The Lead Sheet ~ 10/13/2026

The Lead Sheet is your guide to this week’s new music - taking a look at newly released albums, who made them, and how listeners are responding 

Singer-Songwriter Remi Wolf released her third album, Mud this weekend. Wolf is known for her genre bending style that combines funk, soul and pop to uptempo beats. For Mud, she explores new territory, stripping back the synth and disco for heartfelt acoustic arrangements.

Inspired by the exhaustion of years on tour and a sudden break-up, Mud explores personal reconstruction through heartbreak, and also touches on themes of isolation and sobriety. To capture Mud’s minimalist sound, Wolf retreated to a house in Big-Bear California, recording intimate, live instrumentation with friends and collaborators. Organic textures give the album a grown-up, grounded feeling, and Wolfe’s unfiltered vocals are emotionally raw and energetic. Critics praise the album as a mature evolution, and commend Wolf for Mud’s successful breaking of new ground. Remi Wolf recently announced “The Mud Tour”, which will kick off in February of 2027 across key cities in the U.S. and Canada. 

Acclaimed Australian pop-singer and actor Troye Sivan’s highly anticipated fourth album, “She’s the Best” dropped on Friday, to immediate and excellent critical reception. Sivan first gained popularity as a Youtube content creator before transitioning to a major force in pop music, creating massive club hits like “Rush” and “One of Your Girls”, and earning a Grammy nomination for his 2023 album Something to Give Each Other. In creating the new record, Sivan reflected on his recent tours with close friend Charli XCX, and the ensuing loneliness of returning to an empty home. She’s the Best shifts from club-ready dance-pop, and embraces soft-rock, orchestral, and electronic ideas. Lily-Rose Depp makes a surprise appearance as the album’s only feature, delivering a spoken word monologue entirely in French on “Lost Time”. She’s The Best is praised by critics and listeners for breaking from formulaic pop structure, and for its massive ambition, though many agree the album’s flow can be jarring track-to-track. Sivan hasn’t announced an official tour, but has expressed interest in performing a series of small, intimate venues with the new material. 

For nearly four decades, Teenage Fanclub has evolved from wailing indie-underdogs to masters of melodic pop-rock. The Scottish alt-rock group celebrated their thirteenth album, Do Not Dare to Dream this week, which continues the mid-tempo trajectory of 2023’s Nothing Lasts Forever. Layered prog rock guitars and ‘70s psychedelic textures are at its core, and additionally, Do Not Dare to Dream experiments with unique instruments, like the Domus church organ, and pastoral flutes. There’s little optimism to be found; the new record reflects on heavy themes like alienation, aging and depression, but lays out a course-correction for surviving grief. Called a “headphones record” by fans, the new work is seen as a deeply comforting, mature meditation, but some critics mark that Dare to Dream lacks momentum, and its understated melancholy can become repetitive. Teenage Fanclub is currently on tour in Europe, with stops in France, Spain and Germany, and will continue on to the UK and Ireland in November. 

Jess Williamson’s sixth studio album, A Mile South of Heaven was released on October 9th through New West Records. Produced by the legendary Shooter Jennings, the LP is a bold new milestone in Williamson’s career, blending Americana with alt-pop. South of Heaven’s central theme is a love-hate relationship with Los Angeles, and homesickness for Texas. The opening track and lead single “Goodbye To All That” ruminates on L.A. loneliness, while “Battle Scar” recounts growing up and trying to fit in the private school scene. These ideas are explored through country, honky-tonk and indie-folk structures, with Williamson’s acrobatic vocals complimenting acoustic guitars and fiddles. A Mile South of Heaven has received an outpouring of praise for its poetic lyrics and traditional arrangements, as well as Williamson’s emotional delivery. Jess Williamson will take the new music on tour in January of 2027, with stops in the United States and Canada until late February. 

Modern classic rock group Greta Van Fleet first blew away audiences with their dramatic guitar anthems and wailing choruses, with an uncanny similarity to Led Zeppelin. Lead singer Josh Kiszka’s powerful tenor is an eerie replica to that of Robert Plant, and over their career has sparked intense debate: Are they derivative, or a respectful homage? And how long can a Zeppelin sound-alike stay interesting? Their latest album, Palace For the People, has received a positive but somewhat tepid reception, despite its attempts to break from their ‘70s rock revival aesthetic. Palace For the People dabbles in blues rock, pop, and ‘90s grunge, and moves away from sprawling, cosmic mythology for themes of shared resilience and community in the modern world. For the first time, the group opened its doors to other musicians, adding lush strings, brass sections, and additional percussionists. The result is cinematic, modern stadium rock that feels sharp and cohesive, but for many critics, still a bit too safe in the comfort zone. Greta Van Fleet is preparing its “Into the Beginning Tour” – a massive, fifty-nine city global which will kick off February 3rd, 2027. 

Remi Wolf- Mud

October 9, 2026

Island Records

Troye Sivan - She’s the Best

October 9, 2026

Interscope, Tokky’s Music

Teenage Fanclub - Do Not Dare to Dream

October 9, 2026

Merge Records

Jess Williamson - A Mile South of Heaven

October 9, 2026

New West

Greta Van Fleet - Palace for the People

October 9, 2026

Republic Records, Lava Records