new music – From Paul McCartney’s latest expansions to breakout debuts from Kent’s studio20, we navigate the week’s most compelling new releases.
The pace of modern music can feel relentless. turning every Wednesday into a scramble to distinguish the genuine signals from the static. Whether you are looking for a dance-floor catharsis or a melancholic reflection on home. this week’s arrivals offer a broad spectrum of what is currently moving the needle.
Paul McCartney leads the charge by expanding his album *The Boys of Dungeon Lane* with four new additions. Beyond a “flip mix” of his Ringo Starr collaboration ‘Home to Us,’ the update features the nostalgic ballad ‘City Fox,’ the perky ‘One Night Stand,’ and the playful ‘Chelsea Boots.’
For those seeking something more grounded in artistic frustration. Star Moles—the moniker of Emily Moales—has signed with Dead Oceans and released ‘Born Again.’ Following her 2025 breakout *Highway to Hell*. Moales returns with a track she describes as a painting of real frustration. “Trying to tell the truth in a song by saying ‘here’s what happened’ isn’t satisfying to me. ” she reflected. “I wouldn’t say I’m religious, but I think sometimes my emotions are.”.
Global perspective takes center stage with Sampa the Great’s ‘Location,’ a boisterous offering from her upcoming album *Nu Zamrock*. Sampa uses the track to highlight a structural disparity in the industry. noting that while African music influences the world. the infrastructure rarely supports its creators. She intends the song to confront this global imbalance and the specific costs of creating outside the West.
Back in the United States. Jess Kerber captures a fading landscape with ‘Louisiana Song. ’ taken from her upcoming record *The World Is Dark*. The song serves as a meditation on her home state’s fragility. “The state loses a lot of coastline each day,” Kerber explained. “The feeling of knowing that you won’t be able to return to the thing that you came from is certainly a strange one.”.
Energy remains high elsewhere: Twisted Teens have kept their restless momentum with ‘Stalks. ’ the second single from their third LP of 2026. *The Holy Cross*. accompanied by a video from Mama Hot Dog. Meanwhile, untitled (halo) has released ‘sex,’ an intensely danceable track from their self-titled album. Ariana Mamnoon describes it as the feeling of leaving a 4 a.m. rave and walking into natural light, calling it a song about a desire for the party.
Collaboration and experimentation define the current underground landscape. They Are Gutting a Body of Water (TAGABOW) dropped two cuts from their forthcoming mixtape *KOOL FAITH / LOOSIES II*: the radiant ‘illusion hue’ featuring Toner. and ‘am i wrong. ’ a collaboration with A Country Western and Dead Sullivan. Font—the quartet of Thom Waddill. Anthony Laurence. Jack Owens. and Roman Parnell—previewed their new album *American Bully XL* with the glitchy ‘Punish Task. ’ which Waddill describes as the “angry dark underside of nostalgia’s fake coin.”.
Rounding out the week. Ben Schwab’s project Sylvie offers ‘Not Looking Back Anymore. ’ a precursor to their November 6 debut with Ghostly International. *New Season*. Finally. the Kent quartet studio20 has signed to Communion and shared their first single. ‘Penny Drop.’ The song. born from a winter 2025 demo. captures the unsettling moment of realizing a situation has fundamentally shifted. As the band’s Isaac noted, they intentionally left the ending unresolved to tease the listener.
Each of these tracks acts as a snapshot of a different emotional climate. from the global political stance of Sampa the Great to the quiet. coastal mourning of Jess Kerber. Whether through the polish of a veteran like McCartney or the raw. unresolved tension of a debutante group like studio20. these artists are navigating a world that refuses to stand still.
New music Paul McCartney Sampa the Great studio20 Twisted Teens Star Moles Jess Kerber music reviews Wednesday releases