We recommend: The best new global music
Editor’s Note: We’ve pulled together the best new tracks and albums—both international and Indian—that dropped in the last four weeks. Tune into April’s playlist on splainer’s Spotify.
‘Besabar’ by Bharg and Lothika: Does the chorus sound familiar to you? This short-and-sweet synthpop jaunt samples Kingfisher’s popular ad jingle to get you going on the dance floor.
‘Feel Alright’ by TV Dinner: The recent demise of the Kolkata indie pop duo Parekh & Singh has left room for some solo work. This one comes from Nischay Parekh and is full of folk influences. Time to ask if he’s leaving on a jet plane for Scarborough Fair!
‘Roar of the Lion (The Lion’s Pit)’ by Wu-Tang and Mathematics: The pioneers of East Coast hip hop are back with their longtime producer, almost eight years after ‘The Saga Continues’. Except this time, all nine surviving members are on board. The result? Good ol’ no-nonsense boom bap!
‘Day One’ by Bon Iver feat. Dijon and Flock of Dimes: The Justin Vernon-fronted soft rock act infuses some contemporary RnB and soul for this earwormy sonic cocktail.
‘The Iron Rose’ by The Mars Volta: Speaking of genre evolutions, here’s a traditionally Latino prog rock act embracing more atmospheric and psychedelic takes on jazz and electronica. Unrecognisable from their best-known work, but just as trippy and bass-y.
‘Umbra’ by Ghost: Hailing from Linköping, Sweden, this occult rock act offers up yet another tongue-in-cheek track full of catchy ‘80s hair metal-inspired cheese that wouldn’t be amiss in a Scooby Doo chase scene. These are all plus points, we swear!
‘Kabira’ by Meghdhanush: Chonky riffs, nasty solos, lyricism laced with political satire—this Ahmedabad sufi-hard rock fusion band has it all.
‘Salem Sisters’ by Black Country, New Road: In order to fill the void left by departing frontman Isaac Wood, this British six-piece shifts away from its post-punk roots in favour of a more Fiona Apple-lite alt rock sound. While the full album is a disjointed mish mash reflective of a band finding its feet again, here’s its brightest track.
‘Forest Encyclopedia’ by Beirut: The Balkan folk and orchestral pop enthusiasts from Santa Fe, New Mexico serve up another new song with irresistibly lush production and sombre poetry.
‘Blockage’ by Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs: The band name is as goofy as it gets but the stoner metal riffage is anything but. Rather, it hits you like a truck similar to how the subgenre’s pioneers Kyuss, Clutch or Mastodon do. Chalk that one up to Geordie humour, perhaps!
‘Shotan’ by Femi Kuti: The sax maestro and eldest son of the Afrobeat pioneer keeps the genre fresh with another sonically rich takedown of all things Nigerian politics.
‘Backroom Boys’ by Stereophonics: The mainstays of ‘90s Britpop and the Cardiff music scene try their hand at a bit of country. It fits like a glove.
‘The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face’ by Barbara Streisand feat. Hozier: A legend covering a legendary song! This song was originally written by Ewan MacColl and performed by Peggy Seeger in 1957. Then it was Roberta Flack in 1995 and now Barbra Streisand and Hozier breathe life into it once again.
‘Everybody’s trying to figure me out’ by HAIM: The Grammy winning group made of three sisters have an album coming out in June. This is the second single ahead of the album’s release and is a sombre yet feel good song which makes you feel secure in your decisions while everyone tries to figure you out.
‘The Touch’ by Ashley Monroe feat. Marty Stuart: This dreamy ballad has hauntingly lovely vocals by Monroe—atuned to acoustic guitar and beautiful harmonies in the chorus.
April 2025’s best albums
‘Face Down in the Garden’ by Tennis: This dynamic dream pop duo from Denver have called it quits with the release of their seventh album. Coming in at a shade over 29 minutes, it’s not their longest but it’s easily their most bittersweet—a noticeable shift from their more upbeat and pleasant predecessors, ‘Swimmer’ and ‘Pollen’. Vocalist Alaina Moore digs deep with pensive lyrics about coping with loss and the passage of time—combining with her husband Patrick Riley to provide the sumptuous sonic textures that retain their infectious ‘twee’ vibe, one last time.
‘Still Becoming’ by Jeff Goldblum & The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra: ‘Jurassic Park’ and ‘Wicked’ actor Jeff Goldblum is back with a jazz album with his orchestra. He has collaborated with his ‘Wicked’ co-stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo—along with Scarlett Johansson, and Maiya Sykes on some of the tracks. But we also love the instrumental ‘Blue Minor’ and ‘E’vry Time We Say Goodbye’ which is peppered with Jeff Goldblum’s smooth voice. The overall vibe is old-school Hollywood gala but in modern times, this the perfect album to play on a Sunday while preparing breakfast or hosting your friends or family!
‘Sinners (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)’ by Ludwig Göransson: The movie ‘Sinners’ is on its way to becoming one of the great modern blockbusters and that is all thanks to the brilliant blues-y work by Ludwig Göransson—who was also behind other iconic film scores like ‘Oppenheimer’ and ‘The Brutalist’. The best thing about this album is that you can listen to it with zero context on the movie!
PS: Standout tracks from each album have been added to splainer’s April 2025 playlist on Spotify!
