As the first month of the new year comes to a close there’s barely time to catch your breath before diving into the latest batch of new albums. Largely recorded before the 2018 death of bandmate/producer Richard Swift, Dan Auerbach reunites his psychedelic soul project The Arcs for their first release in eight years, Electrophonic Chronic. Featuring the smash hit “Unholy” (along with a dozen other stratospheric pop anthems), Sam Smith is riding high on their fourth album, Gloria. With Sasami Ashworth featured as co-producer and co-writer, the psych-folk textures on King Tuff‘s Smalltown Stardust underscore nostalgic reminisces of bandleader Kyle Thomas’ Vermont childhood.

Following 2022 tour dates with Maggie Rogers, Courtney Barnett, and Lucy Dacus, up-and-comer Samia delivers her highly anticipated second album, Honey. With songs inspired by late-night meditations and generational traumas, North Carolina singer H.C. McEntire makes a powerful return on Every Acre. Louisville glam-punks White Reaper dial up the swagger on the rollicking fourth album, Asking for a Ride. More than a decade after her star-turn performance on “Somebody That I Used to Know,” New Zealand singer Kimbra continues to push sonic boundaries on her A Reckoning.

PRESS PLAY on these new releases below. Listen for spotlights on new records like these (and more) every Friday on the XPN Morning Show and Indie Rock Hit Parade.

The ArcsElectrophonic Chronic
CHECK OUT: “Eyez” “Keep on Dreamin'”

Sam SmithGloria
CHECK OUT: “Unholy (feat. Kim Petras)” “Gimme (feat. Koffee & Jessie Reyez)”

King TuffSmalltown Stardust
CHECK OUT: “Portrait of God” “Tell Me”

SamiaHoney
CHECK OUT: “Mad at Me (feat. Papa Mbye)” “Pink Balloon”

H.C. McEntireEvery Acre
CHECK OUT: “New View” “Rows of Clover”

White ReaperAsking for a Ride
CHECK OUT: “Pages” “Pink Slip”

KimbraA Reckoning
CHECK OUT: “save me” “replay!”

FURTHER LISTENING…
Bad Bad HatsIt Hurts (10th Anniversary Edition), Bass Drum of DeathSay I Won’t,
The Blow MonkeysAnimal Magic (Deluxe Edition), Bob DylanFragments – Time Out of Mind Sessions (1996-1997): The Bootleg Series Vol.17, Carly SimonLive at Grand Central, Complete Mountain AlmanacComplete Mountain AlmanacElle KingCome Get Your Wife, FlorrySWEET GUITAR SOLOS, Fucked UpOne Day, GlosserDowner, Gone to ColorGone to Color RMXS, Green DayNimrod 25 (25th Anniversary Edition), Heavy BlanketMoon Is, Illiterate LightSunburned, Jonah YanoPortrait of a Dog, José GonzálezVisions EP, Marvin GayeGreatest Hits Live in ’76 (Reissue), Meg BairdFurling, The Mother HipsWhen We Disappear, The Naked SunModern Life, New OrderLow-Life (Definitive Edition), NRBQTiddlywinks (Reissue), R. Ring – –War Poems, We Rested, Sarah NoelleDo I Have to Feel Everything, The TubsDead Meat, Wolf EyesDifficult Messages, Various Artists – Winspear Volume 01