The Lead Sheet ~ 2/17/2026

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.

This Valentine’s Day, Charli xcx released Wuthering Heights, the companion soundtrack album to the new Emerald Fennell film with Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi. Charli had previously co-composed for the 2023 movie Bottoms, alongside Leo Birenberg, but Wuthering Heights is her first film project solo, and first release since her iconic 2024 Brat. Wuthering Heights is getting praise for being a fully realized LP in its own right, despite being written to underscore the film; critics appreciate the pivot from electronic club-pop into cinematic, gothic orchestra, harkening back to the artist’s True Romance era in the early 2010’s. Standout tracks include the ballad-like “Chains of Love”, and “House”, which features John Cale and opens the album with moody, industrial atmosphere and atonal strings. The LP’s main criticisms are mild- a relatively short runtime of about thirty-four minutes, and an overly upbeat ending that doesn't seem to match the film’s conclusion. Charli XCX has a number of film projects slated for 2026, after recently releasing the A24 Mockumentary The Moment, and a UK tour kicking off in August. 

Massachusetts based metalcore group Converge released their eleventh studio album, Love is Not Enough this week to phenomenal reviews. Converge has had a firm foothold in both metal and math-rock for over three-decades. Their most notable work is the 2001 masterpiece Jane Doe, which is still considered “essential listening” for fans of the genre. But Love is Not Enough receives its praise for being a delightful return to the band’s high-octane roots, steadily ramping up in energy with each track. The album’s message is simple, love doesn’t always conquer all, and often pales in comparison to the world’s chaos and trauma. The explosive album was recorded at lead guitarist Kurt Ballou’s “GodCity Studios” in Salem, Massachusetts, where much of Converge’s catalogue was produced. Some find the new album overpolished, costing the group a bit of their famous bite, but most find the return to form and relentless momentum refreshingly energized after the previous, somewhat subdued 2021 release Bloodmoon: I. 

Hemlocke Springs, A.K.A Isememe “Naomi” Udu, is a rising star in bedroom pop, after her 2023 EP going…going…GONE! took the internet by storm. This week Hemlocke Springs returns with her first LP, the apple tree under the sea. The new work demonstrates noticeable growth for the artist; listeners comment that under the sea sounds mature and refined, blending 80’s synths with high-energy chaotic pop. under the sea is also a concept album, using biblical allegory to explore Udu’s strict and religious upbringing with astute introspection and emotionally intimate lyricism. When Hemlocke Springs first came onto the scene, there were more than a few accusations of “industry plant”, but under the sea has established Udu as one of 2026’s most promising new artists, vindicating her early hype. Hemlocke Springs will tour the new album in the U.S. this May and June, with appearances at The Governor’s Ball Music Festival in New York and Bonnaroo in Tennessee. 

After ten years, The Olympians return with an expansive new soul album, In Search of a Revival. Driven and assembled by mastermind Toby Pazner, The Olympians is an A-team of jazz and funk experts, including members from The Dap-Kings, The Budos Band, and Antibalas, but the new album expands the group to a 17-piece ensemble. The Olympians’  debut album, also just titled “The Olympians”, explored a James Brown-style funk sound through the lens of Greco-Roman mythology, but the new album sees the band shift to a 1970’s Tarantino-cinema score. In Search of a Revival also incorporates and mixes genres like jazz, indo-psychedelic, and even Beach-Boys-esque sunshine pop, demonstrating the staggering musical ability of the supergroup. Critics rave about Revival’s complexity, catchy riffs, and curious instrumentation, calling it one of the best soul albums in recent memory. In Search of a Revival seems to have found it. 

Danny L. Harle’s new album Cerulean released this week to polarized reviews; The London-based producer’s latest work has received a wide range of critique, from “bold and cohesive” to “emotionless and subdued”. For those unfamiliar with his work, Harle is a classically trained musician specializing in eurodance, electronic, and trance music, and was also a key player in the formation of “hyper-pop”, with huge 2010’s hits like “Broken Flowers” and “Supernatural”, which featured Carly Rae Jepsen. Despite being described by Harle as his “true debut”, Cerulean seems to strike a chord with his fans, but less so with critics and general audiences, who struggle to grasp the album’s amorphous construction. Cerulean shifts from his previous, fast-tempo rave music to a moody, alien soundscape. To lean into the new idea, Harle blends high-pitched vocals with glitchy synths, creating interesting textures with a string orchestra to balance the digital with the organic. Cerulean also features some pretty big names, like Dua Lipa and PinkPantheress, who provide sugary vocals in contrast to Cerulean’s somber atmosphere. 

Charli xcx - Wuthering Heights

Released Feb 13, 2026

Atlantic Records

Converge - Love is Not Enough

Released Feb 13, 2026

Epitaph, Deathwish Records

Hemlocke Springs - apple tree under the sea. 

Released Feb 13, 2026

AWAL Records

The Olympians - In Search of a Revival. 

Released Feb 13, 2026

Daptone Records

Danny L. Harle- Cerulean

Released Feb 13, 2026

XL Records