New Music Friday: Five essential albums out September 25
NPR Music's weekly roundup highlights five albums released September 25 that deserve attention from music fans. Host Stephen Thompson discusses the picks with DJs from the NPR Music Network: Erin Wolf from Radio Milwaukee, Jewly Hight from WPLN in Nashville, and Liz Warner from WDET in Detroit.
Blondshell - 'Violins'
Los Angeles singer-songwriter Sabrina Teitelbaum returns with her third album as Blondshell, following her acclaimed 2023 self-titled debut and 2025's 'If You Asked For A Picture'. Released on Partisan Records, 'Violins' was produced by longtime collaborator Yves Rothman, mixed by Beatriz Artola, and mastered by Emily Lazar. The album showcases Teitelbaum's continued evolution as an artist.
Julia Jacklin - 'The Gem'
Australian artist Julia Jacklin delivers her fourth studio album and first release since signing to 4AD. The record takes its name from the Melbourne bar above which it was recorded, with Jacklin and producer Robert Muinos capturing performances in the unconventional studio space. The album features contributions from The Maes on the track "I Wish".
Joy Oladokun - 'Hope Is A Heavy Thing'
Nashville-based artist Joy Oladokun releases 'Hope Is A Heavy Thing' on Concord Records, her sixth studio album following October 2024's 'Observations from a Crowded Room'. The queer Black musician and daughter of Nigerian immigrants has earned recognition for her work, including a Recording Academy Special Merit Award finalist nod for her protest anthem "iseeamerica" in the Best Song for Social Change category. The new album includes "Sage" featuring Adekunle Gold.
Leon Bridges - 'Happiness Anytime'
Fort Worth singer Leon Bridges presents his fifth studio album on Columbia Records, following his 2024 self-titled LP 'Leon' and 2021's 'Gold-Diggers Sound'. 'Happiness Anytime' was produced by J Lloyd-Watson and Lydia Kitto of British band Jungle, with the creative team drawing inspiration from diverse sources including Fela Kuti, Paul Simon's 'The Rhythm of the Saints', and Brazilian music legend Jorge Ben. The album features the single "Your Love Is Electric".
Protomartyr - 'Hotel Usona'
Detroit post-punk outfit Protomartyr releases their seventh studio album through Domino Records. The band worked with legendary producer Dave Fridmann, known for his collaborations with Nick Cave, MGMT, and The Flaming Lips, at his Tarbox Road Studios in western New York. Punk icon Iggy Pop, who has previously called Protomartyr "the best band we've got in America right now", described 'Hotel Usona' as "Wagnerian" and reminiscent of Richard Wagner's opera Tristan and Isolde. The album includes the track "Sounds We Cannot Hear".
Lightning Round picks
NPR Music's staff recommended additional September 25 releases: Space Afrika's 'Quiet Storm' on Dais Records, featuring the track "If This Is Hell" with Deuén; claire rousay and Martyna Basta's collaborative album 'hotel room' on Unsound; Tinashe's 'Popstar' on Atlantic/Nice Life; Mary Gauthier's 'Reckoning' on Thirty Tigers; and Axel Boman and Superpitcher's 'Tell It To The Mountain' on Blurry.
Additional releases mentioned in the episode include albums from Cain Culto, Hermanos Gutiérrez, Bullion with L Devine, Gilla Band, Jason Dungan with Johan Carøe and Blue Lake, Kiefer featuring Walter Smith III, Meg Lui, megiapa, Murex, The Yummy Fur, Tom Morello with Serj Tankian and Roman Morello, Your Old Droog with Flying Lotus and Georgia Anne Muldrow, and Renny Conti.
The full episode is available on the NPR Music podcast through the NPR App, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other podcast platforms. Curated playlists featuring tracks from the discussed albums can be found on Spotify and Apple Music.
