Must-Hear Music Drops: Jenny Hval, Car Seat Headrest, Model/Actriz Unveil New Albums!

Jenny Hval: Iris Silver Mist [4AD]

Jenny Hval’s newest offering, Iris Silver Mist, arises from her unique concert experiences where she surrounded herself with rice cookers to evoke the scent of domestic warmth. The album, named after a fragrance, showcases Hval’s ability to weave ethereal synths into rich, atmospheric settings that perfectly complement her celestial vocal melodies. Her compositions are grand yet intimate, combining profound, humorous lyrics with an elegance that transforms everyday observations into expansive, reflective dialogues.

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Purchase/Stream at Bandcamp
Buy at Rough Trade

Model/Actriz: Pirouette [True Panther]

Rapidly ascending Brooklyn band Model/Actriz, with frontman Cole Haden who recently penned songs with Miley Cyrus, returns with Pirouette. This album melds pop elements with their signature bone-shaking noise-rock style, infusing influences from Haden’s childhood idols like Britney Spears and Mariah Carey into a grungy mix of industrial and techno sounds.

Available on Apple Music
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Available on Tidal
Available on Amazon Music
Purchase/Stream at Bandcamp
Buy at Rough Trade

Car Seat Headrest: The Scholars [Matador]

Car Seat Headrest unveils their first major project in five years, The Scholars, a narrative-driven album set within the fictional Parnassus University. The record explores the lives of students endowed with supernatural abilities, with tracks like “Gethsemane” focusing on a medical student who revives the dead, and “CCF (I’m Gonna Stay With You),” which follows a student who believes he’s the reincarnation of the university’s founder. This concept album follows their 2020 release Making a Door Less Open.

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Available on Tidal
Available on Amazon Music
Purchase/Stream at Bandcamp
Buy at Rough Trade

Yung Lean: Jonatan [World Affairs]

Swedish artist Yung Lean, also known as Jonatan Leandoer, returns with Jonatan, his first solo album since 2020’s Starz. This album represents a fusion of his introspective side with the eccentric rap style that first made him famous. Highlighted by the track “Forever Yung,” the album features collaborations with notable artists such as Frank Ocean’s collaborator Rami Dawod, along with contributions from Beck and Oneohtrix Point Never.

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Available on Amazon Music

Anthony Naples: Scanners [ANS]

Anthony Naples introduces his sixth album, Scanners, a deep dive into the sleek, wriggly world of New York house music. Recorded in Queens, this hypnotic album thrives on playful energy while maintaining the ethereal quality of Naples’ more ambient works. Scanners comes after his 2023 release, Orbs.

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Purchase/Stream at Bandcamp

Boldy James & Real Bad Man: Conversational Pieces [Real Bad Man]

Motivated rapper Boldy James collaborates once again with Los Angeles producer Real Bad Man for their 2025 project Conversational Pieces, featuring notable appearances from artists like El-P and Conway the Machine. This album marks their third partnership, following the success of 2022’s Killing Nothing and 2020’s Real Bad Boldy. The new album combines James’ relentless lyrical delivery with Real Bad Man’s distinctive, psychedelic beats, drawing inspiration from Ennio Morricone’s style, and spans 40 minutes of intense musical expression.

Available on Apple Music
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Available on Amazon Music

Blondshell: If You Asked for a Picture [Partisan]

Blondshell returns with her latest work, If You Asked for a Picture, which builds on her debut by blending pop, folk, and alternative rock. This album delves into the complexities of love and familial relationships, reflecting a shift from her previous themes of external conflict to a more introspective examination of her own role in these dynamics. The artist explores these themes through sharp pop hooks and incisive lyrics.

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Available on Tidal
Available on Amazon Music
Purchase/Stream at Bandcamp
Buy at Rough Trade

Mei Semones: Animaru [Bayonet]

Mei Semones, known for her captivating Kabutomushi EP, continues to redefine indie-rock with her debut album Animaru. This record blends the soft melancholy of Brazilian popular music with intricate jazz guitar and lush chamber-pop, creating a sound that is as technically impressive as it is emotionally compelling. Semones celebrates this release with a music video for the album’s title track.

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Purchase/Stream at Bandcamp
Buy at Rough Trade

Paco Cathcart: Down on Them [Wharf Cat]

New York’s underground music scene veteran Paco Cathcart steps forward with Down on Them, his latest album released under his own name. This album marks a departure from his previous lo-fi aesthetic, known from his work as the Cradle, unveiling a clearer and more refined sound. Cathcart’s DIY ethos remains intact, bringing fresh energy to his songwriting and production.

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Purchase/Stream at Bandcamp
Buy at Rough Trade

Loscil: Lake Fire [Kranky]

Loscil, under the alias of Scott Morgan, presents Lake Fire, an album that confrontationally explores the ambient genre. Inspired by a road trip near active wildfires, the album uses mesmerizing loops and expansive drones to evoke a sense of urgency and imminent danger, reflecting a landscape both literal and metaphorical.

Available on Apple Music
Available on Spotify
Available on Tidal
Available on Amazon Music
Purchase/Stream at Bandcamp
Buy at Rough Trade

Rainy Miller: Joseph, What Have You Done? [Fixed Abode]

Rainy Miller continues to evolve his unique sound with Joseph, What Have You Done?, an album that draws inspiration from Christianity, country music, and the Southern Gothic aesthetic. This project, influenced partly by the 2003 documentary Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus, follows his successful 2022 album Desquamation, and a 2023 collaboration with Space Afrika. Miller has described the album’s style as “Northern Gothic,” a nod to his roots in Northern England, realized with the help of collaborators like More Eaze and Danish composer August Rosenbaum.

Available on Apple Music
Available on Spotify
Available on Tidal
Available on Amazon Music
Purchase/Stream at Bandcamp
Buy at Rough Trade