The summer heat seems to be sticking around for a bit longer, and the season’s hot streak of fantastic releases doesn’t seem to be slowing down either. As we enter a seasonal transition period, it is essential to stay grounded, and the consistency these New Music Fridays have maintained is just the remedy. This week, 2025 continues to shock with fresh releases ranging from DIY ethos to polished electronic flair. Whether you’re looking to escape the impending cold or avoid the heat until it arrives, this week’s Caustic has plenty to explore.
Check out Glide’s picks for the week’s best new releases, and follow our Caustic Spotify playlist for updates on all the month’s latest releases.
Bass Drum of Death – “Like a Knife”
SIX
For their sixth studio album, Bass Drum of Death got back to their roots by keeping things raw, simple, and palpable. The aptly named SIX finds the John Barrett-led project cleaning up the bedroom production that got them started for an 11-song, face-melting tracklist. “Like a Knife” features soaring vocals that use a bed of distortion to display the intricacies of their songwriting in a fresh garage rock fashion.
Fruit Bats – “Building a Cathedral”
Baby Man
Eric D. Johnson, the artist behind the folk-rock project Fruit Bats, spends his latest LP stripping his sound down to its bones, allowing his vulnerable poetry and storytelling to take center stage on Baby Man. Johnson’s new LP brings us closer to the artist than ever before as Johnson digs deep lyrically and employs an acoustic minimalism to emphasize this new approach to song craft. “Building a Cathedral” is the far-too-short stand-out from a terrific LP. Johnson creates an immersive ambiance for the listener, allowing the lyrics to take you wherever they guide.
Parcels – “Thinkaboutit”
LOVED
Parcels have all but cemented their status as modern alt-pop fusion experts, but that claim will be even more challenging to deny after the world gets their hands on LOVED. The latest studio effort from the Australian outfit is a loose, colorful one, with the band touching on modern lo-fi jazz, dabbling in a soul revival, and crafting breezy pop anthems. “Thinkaboutit” leans to the relaxed pop side of LOVED. With danceable flavor, Parcels craft a radio-ready single that is still undeniably the band’s own creation.
Dar Williams – “What Bird Did You See”
Hummingbird Highway
Singer/songwriter icon and modern folk hero Dar Williams returns with another whimsical yet emotional journey through this current moment in her life. Hummingbird Highway takes you through a plethora of folksy shades as Williams brings her characters to life through vivid imagery and honesty. “What Bird Did You See” features moody acoustics that juxtapose the child-like wonder of the lyrics, balancing the beauty of the world with the dark reality that cloaks society.
Jens Lekman – “With You I Can Hear My Own Voice”
Songs for Other People’s Weddings
For his latest release, Jens Lekman brings you into the wonderful world of love and heartbreak, as Lekman acts as our nightly entertainment on Songs for Other People’s Weddings. The imaginative new LP follows the concept of a wedding singer who can’t seem to tie the knot himself, surrounding himself with the love he can’t seem to figure out for himself. On “With You I Can Hear My Own Voice,” we find our hero inching closer to the companionship he’s been looking for as he croons of acceptance over a cinematic arrangement.
Josh Ritter – “I’m Listening”
I Believe in You, My Honeydew
On his third album in two years, singer/songwriter Josh Ritter continues his prolific streak with more rich textures and heartfelt songwriting. I Believe in You, My Honeydew explores a fuller sound compared to Ritter’s 2024 release, creating a more colorful world for his lyrics to live in. “I’m Listening” is a gentle example of this new terrain, with Ritter’s plush vocals falling over twinkling acoustics to deliver a loving message.
LEISURE – “The Colour of the Sound”
Welcome to the Mood
The latest LP from LEISURE, Welcome to the Mood, is a blissful listen brimming with psychedelic danceability and lush soul. There is no sense of urgency across these 10 songs. The quintet has seemingly landed on a sound they call their own, one where their influences dance with each other with alien-like precision and rhythm. “The Colour of the Sound” is one of the more atmospheric moments on Welcome to the Mood, with an experimental flair that plays like a ride over a freshly paved street.
Carson McHone – “The Canvas”
Pentimento
Carson McHone’s new LP, the intricate and lovely Pentimento, highlights the individuality that she has been delivering all these years in a more sprawling light. The 16-song project is a moving piece of modern folk that touches on all the genre’s corners and traditions with a tracklist that ranges from ambient balladry to rocking anthems. “The Canvas” leans towards the latter, with McHone delivering a touching performance over sparse yet moving instrumentation.
The Brothers Comatose – “Run Boy Run”
Golden Grass
The Brothers Comatose emerge with their first new album since 2023, and the bluegrass revivalists are wholeheartedly unconcerned with what the rest of the genre is doing. Golden Grass is an album for those who have grown fatigued of the sugary twang of modern times, as the band offers an escape with toe-tapping tempos and fantastic harmonies. “Run Boy Run” picks up the pace as the band pens a captivating story of someone running from themselves.
Lorna Shore – “Death Can Take Me”
I Feel The Everblack Festering Within Me
On his second full-length album as vocalist for New Jersey death metal band Lorna Shore, Will Ramos crashes down hard on his prowess over sweeping, gut-punching instrumentation. I Feel The Everblack Festering Within Me is an all-encompassing listen, touching your spirit with guttural vocals and drowning the listener in bleak, animated textures. “Death Can Take Me” is the most eerie of the bunch as Lorna Shore proves once again that they are an exciting, refreshing face in modern metal.
Emma Swift – “No Happy Endings”
The Resurrection Game
Singer/songwriter Emma Swift successfully avoids the sophomore slump with a cathartic release of an LP. The Resurrection Game is a swaying set of tunes that introduces the soulful undertones of Swift’s approach, allowing the artist to frolic in a world of her own creation. “No Happy Endings” is an early favorite that drifts the listener away on a cloud of wistful thinking and glistening guitars.
Jeff Tweedy – “Lou Reed Was My Babysitter”
Twilight Override
We are slowly approaching the release of Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy’s latest solo venture, and the artist decided to drop off the most off-kilter single yet. “Lou Reed Was My Babysitter” finds Tweedy employing an artful approach that plays like a lo-fi demo from an era long gone. The new single will be a part of Tweedy’s three-part Twilight Override, set to be released on September 26.
Militarie Gun – “Throw Me Away”
God Save The Gun
After establishing themselves as more than just another post-punk band on previous records, it would appear that Militarie Gun is ready to evolve on their next release. The band’s new album, God Save The Gun, will be released on October 17, with “Throw Me Away” being our latest single from the anticipated album. The new single is a nostalgia-fueled, melodic outing that never loses the edge the band crafted on previous records, hinting at God Save The Gun being a fresh start for Militarie Gun.
Rapsody & Madlib – “Daddy’s Girl”
Single
Prolific producer Madlib teams up with lyrical mastermind Rapsody for a two-pack single filled with mind-altering performances. “Daddy’s Girl” features a nimble, jazzy instrumental from Madlib, allowing Rapsody to get a lot off her chest via sleek flows. These two singles mark Rapsody’s first releases of 2025 and follow the announcement that Madlib will be releasing an LP with Your Old Droog, scheduled for release in October.
Sudan Archives – “COME AND FIND YOU”
THE BPM
The forward-thinking Sudan Archives has announced her third LP, and the latest single hints at an evolved form of the artist’s established sound. THE BPM is set to be released on October 17 via Stones Throw Records, and the complex yet welcoming “COME AND FIND YOU” is our latest single. The new preview of the album features electronic swells that are broken down to make enough room for Archives’s infectious melodies.
