10 New Albums to Stream Now: Rolling Stone Editors’ Picks
Prince & the Revolution, Purple Rain
The first major release of material from the late auteur’s vault expands upon the stellar soundtrack from his 1984 film.
Read Our Feature: Prince’s Epic Purple Rain Tour: An Oral History
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Radiohead, OK Computer OKNOTOK 1997 2017
The landmark album gets a 20-year remaster, appended by B-sides and three unreleased songs.
Read Our Feature: Radiohead’s Rhapsody in Gloom: OK Computer 20 Years Later
Read Our Feature: Radiohead’s OK Computer: An Oral History
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Vince Staples, Big Fish Theory
“Vince Staples made his name as a first-person documentarian, penning vivid narratives about the Long Beach gang life that loomed over his childhood summers. For second album Big Fish Theory, he moves from the past to the present, writing an open-hearted avant-garde dance record that takes stock of his current loves, victories, politics and – most noticeably – interest in the cutting edge of electronic music,” writes Christopher R. Weingarten. “Think Kanye’s EDM-fueled Graduation for a future-minded, Spotify-fried, genre-free generation.”
Read Our Review: Vince Staples Embraces the Electronic Avant-Garde on ‘Big Fish Theory’
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Jeff Tweedy, Together At Last
A handsome collection of remakes by Wilco’s author for acoustic guitar and voice, with occasional spritzes of harmonica and whistling. Tweedy’s an expressive fingerpicker, and the tone is gentle, with Nick Drake’s recordings and the Velvet Underground’s self-titled third LP apparent touchstones. Instead of feeling stripped down, “Ashes of American Flags,” “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart,” songs from the sleeper Summerteeth and a couple of side-project surprises come across as minimalist originals, exploring their own palette of sound. Will Hermes
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DJ Khaled, Grateful
For his 10th album in 11 years, DJ Khaled’s ever-reliable modus operandi hasn’t changed much: Rap’s biggest stars; beats ready for a convertible ride; and his jubilant shouts somewhere between Kid Capri and Andrew W.K. What has changed is Khaled’s profile, as recent magazine covers, festival appearances and a Spider-Man: Homecoming cameo show he’s a star on par with most of the people who have invitations to his party. In turn, Grateful has a guest list stronger than most awards shows: Beyoncé, Rihanna, Drake, Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj, Justin Bieber, Chance the Rapper, Future, Lil Wayne, T.I. and Migos are just the tip of an iceberg that already can boast a Number One single (“I’m the One”). Christopher R. Weingarten
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King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, Murder of the Universe
These Melbourne-born psych explorers specialize in high-concept, higher-intensity albums animated by frantic riffing, unison whoops and just enough prog touches to turn a listener’s worldview on its ear. On their 10th album they take on humanity’s desire for self-annihilation with gusto, heady end-of-it-all imagery and the occasional bit of flute. The pairing of the band’s chugging guitars and frontman Stu Mackenzie’s venomous vocals with frosty narration (courtesy of Aussie folk singer Leah Senior, whose clipped performance recalls a rogue Siri) gives the album’s first two-thirds an unnerving feel that explodes in its final section, which ratchets up the tension with spaced-out chugging and a protagonist who won’t be satisfied until he’s blanketed absolutely everything in vomit. Murder of the Universe (the title probably gives away the ending) isn’t a feel-good balm about where the world is headed, but its dark freak-outs provide quite a catharsis. Maura Johnston
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Laurel Halo, Dust
Like Charli XCX geeked on Beefheart and Flying Lotus, the third album from Berlin-via-Ann Arbor expressionist Laurel Halo is electro-pop that’s been completely fractured melodically, bent rhythmically and warped texturally. This methodically clattering swirl of music recalls a wild array of things – vaporwave, Timbaland, Detroit techno, Stockhausen, Laurie Anderson, Janet Jackson, Matmos and free-jazz among them. Christopher R. Weingarten
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Algiers, The Underside of Power
“Suggesting Birthday Party, Suicide or Public Image Limited taking a midnight leap in the mighty Mississippi, this Atlanta crew combines droogy post-punk rattle and churchy Southern roots music on their second album,” writes Jon Dolan. “Songs like ‘Walk Like a Panther’ and ‘Death March’ sound like they could stir the apocalypse, while the Memphis-tinged “The Underside of Power” stomps more generously. Jon Dolan
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Stokley, Introducing Stokley
The solo debut from Mint Condition vocalist Stokley Williams has been some two-plus decades in the making, but it’s worth the wait: Stokley’s keen study of R&B and its possibilities animates this wide-ranging album, which shows off his still-supple voice and unending charm. “Art in Motion” is a slow-burning love song with slightly bent piano accompaniment from jazz omnivore Robert Glasper; British soul singer Estelle drops by for the twinkling duet “U & I,” which double-dips its throwback quotient with swooping strings and DJ scratching; and the lightly funky “We/Me” updates “Man in the Mirror” for the SoundCloud era. Maura Johnston
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Banditos, Visionland
The Alabama Americana collective’s second album touches on the crucial emotional phases of a sweaty, sultry roadhouse party: moody grooving (the beckoning “Strange Heart”), psych-tinged raving (the title track) and torch-song drama (the tension-filled “Still and Quiet”). Maura Johnston
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