The Lead Sheet ~ 11/25/25

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. 

Daniel Lopatin, A.K.A. Oneohtrix Point Never, is known for producing nostalgic electronic music, blending bites and samples to create abstract soundscapes. His new album, Tranquilizer released this week and is fully on brand, receiving praise across the board for its ingenuity and originality in digital music. Despite the title, Tranquilizer is an uptempo, agitated piece that pulses with energy. In composing the album, Lopatin discovered old sample CD’s from the 90’s and 2000’s, and repurposed them into new, vaporwave, glitch tracks. Tranquilizer is Lopatin’s eleventh album to date, and Pitchfork has labeled it “Best New Music”, an ongoing award for notable new work.

English folk-rock star Keaton Henson released his ninth studio album, Parader this week, marking a shift in genre, moving further from folk and closer to grunge. Parader is a deeply personal project; Henson’s own struggles with anxiety and stage fright are well known, and the artist is open about his difficulty being in the public eye, “parading” around. The album is getting positive reception, with many finding the album’s emotional depth and sincerity appealing. Some listeners however, don’t care for the shift to grunge, and take issue with some stylistically breathy singing from Henson on more than a few tracks. Still, Parader has some great tracks like the reflective “Past It” or the anthemic “Insomnia”, and is a bold, confident change-up for the artist.

Indie dream-pop group Bug Teeth released their debut album, Micrographia to outstanding reviews from critics and general listeners. The band, which hails from Leeds, England, play a variety of genres including indie rock, dream-pop and electronica. Micrographia confronts heavy emotional topics like grief and loss, written shortly after the passing of frontman PJ Johnson’s mother. The album receives specific praise for its ability to balance light and dark elements, while ultimately living in hope. Micrographia has successfully established Bug Teeth as an exciting new band to keep an eye on. 

This week Metropole Orkest, Snarky Puppy & Jules Buckley released their collaborative record Somnis, to the delight of jazz fans everywhere. Somnis, (the team’s second collaboration following 2015’s Grammy award winning Sylva) is receiving universal critical acclaim. The entirely instrumental concept album centers on the theme of dreams, with each track focusing on a specific element of dreaming. The album was recorded live in front of an audience over three nights in the Netherlands. The eight track record was written by Snarky Puppy’s founder Michael League and arranged for Metropole Orkest by Jules Buckley, the orchestra’s conductor. The result is an enriching hybrid of contemporary big band jazz with symphonic, classical flair. Critics agree that the abstract instrumentals perfectly compliment the abstract nature of dreams, allowing plenty of headroom for the audience’s imagination. 

After a nine year album hiatus, De La Soul returns with a brand new LP, Cabin in the Sky. The Long Island based hip-hop group is perhaps known best for their groundbreaking 1989 debut album, 3 Feet High and Rising, which is widely considered a masterpiece, and helped shape the genre in its infancy. Now back with their tenth album, Cabin in the Sky is a tribute to founding member David “Trugoy the Dove” Jolicouer, who tragically passed away in 2023. Cabin in the Sky features never before released vocals from Jolicouer, and is also a celebration of the group’s legacy. The album also has some notable featured artists- Killer Mike, Common, Nas, and even a spoken word intro by actor Giancarlo Esposito. Musically, Cabin leans into boom-bap rap, with some funk and soul sampling and upbeat cadences. Reception has been particularly positive, with some critics even placing the album as frontrunner for “album of the year”. 

Oneohtrix Point Never - Tranquilizer 

Released Nov 21 25

Warp Records

Keaton Henson - Parader

Released Nov 21 25

[PIAS]

Bug Teeth - Micrographia

Released Nov 21 25

-/ records

Metropole Orkest, Snarky Puppy & Jules Buckley - Somni

Released Nov 21 25

GroundUP Music LLC

De La Soul - Cabin in the Sky

Released Nov 21, 25

Chrysallis, Mass Appeal Records