THIS week’s New Music Fridays is all about the comeback. Three out of our four artists are returning from long periods away from the studio.
Our list sees big projects from the legendary Mary J Blige, ethereal indie rockers Alt-J and more as another working week comes to its conclusion.
Check out the week’s biggest releases below:
Mary J Blige – Good Morning Gorgeous
Just a few days ahead of her massive Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show with Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Dr Dre and Snoop Dogg, Mary J Blige is back after a five-year hiatus with one of her best albums yet. Good Morning Gorgeous sees Blige in rare form and her sound feels as fresh and as clean as ever.
Blige has spoken a lot in the build-up to the release about body image and self-esteem, and Good Morning Gorgeous is a self-care album at its core. Big features from DJ Khaled, Anderson .Paak, Fivio Foreign and Usher are tastefully distributed throughout the 38-minute-long record.
DDW’s standout song: On Top (feat. Fivio Foreign)
Alt-J – The Dream
Another artist to return after five years away, the ethereal sounds of Alt-J return with The Dream, a complex soundscape bestowing listeners with a musical connection to the universe. Often sounding a little alien at times, the otherworldliness is compounded by the record’s peculiar artwork. Is that an alien taking a shower?
The distinctive Alt-J sound can be heard throughout The Dream – the same sound that won them the Mercury Prize back in 2012 is still winning plaudits 10 years later.
DDW’s standout song: Happier When You’re Gone
Frank Turner – FTHC
Frank Turner moves back towards punk rock on his new record FTHC – an excellent return to form after 2019’s tender No Man’s Land. The English rockstar looks inward on his new record, touching on his past struggles with addiction on Untainted Love and repairing his relationship with his father after she came out as trans on Miranda.
Comprised of 20 songs running for over an hour, FTHC provides plenty of material for Turner fans to get stuck into this weekend.
DDW’s standout song: Haven’t Been Doing So Well
Eddie Vedder – Earthling
Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder has released his first solo album in over a decade, and he’s brought out some big names for his return. You only have to look at the likes of Ringo Star, Elton John and Stevie Wonder to see that Vedder is not messing around.
Negotiating several musical styles, Earthling’s through-line is its allegiance to fatherhood, something Vedder never had as a kid. Taking inspiration from the music that raised him – think U2, Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen – Earthling sees Vedder reach a sense of acceptance not heard before on his records.
DDW’s standout song: Brother the Cloud
Singles
Nicki Minaj & Lil Baby – Bussin
ODESZA – The Last Goodbye (feat. Bettye LaVette)