This week's New Music Friday brings a diverse array of albums and singles, from Fred again..'s USB to charity tracks and reissues. Highlights include Gorillaz's global collaboration and Nas's hip-hop return with DJ Premier. Heavy metal and punk also feature prominently in the releases.
Album Highlights
Fred again.. drops USB, compiling recent tracks with a new song, capping his impressive year. Pink Floyd releases a 50th anniversary edition of Wish You Were Here, featuring unreleased takes on digital, vinyl, and Blu-ray formats. FLO expands their Top 5 album Access All Areas with a deluxe Unlocked version. Other notables include Conway The Machine's You Can't Kill God With Bullets, Juliana Hatfield's Lightning Might Strike, and Nas & DJ Premier's Light Years, blending classic boom-bap with modern storytelling.
Single Spotlights
Gorillaz teams with Omar Souleyman and Yasiin Bey for the eclectic Damascus, teasing their upcoming album The Mountain. Charity single Lullaby by Together For Palestine features artists like Bastille's Dan Smith, Leigh-Anne, and Mabel, reimagining a Palestinian folk song to support Gaza relief. SpudBros and Our Dementia Choir release Brighter Than The Night for dementia awareness. Ian Gillan and UROCK's The Line addresses self-governance, backed by Jon Morter. Fatboy Slim officially drops Satisfaction Skank, sampling The Rolling Stones' 1965 hit.
Genre Roundup
Heavy metal sees Static-X's remastered Wisconsin Death Trip Corrosive Edition, Tenebro's Una Lama D’Argento, and Lust of Decay's Entombed In Sewage. Australian acts shine with deadforest & Dera Meelan's hip-hop EP aw true? yeah nah, MUNGMUNG's club-ready FĒI, and DOWNGIRL's punk track CPR. Dry Cleaning offers introspective art-punk in Let Me Grow and You’ll See the Fruit, while Miss Kaninna reflects on relationships in Backstreets.
These releases span electronic, hip-hop, rock, and metal, providing fresh sounds for the holiday season.