New Music Friday – August 22, 2025

August 22, 2025 Ben Pagani

Today is a thrilling New Music Friday for many fans. Scroll down to see a list of exciting new EPs and albums out now. First, here’s a look at the biggest release this week.

The Best of New Music Friday:

Wolf Alice – The Clearing

Wolf Alice, one of the great and most impactful rock and roll bands of recent memory, is back with another instant classic: The Clearing, the band’s fourth album, is a piano driven record that is inspiring, thoughtful and filled with downright-raw lyrics from singer Ellie Rowsell. The whole band slows the tempo down a notch on this LP, but that doesn’t make The Clearing any bit of a bore. This is an example of a group in control of their own musicianship. This is talent on display. Wolf Alice have taken their mastery in a different direction this go-around and they are inviting fans along for the ride.

The words Rowsell delivers on nearly every track of The Clearing feel like gut punches. “When my body can no longer make a mother of me, will I change my notion of time? // And will you change your mind on me and I’ll be something to leave behind?” she questions on “Play It Out,” a minimalistic track that gets in the trenches of sickness, love, aging and death. “Passenger Seat” is a poppy song that contemplates a relationship from inside a car. “Stop at the station, share a bottle of Coke, you know it tastes so much sweeter when you don’t drink it alone // And will these things now, forever remind me of you?” It’s a relatable situation for listeners. Sometimes people love another so hard that the things that remind us of a special someone will always subconsciously jog memories of that person, even if the love doesn’t end up lasting. Another lyrical song of note is “White Horses” which features co-lead vocals by drummer Joel Amey.

It’s necessary to point out that this is a different sounding record than previous Wolf Alice albums, but it’s not a thought to get too caught up on. The band is very talented and have been nominated three times, including one win, for the Mercury Prize for Best British Album. That means every album they’ve put out is critically acclaimed. Those guitar-forward records drive fans wild, and so should the group’s newest musical take. The Clearing might sound different because of its piano parts, but it’s still tremendous. The band now have such a wide-ranging discography that their live concerts are more well-rounded than ever before. This was maybe best displayed during their Primavera Sound performance this summer. Right now the group continues riding high on a world tour, and it’s a can’t miss show.

There are great rock moments on the record. Lead single “Bloom Baby Bloom” has “OW’s!” and “WOO’s!” thrown in. By the second chorus, Rowsell is basically shrieking in a beautiful way before getting soft for the bridge. Her voice is always high-pitched, even while whispering, cementing “Bloom Baby Bloom” as a unique chart topping song. Closer “The Sofa” leaves listeners with an understanding that it’s okay to want so many things in life and relationships. It’s okay to chill out on a piece of furniture.. It’s not laziness, it’s human nature to be simultaneously restful and thoughtful. “I can be happy, I can be sad, I can be a bitch when I get mad // I wanna settle down, oh, to fall in love, but sometimes I just want to fuck,” Rowsell admits.

This is an album that gets real about life, just like the band always has, though the instrumentation is more in your face than theatrical, making the most different Wolf Alice LP their most human yet. The Clearing is so real and authentic that it hurts, and of course you’ll be coming back for more. This album, like Roswell sings on opener “Thorns,” maybe makes you a masochist. There is plenty to come back to, even if it pricks at the soul. You might as well lie here and enjoy it.

New Music Friday Top Picks:

Ava Max – Don’t Click Play [Atlantic]

Deftones – Private Music [Reprise]

Earl Sweatshirt – Live Laugh Love [Tan Cressida/Warner]

Ghostface Killah – Supreme Clientele 2 [Mass Appeal]

Laufey – A Matter of Time [Vingolf]

Mac DeMarco – Guitar [Mac’s Record Label]

TOPS – Bury the Key [Ghostly International]

Water From Your Eyes – It’s a Beautiful Place [Matador]

Winter – Adult Romantix [Winspear]

Which of these tracks from New Music Friday will you add to your favorite playlists today? Any we missed? Let us know in the comments or on Instagram!

Author
Recent Posts

Ben Pagani

Music Projects Manager at Beyond The Stage Magazine

Ben is a music journalist living and working in Chicago. They joined Beyond The Stage as an intern and have stayed on the staff for several years. Now serving on the editorial board, Ben is proud to be BTS' Music Projects Manager, coordinating coverage between international record labels and our staff. Ben has interviewed, photographed and written about bands from across the world. Ben has lived all over the United States working in television and media. They are an Emmy Award-winning writer. Ben can be found spinning records as 'DJ Wearing Sunglasses' in clubs and basements across the US.