Don’t Miss New Albums From Taylor Swift, Nicki Bluhm, Lovejoy, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong & More

Taylor Swift released her 12th album, The Life Of A Showgirl. The global touring powerhouse reconnected with producers Max Martin and Shellback first time since 2017’s Reputation on the follow-up to Swift’s 2024 album, The Tortured Poets Department. Composed of 12 new songs, The Life Of A Showgirl title track features Sabrina Carpenter, who supported a portion of Swift’s record-breaking The Eras Tour.

Nicki Bluhm’s eighth studio album, Rancho Deluxe, was released today. The San Francisco-native/Nashville-based singer-songwriter’s first original LP since 2022’s Avondale Drive was recorded with co-writer, producer and partner Jesse Noah Wilson at the Nashville home studio that gives Rancho Deluxe its name. Tracked through live takes over just five days, the 10-song LP was recorded with multi-instrumentalist Kai Welch, keyboardist/vocalist Jess Nolan and bassist/guitarist Cameron Neal joining the sessions.

“This is a harvest record,” explained Bluhm. “It’s a collection of the fruits of my labor. I’ve taken all these life lessons and experiences, and I’ve learned from them. Jesse and I have an amazing arsenal of friends and family that we recruited to play on the record, and that interplay lends itself to a freedom in the studio. We were focused on catching the moment, being in the room together, and experiencing something communally.”

Lovejoy released their debut album, One Simple Trick. The band from Brighton, England consisting of frontman Will Gold, bassist Ash Kabosu, guitarist Joe Goldsmith and drummer Mark Boardman recorded One Simple Trick after a series of EPs the quartet released between 2021 and 2023.

“One Simple Trick took four years of overthinking, we are excited to underthink it from now on,” the band stated.

Funk rock foursome Pigeons Playing Ping Pong released their eighth album, Feed The Fire. Frontman/guitarist “Scrambled Greg” Ormont, guitarist Jeremy Schon, bassist Ben Carrey and drummer Alex “Gator” Petropoulos worked with producer Chalk Dinosaur on the new record. Guests include Wes Bailey of Moon Taxi, Here Come the Mummies and members of West End Blend.

“The fire represents passion,” Ormont explained. “Making music feels like something we were born to do, and Feed The Fire is the perfect metaphor for our unwavering commitment to keep evolving. We’ve been given this gift of fire, this passion. So it’s our responsibility to nurture it, embrace it, and spread it wild.”

Cut & Rewind is the new album from Say She She, the NYC-based group fronted by Nya Gazelle Brown, Sabrina Cunningham and Piya Malik. Joining the trio of vocalists on the 12-song album were members of the Orgōne rhythm section, Dan Hastie, Sam Halterman, Dale Jennings and Sergio Rios. Sessions were held at at Rios’ North Hollywood studio Killion Sound. Say She She said the following about the follow up to 2023’s Silver:

“Cut & Rewind is a snapshot of our lives over the past few years, inspired by the rugged reality of being on the road and running back into the studio to cut a record as soon as we were off. Then repeat! It’s like our ode to the boss ladies out there for plowing through and staying true to what they are trying to do. We hope to offer it up like a homophonic cocktail that’s served up, strong, no frills. It’s peppered with some hints of our musical muses with a slice of life mantra on the side. We’re here to remind you as much as ourselves to ‘Hire the guy who’s gonna look you in the eye’.”

My Morning Jacket’s 2005 album, Z, was reissued in an expanded format in recognition of its 20th anniversary. Released via ATO Records, Z 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition arrived with 14 new bonus tracks. Co-produced with John Leckie, My Morning Jacket’s fourth album, Z, was the band’s first to feature its current lineup of frontman Jim James, keyboard player Bo Koster, guitarist Carl Broemel, bassist Tom Blankenship and drummer Patrick Hallahan.

“Recorded outside My Morning Jacket’s Louisville comfort zone, at a studio in upstate New York, Z was the debut of a brand new band in 10 songs of intensely personal sharing,” David Fricke wrote in the Z 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition liner notes, “illuminated with jubilant studio risk, rhythms expressly made for dancing and hooks that would not quit.”