The Lead Sheet ~ 6/24/2025

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. 

Soft-rock girl group HAIM has a new album out this week, titled I Quit. With HAIM, it’s always been a matter of quality over quantity, and despite I Quit only being their 4th album in 13 years, the group has yet to put out a flop. I Quit is being praised for its deliverance on the group's pop-rock attitude, while still making some exciting musical choices. The album is a collection of break-up bops, which explores the theme of social support in the aftermath of relationships gone sour. The album reflects on the parting of the band’s longtime producer Ariel Rechtshaid, who collaborated with the group on their first 3 albums. The group was recently featured in the film Licorice Pizza, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, who also shot the artwork for I Quit’s album cover. 

Benson Boone might be one of those artists that burns bright and fast and then isn’t heard from again. It feels like the young popstar had been blowing up, his meteoric rise culminating in an iconic piano-front flip at the most recent Grammy awards. However, sentiment about the artist has shifted, as some feel his big hit “Beautiful Things” has been overplayed to Gotye levels, and the subsequent frustration has become a meme in online spaces. His new album, American Heart dropped this week, and the reviews are not particularly charitable. Critics and listeners feel the album is bland, repetitive and lacks lyrical punch. Every pop star struggles with authenticity, and it’s too bad this album wasn’t the musical deviation and exploration we could have had, like what Miley Cyrus was able to achieve earlier this year with Something Beautiful. Boone is a great singer and performer, so there’s still plenty of time and talent to dig deeper creatively. 

Speaking of authenticity and creativity, English hip-hop musician Loyle Carner released hopefully!  His 4th studio album to date. The new album is deliciously fresh-layered with emotional jazz chords, and the rapper’s distinctive storytelling approach. Carner’s rapping feels almost like rhythmic narration, conversational and honest, without the need to add any bravado beyond what the song calls for. hopefully! feels optimistic overall, but that optimism doesn’t ignore the melancholy in the song composition. Carner’s new album focuses on themes of parenthood and relationships, and the cover art features a close up of Carner, covered in marker scribblings like that of a delinquent toddler. The real treat of this album is when Carner indulges in singing – something about the artist’s voice feels delicate, understated and raw. Great album to put on at the start of the day with a big cup of coffee. 

Hotline TNT, the young indie rock band from New York City put out Raspberry Moon, their 3rd album. The music feels incredibly nostalgic, reminiscent of that 2010’s era that was dominated by indie groups like Phoenix, The Joy Formidable, Arcade Fire, and Arctic Monkeys. Raspberry Moon straddles an emotion between joy and grief, but its opening track “Was I Wrong” feels like adolescent angst. Despite only forming in 2018, the group’s sound is quite developed and intentional, like cinematic shoegaze. Some of the tracks are almost psychedelic, dabbling in what sounds like numerous effect-pedals and post production, the swelling guitars and layered noise create a spectacular wall of sound. Notably, Raspberry Moon is the first album of the group recorded with a live drummer, as the first two used only a drum machine, backed up by frontman Will Anderson playing all the other parts himself. When Anderson heard that some fans preferred the earlier sound of the band, he pushed back, saying that he’s “here to grow.” 

English singer, actor, political activist and all around rebel, Yungblud, released his 4th studio album on Friday, titled Idols. Perhaps his most ambitious project to date, the album is actually a 2-parter, and Idols is only the first installment, with part two scheduled for October of this year. The artist’s intention with this album was not to create singles, but instead focus on atmosphere. Kicking the album off with a 9 minute track certainly leans into that idea, but despite all the ambition, Idols is getting mixed reviews. Maybe it is trying to do too much all at once. Still, it’s a fine addition to Yungblud’s discography, which takes inspiration from pop-punk rock acts like My Chemical Romance, Blink-182, and The 1975. 

Hot albums to check out this week:

HAIM - I Quit

Columbia Records/Polydor Records

Released June 20, 2025

Benson Boone - American Heart

Night Street Records

Released June 20, 2025

Loyle Carner - hopefully!

EMI Records

Released June 20, 2025

Hotline TNT - Raspberry Moon

Third Man Records

Released June 20, 2025

YUNGBLUD - Idols

Locomotion Recordings

Released June 20, 2025