New Music Friday: The best releases out on July 14 : All Songs Considered – NPR

Few artists dissect and make sense of life in your 20s quite like Alana Springsteen. The country singer’s releasing three EPs this year that’ll eventually make up her full-length debut, each focused on illuminating, owning and pushing through the tangled mesh of emotions of that time with piercing detail — the self-doubt, the friendships that come and go, the ways we navigate a mountain of new responsibilities, and so much more. On this week’s show, we talk about how Springsteen pulls off a deep understanding of human nature with surprising detail — and without falling back on any of the typical tropes you might expect in country music.

We’ve also got the soundtrack for your summer yard party from Kool & The Gang, singer Mahalia’s no-nonsense take on love and romance, the album that rapper J Hus says is “coming for everything,” ragged rock from Palehound and more. Contributor Cyrena Touros joins WBGO’s Nicole Sweeney, Radio Milwaukee’s Tarik Moody and host Robin Hilton as they share their picks for the best new releases out on July 14.

Featured Albums:

1. Kool & The Gang — People Just Wanna Have Fun
   Featured Songs: “Go Get It,” “Let’s Party (feat. Sha Sha Jones),” “That’s What I Love About You,” “My Weakness”
2. Alana Springsteen — TWENTY SOMETHING: Figuring It Out
   Featured Songs: “twenty something,” “chameleon,” “when we were friends”
3. Mahalia — IRL
   Featured Songs: “In My Head (feat. Joyce Wrice),” “Ready,” “Terms and Conditions,” “It’s Not Me, It’s You (feat. Destin Conrad),” “Wassup (feat. Kojey Radical)”
4. J Hus — Beautiful and Brutal Yard
   Featured Songs: “Who Told You (feat. Drake),” “Bim Bim,” “Cream (feat. CB)”
5. Palehound — Eye on the Bat
   Featured Songs: “The Clutch,” “Independence Day,” “Head Like Soup,” “My Evil”

Lightning Round:

• Haviah Mighty — Crying Crystals
• Rauw Alejandro — PLAYA SATURNO
• Rita Ora — You & I
• Tessa Violet — MY GOD!

Other notable releases for July 14:

• Blake Mills — Jelly Road
• Hilary Hahn — Eugène Ysaÿe: Six Sonatas for Violin Solo, op. 27
• IDMAN — Risk
• Lauren Spencer-Smith — Mirror
• Lindstrøm — Everyone Else is a Stranger
• Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog — Connection
• PVRIS — EVERGREEN
• TECH N9NE — Bliss