All Songs Considered: Best New Songs—Mitski, Father John Misty, Kim Gordon & More
Host: Robin Hilton (NPR)
Guest: Hazel Cills
Airdate: January 27, 2026
Episode Overview
In this episode, Robin Hilton and Hazel Cills dive into some of the most exciting new releases in indie and alternative music. The conversation flows through notable new singles and upcoming albums from beloved artists like Mitski, Father John Misty, Kim Gordon, as well as emerging talents including Robber Robber, Tinariwen, and Vero. The hosts explore themes of artistic evolution, emotional overwhelm, and the creative quirks that shape these standout tracks.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Recent Storms and Store Runs (00:15 – 01:24)
- Robin and Hazel open with banter about weather disruptions in New York and the universal experience of panic buying, highlighting the curious obsession with toilet paper shortages.
2. Mitski – "Where's My Phone?" (04:44 – 09:33)
- Announcement: Mitski’s new album Nothing's About to Happen to Me lands February 27, 2026.
- First Impressions: The track signals a return to Mitski’s raw, rock-oriented side, reminiscent of Bury Me at Make Out Creek. Hazel observes, “Mitski is back in, like, rocker mode…this is a mode that I haven't heard her be in in quite a while.” (06:14)
- Song Analysis: The hosts agree the song uses the search for a missing phone as a powerful metaphor for existential unrest.
- Robin: “I just love how she can take the most mundane little thing…and then blow it up into this big anthemic stadium sized rock.” (06:59)
- Hazel expresses that, although initially perplexed, the track’s persistence in her mind (“I have thought about this song a lot…When I need to find my phone.” (09:05)) points to Mitski’s knack for capturing collective anxieties.
- Conceptual Layer: The album is presented as a concept record about a reclusive, unraveling woman, adding context to the song’s deeper themes.
3. Robber Robber – "The Sound It Made" (09:44 – 14:42)
- Band Spotlight: Vermont up-and-comers Robber Robber impress Hazel with their discordant, industrial rock energy.
- Sound and Era: Hazel draws parallels between Robber Robber and “the Kim Gordon album…Water From Your Eyes. This very kind of discordant, intense instrumentals…a vocalist who is very kind of coolly and calmly, not even singing, like, sing-talking over it…” (13:24)
- Thematic Thread: Robin notes a recurring motif of feeling overwhelmed, “the music suggests the exact opposite” of lyrical comfort (14:42).
- Album Info: Two Wheels Move the Soul, out April 3.
4. Father John Misty – "The Old Law" (17:36 – 26:00)
- Background: Uncertainty surrounds a new album, but "The Old Law" (formerly "God's Trash") emerges as a noteworthy single.
- Persona and Reception: Robin admits to being fascinated by Father John Misty’s “mad genius” (22:55), while Hazel describes him as “very aware of performing genius or ideas of genius.” (23:17)
- Lyric Highlight: Hazel calls out the peculiar line, “I karate chop across the stage” (24:11), and praises the song’s humor and subversiveness, noting its reflection on “the folly of being human and how pointless all of it seems.” (24:17)
- Cultural Commentary: The duo observes Tillman’s blend of irony, cynicism, and comedy, often misread as detachment.
5. Kim Gordon – "Not Today" (26:20 – 33:05)
- Artistic Turn: Hazel notes a shift from the abrasive, trap-influenced work on 2024’s The Collective to a lighter, kraut-rock-influenced sound: “It’s so much softer…she’s kind of singing a bit more.” (30:18)
- Lyrical Gems: Robin's favorite line: “Where’s my gum? Postmate.” (31:16)
- Robin: “The idea that she ordered gum to be delivered to her house and that this is like, this is the hill I'm gonna die on today. It is the sound of someone who’s just not having it.”
- Social Critique: Hazel points out Gordon’s ability to slip in commentary on consumerism and contemporary malaise.
- Album Info: Play Me releases March 13.
6. Tinariwen – "Sagarat Asani" feat. Sulafa Elias (33:46 – 39:12)
- Band Background: Robin introduces Tinariwen as luminaries of West Africa’s desert blues, with over forty years of musical history.
- Musical & Emotional Impact: Both hosts praise Sulafa Elias’s feature—Robin: “The singer sounds really good on it...it was actually pretty special that they were able to bring her onto this recording.” (38:15)
- Cultural Note: The rarity of female vocalists in Tinariwen’s music, due to social constraints, adds emotional weight to the track.
- Album Info: Hoggar out March 13.
7. Vero – "100 calls" (39:28 – 41:30)
- New Discovery: Hazel highlights Swedish band Vero, expressing excitement for their emotional, slow-burning songwriting.
- Sound Comparison: Robin hears echoes of Chrissie Hynde and The Pretenders, “but like a very mumbly Chrissie Hinde… late 70s, early 80s sound.” (40:06)
- Lyric Highlight: Hazel shares, “There’s this lyric in the song…‘my friends are happy that I came. I want to tell them that I made it.’…it’s like it’s the greatest thing that’s ever happened.” (41:19)
- Emotional Resonance: The track’s understated catharsis and sense of relief stand out.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On Mitski’s themes:
- Robin (06:59): “I just love how she can take the most mundane little thing…and then blow it up into this big anthemic stadium sized rock.”
- On Robber Robber’s appeal:
- Hazel (13:24): “This band is really ticking a lot of, I think…”
- Robin (14:42): “A theme that’s recurring…is the feeling of being overwhelmed.”
- On Father John Misty:
- Hazel (23:17): “He is very aware of performing genius or ideas of genius…so many moments where he’s fashioned himself as a mystic or someone who’s, like, calling out aspects of culture.”
- On Kim Gordon’s style:
- Robin (31:16): “‘Where's my gum? Postmate.’…this is the hill I’m gonna die on today.”
- Hazel (33:05): “Where she’s talking about, like…never mind the mess, it’s just my dress. She’s singing about having a hole in her heart…beautiful chaos…an unraveling.”
- On Tinariwen’s guest vocalist:
- Robin (38:15): “It was really special that they got her on it. And it just sounds incredible. When she first comes in, I was like, oh, what is this? This is amazing.”
- On Vero:
- Hazel (41:19): “My friends are happy that I came. I want to tell them that I made it… it’s the greatest thing that’s ever happened.”
Timestamps for Key Tracks & Segments
- Mitski – "Where's My Phone?": 03:03 – 09:33
- Robber Robber – "The Sound It Made": 09:44 – 15:43
- Father John Misty – "The Old Law": 17:36 – 26:00
- Kim Gordon – "Not Today": 26:20 – 33:05
- Tinariwen feat. Sulafa Elias – "Sagarat Asani": 33:46 – 39:12
- Vero – "100 calls": 39:28 – end
Tone & Vibe
The conversation is playful and geeky, with Robin and Hazel bringing genuine enthusiasm, humor, and curiosity to their reviews and reflections. The tone balances appreciation for artistry with a sense of cultural context, touching on feelings of isolation, overwhelm, and searching for comfort in familiar or unexpectedly cathartic music.
Final Thoughts
This episode offers a vibrant guided tour through the emotional and stylistic landscapes of contemporary indie music. From Mitski’s existential stadium rock to Kim Gordon’s wry poeticism and Tinariwen’s transcendent blues, the new year’s releases spark hope, catharsis, and thoughtful critique—served with characteristically warm and witty banter from the All Songs Considered team.