black Marble and Plum Take the Art-Pop and Post-Punk Route
Julia Holter returns with Materia, a compact but exploratory set that revisits the title composition in multiple forms, while Lambchop takes Punching the Clown toward sparse gospel-informed ballads and choir-backed modern hymns.
GB pushes Herzsprung through mathy guitar turns, jazz-fusion color and art-rock structures without making the whole thing feel like a theory class.
Black Marble keeps Life in Small Spaces rooted in coldwave and synth-pop, while Chicago trio Plum turns Bodies in Motion into a twitchy post-punk and new-wave record built to move.
If that lane is your lane, keep the tab open on new indie, electronic and alternative music.
Westside Cowboy, Wild Pink, Brandon Flowers, The Afghan Whigs and Weezer Keep Guitar Music Restless
Westside Cowboy sounds unusually settled for a debut on It Goes On, blending deadpan alt-rock with big drums and a loose band feel.
Wild Pink expands Still Coming Down without losing its suburban-rock intimacy, while The Afghan Whigs pull Soft Control toward dark, soul-soaked alternative rock.
Brandon Flowers goes country-facing on Thrasher, and Weezer somehow reaches self-titled album number seven with The Gold Album, this time leaning harder and rougher around the edges.
Westside Cowboy is also headed into the UK festival circuit, so the Leeds Festival 2026 lineup and ticket guide is worth keeping nearby.
Denzel Curry, Kenny Beats, Rapsody, Jorja Smith and diamond* Turn Rap and R&B Into the Wild Card
On the rap and R&B side, Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats reunite for II, a raw, stripped-back sequel that leaves plenty of room for confrontation and guests including JPEGMAFIA, Westside Gunn and Yebba.
Rapsody moves God Gotta Afro & Gold Hoops across hip-hop, funk, Afrobeat and R&B, while Jorja Smith threads What Are the Odds through garage, grime, 2-step, UK funky and intimate dance-pop.
Atlanta rapper diamond* keeps the momentum going with Bling Bøi EP 2: Høsted by DJ Høliday, bringing DJ Holiday into a rising ØWay and YSL orbit.
If this is the start of your next listening list, the Spacelab music festival guide is the next logical rabbit hole for finding where these sounds live onstage.
FAQs
What are the best new albums to listen to right now?
Start with Julia Holter for exploratory art pop, Westside Cowboy or Wild Pink for indie rock, and Denzel Curry with Kenny Beats or Rapsody for rap.
Which new indie and alternative albums are out now?
Try It Goes On by Westside Cowboy, Still Coming Down by Wild Pink, Soft Control by The Afghan Whigs, The Gold Album by Weezer and Life in Small Spaces by Black Marble.
Which new rap and R&B albums are out now?
Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats return with II, Rapsody has God Gotta Afro & Gold Hoops, Jorja Smith has What Are the Odds, and diamond* has Bling Bøi EP 2.
