New Music Friday: The best records out March 28

Summary

All Songs Considered: New Music Friday – March 28, 2025

Host: Stephen Thompson
Guest: Alicia Sweeney (Colorado Public Radio, Indy 1023)
Release Date: March 28, 2025

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Introduction

In this episode of NPR's All Songs Considered, host Stephen Thompson is joined by Alicia Sweeney from Colorado Public Radio's Indy 1023. Together, they delve into the standout music releases of March 28, 2025, discussing new albums from an array of artists such as Lucy Dacus, Perfume Genius, Great Grandpa, and more. The conversation highlights the themes of community, artistic growth, and the vibrant energy of springtime music releases.

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Lucy Dacus – Forever is a Feeling

[01:26]
Lucy Dacus debuts her fourth solo album, Forever is a Feeling, her first since her 2021 release and following her three Grammy wins with the band Boygenius. The album is celebrated for its intimate and confident sound, blending lush arrangements with poignant lyrics.

Notable Discussion:

• Relationship Influence: Alicia brings up the personal aspect of Lucy confirming her relationship with Boygenius co-star Julien Baker, prompting Stephen to reflect on separating artists' personal lives from their music creations.
  Stephen Thompson: "I try not to get bogged down in the personal lives of the musicians I love... I root for their happiness." [02:57]

• Song Highlights: The duet with Hozier and the closing track “Lost Time” are highlighted for their emotional depth and beautiful instrumentation.
  Stephen Thompson: "It’s a lush, rich, beautiful record." [05:40]

Notable Quotes:

• Lucy Dacus: "Flicking embers into daffodils. You didn't plan to tell me how you feel?" [01:40]
• Alicia Sweeney: "The lyric, it's so intense... it is about them finding their love while on tour with Boygenius." [04:41]

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Perfume Genius – Glory

[08:24]
Perfume Genius releases his seventh album, Glory, emerging from a period of depression experienced during the COVID pandemic. The album showcases his signature sound—tremulous vocals layered over bold, sparkling arrangements.

Notable Discussion:

• Artistic Evolution: Alicia notes this is the first time Perfume Genius has opened up his songwriting extensively, collaborating closely with his band and partner, Adam Wyffels.
  Alicia Sweeney: "This is the first time that he's opened up his songwriting like that..." [10:01]

• Standout Tracks: "In A Row" and "Left for Tomorrow" are praised for their haunting quality and Lynchian feel, respectively.
  Stephen Thompson: "This song will truly haunt my dreams in the best way." [12:16]

Notable Quotes:

• Perfume Genius: "Counting Every bone I hear murmurs from the front broken up." [11:08]
• Alicia Sweeney: "It's very Lynchian to me... an otherworldly voice." [12:49]

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Great Grandpa – Patience Moonbeam

[18:16]
Seattle-based band Great Grandpa unveils Patience Moonbeam, their first full album in five years. Known for their harmonious collaborations and intricate songwriting, the album reflects a reunion after internal tensions during the pandemic.

Notable Discussion:

• Band Dynamics: Alicia discusses the band's reconvening post-pandemic, emphasizing the strength of their relationships and collective creativity.
  Alicia Sweeney: "They threw out all the songs they had kind of written in the past and started afresh." [19:23]

• Musical Highlights: "Ladybug" is celebrated for its nostalgic yet modern sound, while "Doom" is noted for its Radiohead-esque complexity.
  Stephen Thompson: "It's like a long lost David Lynch soundtrack in a way." [24:21]

Notable Quotes:

• Great Grandpa: "Staring at me, taking cake for free and hello, how are you?" [21:59]
• Alicia Sweeney: "I'm just trying to make a great record and put a good song together." [22:55]

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Destroyer (Dan Behar) – Dan's Boogie

[25:59]
Dan Behar, performing as Destroyer, releases Dan's Boogie, his latest album that showcases his unique lyrical prowess and evolved musical techniques honed over 14 solo albums and numerous projects with New Pornographers.

Notable Discussion:

• Songcraft Evolution: Stephen praises the incorporation of new elements reminiscent of A.C. Newman’s influence, highlighting tracks like "Hydroplaning off the Edge of the World."
  Stephen Thompson: "He's weaving in a bunch of the tricks that he's learned along the way." [27:25]

• Live Performances: Alicia shares anecdotes about Behar's live performances, noting his charismatic yet enigmatic stage presence.
  Alicia Sweeney: "He's just on a different level." [28:30]

Notable Quotes:

• Dan Behar: "A British Columbian thread. No matter when, no matter." [28:26]
• Alicia Sweeney: "I could get that [random lyric] tattooed on my arm right now." [31:14]

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Spelling – Portrait of My Heart

[33:04]
Christian Cabral, performing as Spelling, releases Portrait of My Heart, an album that traverses various genres while maintaining a cohesive identity. The record is noted for its theatricality and dynamic range.

Notable Discussion:

• Genre Diversity: The album features a mix of anthemic tracks like "Keep It Alive" and "Alibi," alongside R&B-influenced songs such as "Destiny Arrives."
  Stephen Thompson: "This record manages to be all over the place while still always sounding like her." [34:08]

• Collaborations: The duet with Chaz Bear (Toro y Moi) on "Mount Analog" is highlighted as Spelling's first true duet, adding depth to the album's diversity.
  Alicia Sweeney: "She joins her on the song Mount Analog." [37:14]

Notable Quotes:

• Spelling (Christian Cabral): "Heart and Soul. Right down the line." [33:47]
• Alicia Sweeney: "This record truly contains multitudes." [35:47]

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Lightning Round: Other Notable Releases

[33:04]
In a brief segment, Stephen and Alicia highlight additional albums, offering a snapshot of the diverse music landscape.

• Alison Krauss and Union Station – Arcadia
  Alison Krauss returns with Union Station, introducing Russell Moore as the new band member. The album is a testament to their enduring legacy and evolving sound.
  Quote: "A staggering 27 Grammys in a career..." [38:16]

• Yukimi – For Your
  Yukimi from Little Dragon embarks on a solo journey with her debut album, blending infectious Swedish pop with her distinctive vocals.
  Quote: "Infectious Swedish pop bands..." [39:32]

• Palmyra – Restless Payphone in Sedona Calling Someone Falling Up
  A breakout from the Tiny Desk Contest, Palmyra delivers rustic folky pop with sparkling energy under John Prine's Oh Boy Records.
  Quote: "Full of sparkly and propulsive rustic folky pop." [40:20]

• Hannah Cohen – Earth Star Mountain
  Hannah Cohen, collaborating with Sam Evian, presents a concept album dedicated to the Catskills, featuring guests like Sufjan Stevens.
  Quote: "An ode to curiosity." [40:59]

• Brian Pinero (DJ Python) – I Was Put on this
  Producer Brian Pinero showcases his genre-spanning versatility in his first EP with XL Label, offering a meditative and surprising listening experience.
  Quote: "Consistently surprising." [41:52]

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Conclusion

The episode wraps up with acknowledgments to Alicia Sweeney for her insights and contributions. Hosts encourage listeners to explore the highlighted albums and share their feedback through positive reviews on various platforms. The conversation underscores the importance of community and collaboration in the music industry, celebrating both established and emerging artists.

Final Quote: Stephen Thompson: "Take a moment to be well... and treat yourself to lots of great music." [42:26]

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Produced by: Simon Rentner
Edited by: Otis Hart
Executive Producer: Soraya Mohamed
NPR Vice President of Music and Visuals: Keith Jenkins

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This summary captures the essence of the March 28, 2025, episode of All Songs Considered, highlighting key discussions, notable quotes, and insights into the featured albums. For those who haven't listened, it provides a comprehensive overview of the latest in the music world.

Transcript

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[Stephen Thompson]

Happy Friday, everyone. From NPR Music, It's New Music Friday. I'm Stephen Thompson here with Alicia Sweeney from Colorado public radio station Indy 1023. Hey, Alicia.

[Alicia Sweeney]

Hi. Happy New Music Friday.

[Stephen Thompson]

It is a pleasure to have you here on this Fantastic Release Day, March 28th. Alicia, I was struck by a question as I listened to this week's music and maybe you can help me with this. How on earth do I put together a top 10 list at the end of this year? Because just this month on, on this show we've gotten the Annie Deruso record, the Jason Isbell record, the Tamino record, and several of the records we are about to talk about all feel like year end top 10 records.

[Alicia Sweeney]

Absolutely. You know, I was just thinking about the season that it is right now. If this week was a music festival.

[Stephen Thompson]

Oh man, I'd be there.

[Alicia Sweeney]

VIP tickets right? This time of year is so exciting for new music releases. We're ushering in spring and there's so many strong albums and there's a lot of contenders just for today.

[Stephen Thompson]

Yeah, we've got new records on this show from perfume genius, great grandpa Dan Behar and more. But first, Lucy Dacus has a new record called Forever is a Feeling.

[Dan Behar]

Flicking embers into daffodils. You didn't plan to tell me how you feel? You laugh about it like it's no, no big deal. Crush the fire underneath your heel. I'm surprised that you're the one who said it first. If you had waited a few years, I would have burst. Everything comes up to the surface in the end. Even the things we'd rather leave unspoken. We both know that it would never work.

[Alicia Sweeney]

From her fourth album, her first since 2021, Lucy Dacus from the new record Forever is a Feeling. It's also her first album since her three Grammy wins with the band Boy Genius. And thinking and knowing about this album first and foremost, Stephen, I gotta ask you, are you listening to it differently? Knowing that Lucy confirmed her relationship with Boygenius co star Julian Baker.

[Stephen Thompson]

You know, I try not to get bogged down in the personal lives of the, of the musicians I love except for the simple fact that I root for their happiness. I've talked a little bit on this show before about like, I don't need my favorite artist to be like having A miserable breakup so I can get a great breakup record. Like, I want the artists I love to thrive. They're creative people. They can still write sad songs even when they're experiencing happiness, and that's what I root for. But having that little bit of content going into this record, I definitely was picking up on threads and details and hints it is a falling in love record.

[Dan Behar]

But I love you. And every day that I knew and didn't say is Lost Time.

[Stephen Thompson]

This album closes with a song called Lost Time, which is about kind of finding what you've always wanted and wishing you could enjoy it retroactively. And it's very hard to hear that song and not think about it, like, oh, this is someone who, like, a bunch of things have suddenly snapped into place.

[Dan Behar]

Wish you were here, Wish I was there. I wish that we could have a place that we could share not only stolen moments in abandoned house, quiet touching elevators in bathroom stalls. But I will. I would. I did. I did.

[Alicia Sweeney]

That lyric, it's so intense, and I just find that one so charming because it is about them finding their love while on tour with Boy Genius. And there's also a few other songs, like you mentioned on the record that remind me of that, that I've really fallen for. Like that duet with Hozier where you're like a stranger in the club to each other, even though you know you deeply want to be together when you're watching each other perform.

[Stephen Thompson]

There's such warmth and intimacy to these songs and just these little details, little lines in these songs that jump out where you just kind of file it away. It's like, oh, that's just. That's such a sharp observation. There's a. In the song For Keeps, where she sings, if the devil's in the details, then God is in the gap in your teeth.

[Dan Behar]

If the devil's in the details, then God is in the gap in your teeth.

[Stephen Thompson]

These kind of soft, beautiful observations, while at the same time, my God, we have not really talked about the instrumentation on this record and just how assured these arrangements are. She's working with strings. Those strings might give way to vintage electronics or chunky guitars. These songs are constantly changing shape in really beautiful ways. It's such a lush, rich, beautiful record.

[Dan Behar]

I'm just shoveling popcorn in into my mouth so I don't say the things that I'm thinking.

[Alicia Sweeney]

I find it very confident and intimate and, like, thinking about it. She really put together a community of musicians to work on this album. If you're looking at the lineup of people that Join her on this one. You have Blake Mills working with her yet again. And she also works with her members of Boy Genius on this. There's Bartis Strange on the record. And I just feel like it's all about community and dreaming big. Like the Renaissance painting on the COVID of the album, performing in churches and museums. Leading up to this album release. You know, a music video where she hops out of a painting. It is this high art, but it's.

[Stephen Thompson]

Not a fussy record. At the same time, you know, there's a song on this record called Talk and it's got this big, chunky, even kind of heavy, roughed up guitar sound. I keep coming back to the word assured. This is her fourth solo album. She made those great records with Boy Genius. She is in top form and that comes through from start to finish.

[Alicia Sweeney]

And I gotta say, the song Ankles, one of my favorite songs of the year so far.

[Stephen Thompson]

Straight up, one of the best songs of the year so far.

[Dan Behar]

With the crossword in the morning, you are gonna make me tea, gonna ask me how did I.

[Stephen Thompson]

So much good music to talk about. But thrilled to kick off this conversation with Lucy Dacus. Her new album is called Forever Is a Feeling. Next up, another great record. Perfume Genius has a new album called Glory.

[Alicia Sweeney]

Perfume Genius seventh album, which was born out of a bout of depression that he experienced during COVID which we're getting a lot of those albums right now. We are hearing the Seattle native Mike Hadrius.

[Stephen Thompson]

There's always been such an interesting juxtaposition in his sound between these kind of tremulous vocals. His words come out kind of strange and gnarled and tentative and. But then they're set against these arrangements that are so sparkling and bold. It creates this beautiful juxtaposition on all of his records and this one very, very much so, where the music manages to feel both extremely interior and extremely expansive at the same time.

[Alicia Sweeney]

He said this is the first time that he's opened up his songwriting like that because he's collaborating with his bandmates, including his keyboardist and real life partner, Adam Wyffels. He said opening himself up to this kind of way to write these compositions was both scary and vulnerable for him. And I want to point out a song that is really interesting to me that stood out on the record. It's called In A Row. This is the one where he talks about getting kidnapped and then like coming out on the other side with a wink, wink, nudge, nudge of. I know this is kind of crazy of me to feel that way.

[Dan Behar]

Counting Every bone I hear murmurs from the front broken up.

[Alicia Sweeney]

One song that.

[Stephen Thompson]

Jumped out for me on this record is called Left for Tomorrow, which has this kind of slow, haunting, mysterious quality to me. And I realized as I was listening to it, like a second and third time, I'm like, you know what's gonna happen? Long. About 6 o'clock in the morning, I'm gonna wake up in that kind of liminal space between asleep and awake. This song is gonna be stuck in my head, and I'm not gonna remember what it is. But there's this haunting quality to it. And you just realize, like, this is a song that might have kind of drifted by without my really locking into it. But when I was revisiting it a second and third time, I was like, this song will truly haunt my dreams in the best way.

[Dan Behar]

The other end is just heavy breathing I bury the phone in clover Back where the light is streaming I carry it on my shoulders My shoulders, shoulders without her without her.

[Alicia Sweeney]

There is such a. Such a gentleness to his voice. And that one is such a quieter song. And a lot of times when I was listening to the record and you just saying that now, it's very Lynchian to me, like. Like a long lost David lynch soundtrack in a way. You know, he has such an otherworldly voice to me, and so does Aldous Harding, who joins him on the song no Front Teeth.

[Dan Behar]

It's on the camera thrown to the floor, and I grin just a little. It's in the palm of my hand. I feel something my entire life.

[Stephen Thompson]

On no Front Teeth, you really get that sense. It's that mix of his voice, which, as we've established, you know, has this kind of trembling quality. And then Aldous Harding, there's depth to her voice, but there's also a certain sugariness to it. And paired together, it really, really works.

[Alicia Sweeney]

Another one of the songs on the album that just feels like a fever dream of a track, you know?

[Dan Behar]

Better days Let them touch me Better Take everything I want Take everything I.

[Stephen Thompson]

That is Glory the new album by Perfume Genius. We've got some more terrific records we're going to get to this week, but first, let's take a quick break.

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[Alicia Sweeney]

Betterment is here to help customers build wealth their way. And we provide powerful technology and complete human support where technology can deliver ease of use and affordability.

[Stephen Thompson]

And the people behind that technology can provide advice and guidance.

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[Dan Behar]

Welcome to Black in the Garden. I'm your host, Cola B. Talkin. There's a deep rooted connection in history between our heritage and the earth's soil. Are you ready to dig deeper soil Cousins? Tune in weekly to Black in the Garden, the intersection of black culture and horticulture. Part of the NPR podcast.

[Stephen Thompson]

It's New Music Friday from NPR Music. I'm Stephen Thompson here with Alicia Sweeney from Colorado Public radio station Indy 1023. Alicia, tell people who aren't familiar with it about Indy 1023.

[Alicia Sweeney]

You know, Denver's always been a really strong radio market, but there was never a solid non commercial indie rock radio station. So that's kind of where Colorado Public Radio comes in. In 2011, I helped launch this station and the directive was to bring the best new and independent and local music to the Colorado music community. And we've been doing it ever since.

[Stephen Thompson]

Oh, that's wonderful. I know Otis Hart, our colleague, was saying that he's been listening to 1023 on the new and improved NPR app, you know, which allows people to kind of really soak up a bunch of these great public radio stations across the.

[Alicia Sweeney]

Country One of the things that I'm proud of is that we incorporate Colorado music into every hour on the radio through an initiative that I curate called Local 303, where we highlight. Highlight a different Colorado band every hour. And our local music scene is so good across genres, and our local artists just fit seamlessly against heavy indie music titans like the ones we're featuring in this episode. I feel really lucky.

[Stephen Thompson]

It's a great station. Next up, speaking of greatness, a fantastic, fantastic band that I've loved for a while now, Great Grandpa has a new album called Patience Moonbeam. So Great Grandpa's been around for a little while now. They put out a really terrific record five years ago and have only really put out one song since. You know, there were kind of solo projects and side projects, and last year, they put out my song of the year called Kid, which is near the end of this record and continues to just be one of my favorite songs. It absolutely wrecks me.

[Dan Behar]

Train she'll swim across this Edmore.

[Stephen Thompson]

And so now they've got a full record where it feels like they're picking up a lot of the vibes that they explored on Kid, kind of going really deep lyrically, letting these songs build and unfurl in really intriguing ways.

[Alicia Sweeney]

I love that song, too. I think it's a perfect album. Closer. And I really appreciate where the band is coming from on this new album, Patience Moonbeam, which I guess is like a wink and a nudge to an inside joke from one of the members families. But this Seattle group, you know, they've been together for 10 years. Pandemic hits right after they put out four of arrows, which was this critically acclaimed album, a lot of their personalities got in the way. They kind of stopped talking to each other. But they reconvened because, you know, as a band and, you know, you truly love each other, you become this family. So they threw out all the songs they had kind of written in the past that they wanted to put forward on a new album, and they started afresh. Ladybug, that great single that they have out right now. A perfect song for Springtime as well. Just writing all these new tracks. What a beautiful collaged album of these five members coming together at a new point in time in their life.

[Stephen Thompson]

One thing that comes across both in Kid and in Ladybug is this sense that they are really pulling together ideas from a bunch of different people within this band. There are multiple songwriters in the band. You have multiple extremely talented and versatile musicians, and it comes through in these songs that shift and move through different phases. I'm glad you mentioned Ladybug, which taps into a certain bit of nostalgia for, like, late aughts, early tens. Booming chorus of voices shouting in unison in a way that still feels modern and current and so, so, so catchy.

[Dan Behar]

Staring at me, taking cake for free and hello, how are you? You? Who the hell are you, Father of the Ladybug?

[Alicia Sweeney]

I'm so glad you brought that up because that's exactly where I was taken to. I was, like, thinking about, like, like south by southwest 2013 in the church, and a giant ensemble is on stage singing at me. I love that you pointed that out. And I like that they approached this record again just as friendship first and, like, respect. Like, hey, if that idea doesn't work cool, we're gonna throw it out. At this point, we're just trying to make a great record and put a good song together.

[Stephen Thompson]

It's a theme, kind of, that's coming together of some of the records that we're talking about this week is that sense of community and that sense of pulling ideas from a lot of different sources. Another track that jumped out at me from this record is called Doom, which feels like a natural companion piece to Kidd, at least sonically, where you've got a mix of that, like, Imogen Heap style vocoder, these big, grand symphonic arrangements, and then this kind of stormy rock and roll cataclysm that really gives you a sense of big emotions, big feelings, a big glorious sound.

[Dan Behar]

Go back then it feels like a taste. The big mistake. Yeah, the big mistake. Said, I saw that outline Cut that line and baby band thoughts get you had some nice. You lie.

[Alicia Sweeney]

It really veers off into that Prague or math rock kind of spectrum. Also, can you hear a little Radiohead on Doom? It's those odd time signatures and it's really hypnotic.

[Stephen Thompson]

Yeah. And then there's a song on the record called Never Rest, which fully just rips. It's a slow, subtle build from a band that is clearly really thinking about its pacing very carefully, but it never feels labored. So it's taking you kind of through the paces to something that is just fully, just massive sounding like you want to hear it in a stadium.

[Alicia Sweeney]

I just love their quirky lyrics. And the orchestration on Never Rest really does stand out to me. And it's also why I think that the art of listening to a full album is important, because you listen to the song, you don't know if it's ending and a new one is starting or if it's the same One. And I had those moments throughout this one where I was like, oh, is it over? Is that the next one? And then it's like, oh, no, this is continuing on. I am here for the journey of this track.

[Dan Behar]

Just let me know when I'll come around.

[Stephen Thompson]

Great grandpa. New album called Patience, Moonbeam. Next up, I know this is a big favorite of Alicia's Destroyer is back with a new record. That's Dan Behar. His new album is called Dan's Boogie.

[Dan Behar]

I lie to myself I lie down on the breeze I whisper hey, breath, where you going?

[Alicia Sweeney]

Destroyer, AKA Dan Behar. He just has this. This idiosyncratic voice that has lured me in since the year 2000 when I first heard the Thief record. Dan's Boogie is out now, and that song right there is a perfect example of his expertise and his songwriting. The song comes in hot. It never cools off. And that's kind of the Dan Behar experience. He is effortlessly cool. And that one right there, Hydroplaning off the Edge of the World, a standout song off of Dan's Boogie.

[Stephen Thompson]

You know, anyone who's a fan of the New Pornographers kind of understands the way that Dan Behar isn't necessarily an easy fit in that band. You know, New Pornographer songs that kind of have, like, hooks nested inside hooks nested inside of hooks, and you get these big kind of swoony choruses that come in. But you can always tell a Dan Behar song on a New Pornographer's record because his sound is wordier, it's talkier, there's a praggy kind of symphonic quality to it. And you don't always get the kind of poppy anthemics that mark a lot of New Pornographers records. But then when you hear Hydroplaning off the Edge of the World, it shows that he's learned a trick or two over the years. It kind of is incorporating some of the elements of, like, the A.C. newman side of the New Pornographers. And so, to me, this is one of my favorite Destroyer records because you really. You have that idiosyncratic voice of Dan Behar, but he's weaving in a bunch of the tricks that he's learned along the way.

[Dan Behar]

A British Columbian thread. No matter when, no matter.

[Alicia Sweeney]

Yeah, there's, like, some peppy hand claps in this one and all those little other bits of instrumentation that show off his, like, signature stream of consciousness style. And I like that you mentioned that about the New Pornographers. I just think about seeing them live and everybody's on stage except for Dan. And then when a Dan song comes on, he's like, you know, has a little ascot on or something like that. Just comes out, does his lines and then he'll leave the stage. A couple songs later will come out. I'm just like. Like, this guy is just on a different level.

[Stephen Thompson]

There's a song on this record called Sun Meet Snow that was a real standout for me compared to a lot of the kind of slinkier songs on this record. This one just feels like thunderous and psychedelic and goes really big on sonic clutter that is still very carefully arrayed in a way that that like, fully overwhelms in the best way.

[Alicia Sweeney]

I thought it was bright also and had a little bit of holiday cheer to it. I. I don't know why. There's another track on the record where he talks about this holiday cheer and there is a little bit of that for me on this one also. I'm curious if you feel this way. He's a bit Nick Cavish.

[Stephen Thompson]

He's 14 albums into his solo career, not even counting the many records that he's made with New Pornographers. When you're in your early 50s, I can say from experience, it's time to kind of cast yourself as a mysterious rogue. And that's something he does pretty well here.

[Dan Behar]

The sun mostly rises a great golden spike through the heart of the world Bluebirds in flight twirl towards the words, the words I think of you in a little out of the way cafe Coming undone. You get what you get and you dunk it inside your leather jacket and walk away in the direction of the horizon.

[Alicia Sweeney]

Dan Behar has some of the most strange and cool lyrics that I've ever heard. Also, there's that song the Ignoramus of Love. And again, it has those peppy hand claps in it. But also there's just this random lyric that's like, I remix horses. And I'm like, I don't even know what that means, but I could get that tattooed on my arm right now and I wouldn't be mad about it.

[Stephen Thompson]

He definitely. He's a wordsmith. He loves the sound of. Of the way words collide and the fact that they sometimes feel like non sequiturs. They don't necessarily always make linear sense is part of the appeal of his songwriting and part of what keeps people coming back because he's never writing the same song over and over again. He's 14 albums into his career and he's still finding new ways to maneuver and manipulate words in ways that are just fascinating to behold.

[Dan Behar]

What's in the name? Nothing. Didn't want to look up, but I did. The sky hid. Who knows what's out there? Really? X marks the spot. The whole thing's an X.

[Stephen Thompson]

That is Destroyer. His new album is called Dan's Boogie. We've got one more record we want to talk about in depth, plus a lightning round of some of our other favorite albums out today, March 28th. But first we're gonna take a quick break.

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[Stephen Thompson]

This message comes from bluehost. Bluehost can make building a great website easy and offers a 30 day money back guarantee. Customize and launch your site in minutes with AI then optimize with built in search engine tools. Get your great [e-mail] it's new music Friday from NPR Music. Hi, I'm Stephen Thompson here with Alicia Sweeney from Colorado public radio station Indy 1023. We've got a lightning round coming up of some of our other favorite albums out today. But first we wanted to talk about a new record by Spelling. That's spelling with three Ls. It's called portrait of My Heart.

[Dan Behar]

Heart and Soul. Right down the line. Do Big Bad, get me out of my mind Hit me at this ordinary light Then would I fall into the.

[Alicia Sweeney]

This Spelling record is best served from beginning to end, giving it the attention as if you were sitting in an audience at like a musical or a late night screening of, I don't know, Hedwig and the Angry Inch or something.

[Stephen Thompson]

This record truly contains multitudes. I mean, Spelling is Christian Cabral. This is her fourth album as Spelling, and it really feels like a fully formed portrait of an artist who is inspired by so many different sounds. You have tracks kind of early in this record like Keep It Alive and Alibi, which have this kind of propulsive, anthemic quality to them. Alibi comes complete with like just a ripping guitar solo, but then you have these pivots. There's a track on the record called Destiny Arrives and it is like TLC style throwback R and B and pop, you know, where it feels nostalgic but also really different from a lot of the other music on the record while still hanging together cohesively.

[Dan Behar]

Qu Like a flower sunshine open up to see the sun radiance. It's time to unfold There's a hole in the sky There's a drain in my mind it's more than I can tell.

[Stephen Thompson]

There'S another song called Ammunition, which I was getting, like, shades of Anita Baker, you know, kind of classic, swoony, croony R and B, where I'm like, man, she has a lot of weapons in her arc and all.

[Dan Behar]

The gun.

[Alicia Sweeney]

And then right after that, on the record is her first true duet that she's ever done. Chaz Bear, AKA Toro Imoi, joins her on the song Mount Analog.

[Stephen Thompson]

Well, we're just naming tracks, which, again, like, this record manages to be all over the place while still always sounding like her. But late on the record, you have this song called Satisfaction and the song goes full nu metal and you just realize, like, this is an artist, you know, who's been around for a while. This is her fourth record, but she's not content to just pull from primary influences. She's clearly willing to absorb secondary influences, and if they fit, they fit. That is Portrait of My Heart by spelling. I'm trying to pronounce all three Ls. Obviously, we could not possibly get to every new record that's out today. This is a particularly busy release day and there's tons of great stuff. So we wanted to do a lightning round of some of our other favorite albums. I'm going to kick us off. Alison Krause, one of the most decorated musicians ever in the world. She has won a staggering 27 Grammys in a career dating back more than 35 years. Now she and her band Union Station are back with a terrific new album. It's their first album as Alison Krauss and Union station since 2011. In the interim, longtime member Dan Taminsky was replaced with Russell Moore. This new record is called Arcadia.

[Dan Behar]

Know I.

[Alicia Sweeney]

How about Yukimi and the new album for you? So, thinking back to the mid to late aughts, I went all in on infectious Swedish pop bands. And there was one in particular that gave me some bops that I always have loved playing on the radio. That is Little Dragon. I was lured in because of the vocalist Yukimi. And now fast forward all these years later, she's embarking on a journey all her own, releasing her debut solo album on Ninja tune called for your.

[Stephen Thompson]

The band Palmyra was one of the standouts from 2024's Tiny Desk Contest. And though Palmyra didn't end up winning last year, it did grab enough word of mouth momentum that it got a record deal with John Prine's Oh Boy Records label and Palmyra's gorgeous new record is full of sparkly and propulsive rustic folky pop.

[Dan Behar]

It's called Restless Payphone in Sedona Calling Someone Falling Up.

[Alicia Sweeney]

My pick comes to us from the Catskills. Steven, you like Sam Evian, don't you?

[Stephen Thompson]

Oh, absolutely.

[Alicia Sweeney]

Well, his partner and collaborator Hannah Cohen has an album out today. It's called Earth Star Mountain and this album is dedicated to the Catskills, the past, the present, the future of the existence of that area. And they recorded this one at their home studio, Flying Cloud. It's Hannah Cohen's fourth record. Guests on it. Claro Sufjan Stevens and she calls this album a concept record which is an ode to curiosity. And I think the album opener, Dusty really draws you into the world of this 10 song trip outside their studio window on the record known as Earth Star Mountain.

[Dan Behar]

There you are, there you are, there you are.

[Stephen Thompson]

And finally, the producer Brian Pinero, better known as DJ Python, has a new ep. It's his first for the legendary XL label. It demonstrates a lot of the wild genre spanning from versatility for which he's known. This set is really beautiful, sometimes meditative, consistently surprising. It's called I Was Put on this.

[Dan Behar]

Earth.

[Stephen Thompson]

And that is our show for this week. Thank you, Alicia Sweeney, for taking time out of your week at Indy 1023 to join us.

[Alicia Sweeney]

It was a true pleasure.

[Stephen Thompson]

It has been a pleasure to have you. If you enjoyed this week's show, we always appreciate a positive review on Apple or Spotify or whatever app you're listening to right now. This episode was produced by Simon Rentner and edited by Otis Hart. The Executive producer of NPR Music is Soraya Mohamed and her boss is Keith Jenkins, NPR's vice president of Music and Visuals. We'll be back next week to talk about our favorite April 4th albums, including the latest from the Hold Steady's Craig Finn with Zach McCormick of Minnesota Public Radio station the Current. Until then, take a moment to be well, hurl your smartphone into the sea as a gesture of your newfound commitment to your family and treat yourself to lots of great music.

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