Welcome to spring! Unlike January, February, or March, there aren't too many major album releases appearing in April. We'll be honest: there's nothing very highly-anticipated. Nothing set to break the internet or receive undivided attention from the music industry.
Instead, April promises to be a month full of strong LPs from underrated and up-and-coming artists; records that will hopefully pull them closer to the mainstream. Additionally, there will be unique album additions from more experienced acts. Springtime is all about blossoming, and while there aren't any "it" guys, gals, or nonbinary pals creating tremendous buzz this season, the month will be full of small but steady gains.
In other words: keep your eyes on these blooming artists before they grow more popular! April is a great time to acquaint yourself with new musicians, or older acts you've been meaning to check out. Below are the 10 albums we're most excited to listen to in April!
1. Never Enough - Daniel Caesar
Daniel Caesar has had more of a spotlight on him ever since he helped Justin Bieber out with the hit song "Peaches." Now, Caesar is releasing a brand new album on April 7th called Never Enough. It's a follow-up to his projects CASE STUDY 01 and the highly acclaimed Freudian, and his first effort after signing with Republic Records.
So far, he's released the dreamy singles "Do You Like Me?", "Let Me Go," and "Valentina." With so many awesome R&B albums arriving recently – SZA's SOS, Steve Lacy's Gemini Rights, Beyoncé's Renaissance, and Kali Uchis' Red Moon In Venus – we're sure this Canadian singer-songwriter will offer another stellar contribution to the genre.
2. Higher Than Heaven - Ellie Goulding
We were really looking forward to finally hearing Ellie Goulding's next LP Higher Than Heaven in March, but unfortunately, the album drop was pushed back once again. Thankfully, we don't have to wait too long in April, because Higher Than Heaven will be out on the first Friday of the month (April 7)!
Goulding has been sharing new singles in anticipation of the album for months. The most popular has been "Easy Lover" with Big Sean, but we've also really loved hearing the dance-heavy "Let It Die" and the 80s pop-esque "By the End of the Night." The album was written in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, with Goulding stating, "There was definitely a darkness about [the past two years] that was palpable in the studio, with everyone having gone through it differently. I think for that reason, nobody wanted to sit and agonise over some relationship or some drama. So that’s how this album came together."
3. Mythologies - Thomas Bangaltar
Also on April 7th, we have an unconventional record from a famously unconventional French DJ. You may know Thomas Bangaltar as one half of the retired robot dance music duo Daft Punk. The artist will be releasing an orchestral solo project called Mythologies in April. But not an electronic orchestral project...a full-on classical music album. In fact, Mythologies is part of a ballet Bangaltar was tasked to compose.
We're excited to see how Bangaltar's musical genius fares in a completely new genre. Knowing his work so far, we're sure we'll be able to visualize the dancers in our head as we listen to his full 90-minute score.
4. 72 Seasons - Metallica
The world's favorite heavy metal band is dropping their eleventh studio album on April 14! This time, Metallica will be releasing the project 72 Seasons, and it will be distributed by their own label Blackened Recordings. It has been produced with the help of Greg Fidelman. He produced the band's previous 2016 album, Hardwired... to Self-Destruct.
In an interview on The Music's podcast, bassist Robert Trujillo said about 72 Seasons: "I'm excited about the next record because I believe it will also be a culmination of the two [previous] records and another journey. There's no shortage of original ideas, that's the beauty of being in this band." On the project's title, James Hetfield revealed in a statement, "72 seasons. The first 18 years of our lives that form our true or false selves. The concept that we were told 'who we are' by our parents. A possible pigeonholing around what kind of personality we are. I think the most interesting part of this is the continued study of those core beliefs and how it affects our perception of the world today. Much of our adult experience is reenactment or reaction to these childhood experiences. Prisoners of childhood or breaking free of those bondages we carry."
5. Henry St. - The Tallest Man On Earth
We've been secretly obsessed with The Tallest Man On Earth ever since we first cried to his song "The Wild Hunt" in 2010. Trust us when we say this Swedish dude is CRIMINALLY UNDERRATED in the indie folk genre. If you like Bob Dylan's style of singing mixed with deep, existential lyrics that will cut you to the core, you absolutely need to check out his work.
On April 14, he is releasing his next album Henry St.. It comes not too long after his 2022 project Too Late For Edelweiss. The title track of the album in particular – which he recently released as a single and music video – has been giving us all the feels. Just the lyrics in the first verse, "Will I light up here tomorrow? / Will I meet myself today?" are enough to get the waterworks going. We hope this is the album where the mainstream meets The Tallest Man On Earth.
6. Lost - Pet Shop Boys
English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys will be releasing their fourth EP on April 15. This tiny new project is called Lost, and will include four previously unreleased songs from Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe. Originally recorded in 2015 for their 13th album Super, the tracks on the EP are called "The Lost Room," "I Will Fall," "Skeletons In The Closet," and "Kaputnik."
Neil Tennant revealed the tunes were left off the LP “not because we didn’t like them, but because they didn’t fit the album”. He told Retropop the songs "all sit together quite well, production-wise, they’re all super-electronic...Some of them are sort of relevant to the world at the moment.” Explaining the title of the collection, he continued: “It also seems to represent a sort of larger, philosophical or political point, where there’ve been times recently where the world feels a bit lost in terms of the direction it’s going in.”
7. Amen - The Heavy
On April 21, English rock band The Heavy will be sharing their sixth studio album, Amen. You may know The Heavy for their wide array of hit singles, especially the 2009 track "How You Like Me Now?" which was used in an obscene amount of commercials during that time. We particularly love their song "Short Change Hero," which was famously featured in the opening of the video game Borderlands 2. "What Makes a Good Man?" is also a bop that belongs in a spaghetti western.
Anyway, according to the group's Bandcamp, Amen promises to be "an exhilarating maelstrom of ‘60s R&B riffs, horns, and gospel harmonies, which is set to be the freshest and most revitalised record in their canon yet." If we can determine anything from their new single "Hurricane Coming," it's that this record is about to be a unique, punky experience. But hey – we expect nothing less from The Heavy!
8. First Two Pages of Frankenstein - The National
With how much members of The National have been collaborating on songwriting projects with other artists lately, we're excited to get back to original material from them on April 28. That's the day they'll be sharing their ninth studio album First Two Pages of Frankenstein. With features from Sufjan Stevens, Phoebe Bridgers, and the one and only Taylor Swift, it promises to be something even Mary Shelley would love.
Before making the record, the band went through a turbulent period of separation, depression, and solo work. Bryce Dessner explained in a statement The National eventually "managed to come back together and approach everything from a different angle, and because of that we arrived at what feels like a new era for the band." According to Aaron Dessner, a turning point came with the lead single "Tropic Morning News," which was co-written with Berninger's wife, Carin Besser. "When Matt came in with that song in the depths of his depression, it felt like a turning point for us. It's almost Dylan-esque in its lyrics and it's so much fun to play; everything suddenly felt like it was coming alive again."
9. Calico - Ryan Beatty
"Ryan Beatty? Isn't that the singer guy who's featured on several BROCKHAMPTON songs?" Yes, yes it is! The California-based Beatty has been making solo work for years, but is most recognized for his cameos within "America's Favorite Boyband." Now that the group is disbanded, Beatty is back with another solo project titled Calico. It's set to drop on April 28.
Beatty has kept details of the record tightly under wraps, with only one single from the album known and released: "Ribbons." It's a mysterious and tender ballad that seems to be about some kind of separation between Beatty and a lover. It's moody, gripping and emotional, and we hope to see the rest of Calico go in a similar direction. The style really works on Beatty's voice.
10. Gasms - Smokey Robinson
Last but not least, April 28 also sees the release of the legendary Smokey Robinson's latest album, Gasms. It will be the Motown singer's 25th record, and so far, we know it will contain nine tracks in total. It's also Robinson's first album of new material in 14 years.
With titles like "I Wanna Know Your Body" and "Roll Around," we know this thing is going to bring ALL the sexy mischief. Smokey is actually 82 years old now, so we're excited to hear an album about romantic pleasure told from the perspective of someone higher up in age. With Robinson's smooth-as-butter voice, we're sure this soul project will give us...well, eargasms.
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Article Image: Ellie Goulding poses while performing at a Brazil concert in 2019. (A.Paes via DepositPhotos.)
