New Music, April 2025 Edition

Some great new albums and singles for your weekend

Dear Reader,

We have already had a ton of interesting new music dumped on us so far in 2025, far more than I can keep track of. It’s nice to know that people are still making great records as the world seems to be falling apart. In fact, there has been so much great new music that I have decided to hold back the classical titles for a separate post in a week or two.

You’ll find a playlist at the bottom of the post. Enjoy! I’ll be back soon with a piece on Chaucer’s Criseyde.

Yours,

John

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Japanese Breakfast: For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women)

This is for sure an early candidate for album of the year. Japanese Breakfast is fronted by Michelle Zauner, who is also the author of the beautiful memoir Crying in H-Mart. Reportedly, she has another book in the works. If you love sophisiticated, literate dream-pop, then this is the record for you. I’ve had this playing on repeat since the day it dropped.

Kat Deal: “Tongue Tied” (single)

This is the first single from the tremendously talented singer/songwriter/guitarist Kat Deal, who reminds me here of a young Dolly Parton. Full disclosure: Kat is a good friend of mine, but that doesn’t make her any less awesome. Keep her on your radar, and catch her live if you can.

HAIM: “Everybody’s trying to figure me out” (single)

HAIM’s 2020 release Women in Music (Part III) was one of my favorite pop albums of the last ten years, and I hope that this terrific new single means that another one is on the way soon!

Beirut: A Study of Losses (forthcoming April 18th)

There are already three notable singles that you can hear from this new record, but the full album drops next week. If you are not familiar with Beirut’s distinctive sonic universe, these tunes are a great place to start. Front man, singer, and multi-instrumentalist Zach Condon’s voice, as always, sounds both youthful and ancient, fresh and world-weary.

Steven Wilson: The Overview

I have recommended prog rocker Steven Wilson’s music before. If you like complicated, ambitious prog on a grand scale, then you should give this a listen—though this might not be the best place to start for Wilson’s music. If you are not familiar with him, then I recommend his masterpiece, Hand. Cannot. Erase. This new album is impressive, but I need a few more listens before I can comment more fully. Full review forthcoming perhaps.

Horsegirl: Phonetics On and On

This superb, minimalist rock band is on the opposite end of the complexity scale from Wilson. Their songs are simple, energetic, and instantly memorable. They have been around forever, and here they remind me of early 10,000 Maniacs, or early REM with well-annunciated singing. Great road music.

Ethel Cain: Perverts

This disturbing record is not for the faint of heart. Cain is relentlessly experimental, creating haunting soundscapes that combine dark ambient vibes with somewhat unhinged singer/songwriter moments and echoes of American Primitive hymns. But if you are up for it, this is an album that will reward many listens.

And here is the playlist:

New Music Early 2025 on Apple Music

New Music Early 2025 on Spotify

NB: The playlist leads with the singles, followed by the full albums.

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Thanks for listening, from my fancy internet cassette deck to yours.

Photo by Silas Gregory on Unsplash