8 New Albums Out Now From Bleachers, Ed O’Brien, Marisa Anderson & More

Bleachers shared a new album, everyone for ten minutes, via Dirty Hit. The album is the fifth released by the project led by Jack Antonoff. everyone for ten minutes follows the band’s 2024 self-titled LP as well as a re-recording of Bleachers’ 2014 debut album Strange Desire, dubbed A Stranger Desired. According to a press release, the album is “the inevitable culmination of a lifetime of devotion to bands for the six members and, ultimately, finds each one at their creative peak.”

“Despite the moments where it briefly peers into darkness,” the statement continued. “It’s essentially an optimistic record that feels lovestruck and hopeful, leaping from harmony-laden folk rock to shimmering pop soul to the sax-assisted New Jersey sound that Bleachers have become synonymous for.

Radiohead guitarist Ed O’Brien released his “deeply personal” second solo album, Blue Morpho, via Transgressive. After issuing his 2020 debut solo album, Earth (released under the moniker EOB), O’Brien “entered the deepest depression of his life.” O’Brien worked through the depression, embracing Dutch motivational speaker Wim Hof’s breathing and cold-exposure techniques, which he combined with daily multi-hour guitar playing sessions at his London studio. O’Brien connected with producer Paul Epworth through their children’s school and the pair worked on what became Blue Morpho over several years.

The album was recorded with engineer Riley MacIntyre at O’Brien’s studio in Wales and in London at The Church Studios. Shabaka Hutchings played flute and composer Tõnu Kõrvits arranged strings parts performed by the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra.

Portland guitarist Marisa Anderson released The Anthology of UnAmerican Folk Music via Thrill Jockey Records. The album grew out of a 2023 visit to the Bob Dylan Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where Anderson was granted access to the late Harry Smith’s personal library of roughly 4,200 records, books, journals and pamphlets. Focusing on music from U.S. conflict zones spanning 1970 to the present, Anderson spent nine days downloading nearly a 1,000 songs before selecting nine to interpret on the album’s first volume. Playing electric and acoustic guitars, electric keyboards, requinto jarocho, accordion and tres cubano, with additional performances by violinist and violist Gisela Rodríguez Fernández, Anderson allotted a portion of the album’s proceeds to benefit Tamizdat, a nonprofit supporting international artist mobility and cultural exchange.

“My approach to tradition is with the hands that I have and the history that I have,” Anderson said. “In that way it’s a collaboration — you don’t go into collaboration trying to play like the other person, you go in trying to find out how to play together.”

Baltimore rapper and producer JPEGMAFIA released his sixth studio album, EXPERIMENTAL RAP, via AWAL (on Thursday, May 21). Written, produced, mixed and engineered entirely by JPEGMAFIA (Barrington Hendricks), the follow-up to 2024’s I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU unfolds across 25 tracks, with Buzzy Lee contributing to “Bridges on Fire.”

Los Angeles-based poet and bandleader aja monet released her sophomore album, the color of rain, via drink sum wtr. Produced by monet, Meshell Ndegeocello and Justin Brown, with additional production from Chris Connors and Nico Segal, the album was recorded at Living Room Studios in Los Angeles, mixed by Connors at Concrete Sound in Brooklyn and mastered by Alex DeTurk at The Bunker Studio. The follow-up to the Grammy-nominated when the poems do what they do is a 15-track set featuring Meshell Ndegeocello and Georgia Anne Muldrow on “elsewhere,” Ganavya and harpist Brandee Younger on “to sister,” Mick Jenkins and Vic Mensa on “melting clocks,” and Mereba on “love is a choosing,” with additional contributions from Ambrose Akinmusire, Burniss Travis, Josh Johnson and Daniel Mintseris.

North Carolina bluegrass and Americana ensemble Steep Canyon Rangers released their 15th studio album, Next Act, via Yep Roc Records. The album finds the group — Graham Sharp (banjo, vocals), Mike Guggino (mandolin/mandola, vocals), Aaron Burdett (guitar, vocals), Nicky Sanders (fiddle, vocals), Mike Ashworth (drums, dobro, guitar, vocals) and Barrett Smith (bass, guitar, vocals) — augmented with guest appearances from Steve Martin, Edie Brickell and Celia Woodsmith of Della Mae. Recorded by Julian Dreyer at Echo Mountain Recording in Asheville, North Carolina, Next Act was produced by Ashworth and the band.

Essex-born rapper and producer fakemink released his sophomore album, Terrified ., via EtnaVeraVela. The follow-up to 2023’s London’s Saviour was self-produced, self-engineered and recorded entirely in England with a heavy emphasis on live instrumentation. The album was preceded by the January 2026 EP, The Boy Who Cried Terrified.

K-pop quintet LE SSERAFIM — Kim Chae-won, Hong Eun-chae, Huh Yun-jin, Kazuha and SAKURA — released their second studio album, PUREFLOW pt.1, via SOURCE MUSIC/HYBE. The follow-up to 2023’s UNFORGIVEN is led by title track single, “BOOMPALA.” The 11-track album includes a collaboration with Aliyah’s Interlude on “Saki.”