New Music Sampler: April 2025
With over 35 releases sampled in April, here are thirteen albums that caught and held my attention over the last month.
The New Music Sampler series is a monthly snapshot of new albums that grabbed my attention during the prior month . While there’s no guarantee that any of these releases will make my Album of the Year list come December, they all make a strong case for inclusion.
April’s been a busy month for my wife and me. We returned to the UK from the Canary Islands on March 28, wrapping up just over nine months of travel since we retired in June. Five days later we arrived in the north of England and took possession of our new home in the Yorkshire Dales and, as you can imagine, we’ve been adulting pretty hard these last four weeks. We’d ordered furniture back in February and that has all arrived in the last few weeks; we’ve also been dealing with getting utilities sorted, opening a bank account and other miscellaneous but necessary tasks. Exhilarating, yes, but also a little draining especially as we’re also out and about exploring the local area and discovering as many new walks as we can.
Needless to say (but I’m saying it anyway - isn’t that kind of a weird expression?!?), it’s been pretty hard to stay on top of new music as much as I would have liked. But I managed to listen to 35 or so new albums in their entirety and have compiled a bakers dozen that really kept me coming back for more. Depending how the rest of the year pans out—and there’s no sign that the flood of fantastic releases will slow down—at least a few of these will likely warrant inclusion in the AOTY discussion. As usual, this month’s selections are not ranked, but instead are listed by the order in which they popped up on my musical radar.
Momma - Welcome to My Blue Sky
Genre: Alternative/Indie Rock, Dream Pop, Shoegaze
Release Date: April 4
Selected Track: I Want You (Fever)
Miki Berenyi Trio - Tripla
Genre: Dream Pop
Release Date: April 4
Selected Track: Vertigo
Will Johnson - Diamond City
Genre: Alt Country, Contemporary Folk
Release Date: April 4
Selected Track: All Dragged Out
Jadu Heart - POST HEAVEN
Genre: Indie Rock, Neo Psychedelia
Release Date: April 11
Selected Track: U
Kwashibu Area Band - Love Warrior's Anthem
Genre: Afro-Jazz, Dub
Release Date: April 11
Selected Track: M’akoma Nnwom
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Cassia - everyone, outside
Genre: Indie Pop
Release Date: April 11
Selected Track: friends
Vegyn, Air - Blue Moon Safari
Genre: Downtempo, Neo Psychedelia
Release Date: April 11
Selected Track: Kelly Watch the Stars - Vegyn Version
Tunde Adebimpe - Thee Black Boltz
Genre: Indie Rock, Art Rock
Release Date: April 18
Selected Track: Drop
Fotoform - Grief is a Garden (Forever in Bloom)
Genre: Dream Pop, Shoegaze
Release Date: April 18
Selected Track: This City is Over
Gentle Leader XIV - Joke in the Shadow
Genre: Post-Punk, Darkwave
Release Date: April 18
Selected Track: Joke in the Shadow
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Sunflower Bean - Mortal Primetime
Genre: Alternative Rock, Indie Rock
Release Date: April 25
Selected Track: Nothing Romantic
Cloth - Pink Silence
Genre: Indie Pop, Indie Rock
Release Date: April 25
Selected Track: Polaroid
Tennis - Face Down In The Garden
Genre: Indie Pop, Dream Pop, Soft Rock
Release Date: April 25
Selected Track: At the Wedding
As always, I’d love to hear what you think about these albums. When you’re finished reading, listening and watching, please hop into the comments.
Anything new for you here? Did you like it? Love it? Hate it?
Which of the thirteen tracks is your favorite?
Do you feel compelled to check out any of these albums?
What did I miss in April? Hit me up in the comments with some of your favorites from the last month!
What new releases are coming up in the next few months that I should be looking out for?
Kwashibu Area Band - Love Warrior's Anthem caught my eye. with the genres listed. I've added that to my listening queue!
Like Andres, I'm amazed at how many new releases you can take in. I have listened to more the past month than in the prior 3, as I've had more time to work in the garden, and there are several I'll have to check out on your list.
You don't say your thoughts on any of these, so I'll be curious which ones stand out come 7 months from now. If I listened to that many albums I'd have to go by my first impressions more often than giving any a chance with a second or third (or fourth) play through.
Of the few I've heard that intrigued me to hear more, Jadu Heart is a standout. It's funny, I don't like Radiohead (I'm like Kevin Alexander in that way), and a couple Jadu songs I've heard leaned in that direction but a couple others were quite different and really sucked me in. I'm gonna give that album a couple plays.
The Vegyn/Air Blue Moon Safari mix sounds super-intriguing. I am guessing it's a take on Moon Safari with a dairy-free twist.
I haven't played Tunde Adebimpe's new album yet, but that's at the top of my list. I love TV on the Radio and his voice so, excited about that.
And I have played the Tennis album and love it. I pretty much love anything they do, almost as much as I love the sport of tennis. I like that it's more sonically expansive than a couple of their previous albums. They really can play in a wide variety of styles.
I'm gonna be writing a "standout albums" of 2025 post soon for EW&SL. But it's tough, as I haven't had time to play stuff enough to feel confident in my choices.
And congrats on the new home. I can relate to the overwhelm of all the things that must be set up and coordinated with a new house. I'm in garden craziness now, as there are 8 raised beds in the yard and I've been weeding them and replacing soil and planting and testing the endurance of my body parts. Enjoy!:)