The Best of April '26

Apr 30

Synonymous with rain showers, tax filing and an anxiety-inducing day of pranks, April often gets a bad rap. Sorry Aries and Tauruses. Yet amid the slog of spring, four New Music Fridays delivered some much-needed rejuvenation. Keep scrolling to recap the April releases that sound as good as it feels to remember you packed an umbrella or realize your tax return hit your bank account. After all, who said fresh music has to wait until May to bloom?

RAPID REVIEWS

Watch the music video for “Cruel World” on YouTube.

Holly Humberstone Helps Take The Edge Off Feeling Lost in Cruel World - Maria Murphy

“There is no manual for navigating your twenties, and Holly Humberstone doesn’t pretend to have one. On her latest project, Cruel World, she shares a raw, honest soundtrack that highlights the coming-of-age experience. It’s a chaotic, constant tug-of-war between losing yourself in someone else and trying to find yourself on your own. The album is a sonic timeline of what it feels like to grow up when you aren't quite ready to.”

For Fans Of: crying in bathroom stalls, love story albums and coming of age themes

Why Hallpass’ Debut is this Year’s Best Slow-Burn - McKenzie Blasi

“In an era where debut albums often feel like a collection of disparate singles aimed at playlist placement, Hallpass has delivered something increasingly rare: a cohesive, atmospheric journey. Their debut LP, Spillway, is a record that demands to be heard in a single sitting, preferably through a pair of high-quality headphones or on a long, solitary drive. Over twelve tracks, the band explores the liminal spaces between indie-rock tension, shoegaze expansion, and intimate folk-tinged vulnerability.”

For Fans Of: rainy days, quintessential indie rock and live-show-ready rockers

Listen to Something is a shell. on Spotify.

Sofia Isella’s Something is a shell. is for the Sapiosexuals - Seay Howell

“Sofia Isella keeps her finger on the pulse of current cultural conversations—by ripping open the ribcage to clutch the still-beating heart. Her gritty, arresting production style wraps social commentary in crunchy synth and slick reverb to craft a guttural, visceral experience that doesn’t shy away from the beauty of the grotesque or the grotesqueness of beauty.”

For Fans Of: sardonic humor, weird girl literature and scene-setting sonics

Jordan Joy Isn’t Ready for the Night to Be Over in Debut Single, “Don’t Kill the Vibe”- Tabita Bernardus

“The singer began teasing her track on Instagram earlier this month, sharing a video of herself playing the piano. It wasn’t long before her next post made speculations of a music debut official: ‘Working on a record.. inspired by New York and Kim Gordon’s t-shirt.’ What came next was only natural. Co-produced by Catherine Marks from Wolf Alice and Jackson Phillips from Day Wave, she etches her name into the indie-pop world with an infectious, four-minute number that lingers in the air after each listen.”

For Fans Of: swaggering bass lines, messy nights out and mini purses

Noah Kahan Returns to His Roots on “The Great Divide”- Olivia Strohecker

“Spanning 77 minutes, The Great Divide demonstrates deep emotional range through recurring reflection. Its repetitions occasionally flatten the album, but they also sharpen its central points, reinforcing the discomfort at the heart of Kahan’s writing. It doesn’t offer much closure but rather leaves listeners with the clarity of having seen something too blatant to ignore. Overall, The Great Divide proves that refinement doesn’t require reinvention and that its power lies in what it reveals and how closely people are willing to look.”

For Fans Of: emotional intelligence, fire pits and folk pop

BROOKE’S BONUSES

Listen to Maybe Not Tonight on Spotify.

Lime Garden Plants Underrated Album of the Year Seeds with Maybe Not Tonight

“Wonk pop” was not a genre I knew I needed in my life until Lime Garden’s sophomore LP, Maybe Not Tonight, made its way into my April rotation. Through the record’s ten tracks, the British quartet extends its hand, inviting listeners to grab on and get pulled through the world of 20-something-year-old musings backdropped by a night out. From the identity crisis in “23,” to the body dysmorphia in “Body” and perils of modern dating in “Always Talking About You,” each track sees honest sober thoughts bluntly unraveling into drunk words. Meanwhile, jaunty bass lines, quirky sound effects and curt lyric delivery are hallmarks of the album’s well-curated, rough-around-the-edges atmosphere.

For Fans Of: weird beats, sugary cocktails and Wet Leg

“kiss goodbye” to Seriousness and Say Hello to Whimsy with The Two Lips

If you’re the kind of person who turns grocery store trips or doctors appointments into an opportunity for a Disney Channel-worthy meet cute, then this one’s for you. On their new single, indie pop duo The Two Lips invites listeners to find their “perfect stranger” the next time they ride an elevator: “If I never see you later, you can be my perfect stranger / Different floor, same elevator / One last kiss goodbye.” “kiss goodbye” is a summery single that brings the playful sultriness of artists like Sabrina Carpenter into the breezy soundscape of bedroom pop. Complete with a relaxed trumpet line, sparkling synth interjections and clave hits, “kiss goodbye” perfects the art of catchy nonchalance.

For Fans Of: horns, swiping on dating apps solely for the plot and on-the-nose (yet tasteful) sound effects

Aubory Bugg Serenades with Poignancy in “i think i had something once”

Aubory Bugg understands that two things can be true at once. “I wish I knew when the good was when I was in it,” the 21-year-old indie-folk artists sings in her latest single, “i think i had something once,” an ode to the saving graces we take for granted in otherwise trying times. Growing up queer in a conservative Illinois town, Bugg said, “I wanted to fit in so badly, but at the same time I knew I wasn’t meant to stay.” Now finding her footing as a Nashvillian with over 150,000 monthly Spotify listeners and a tour with singer-songwriter Courtney Marie Andrews under her belt, Bugg’s new single sees her reflecting on the life she left behind. With mellow yet constant acoustic finger picking, smooth trumpet echoes and Bugg’s siren-like soprano, “i think i had something once” offers a gentle reminder to spare your future self of regretful nostalgia.

For Fans Of: journaling, Joni Mitchell and laying in the grass

EXTRAS