New Music Friday For Jan. 18: 7 Albums You Should Hear Now

Welcome to a brand-new season of New Music Friday! After a few quiet weeks, the flood gates are opening and we've got a whole bunch of essential albums dropping on Jan. 18 to tell you about. This includes the smart, sparkling pop of singer Maggie Rogers, swooning love songs from James Blake, deep introspection from Pedro The Lion's first new album in 15 years, pure joy from Toro y Moi and much more. Host Robin Hilton is joined by NPR Music's Stephen Thompson for this quick sprint through the essential releases for Jan. 18, the first busy drop date for the new year.

Feature Albums:

1. Maggie Rogers: Heard It In A Past Life
   Featured Song: "Fallingwater"
2. Toro y Moi: Outer Peace
   Featured Song: "Ordinary Pleasure"
3. Deerhunter: Why Hasn't Everything Already Disappeared?
   Featured Song: "What Happens To People?"
4. Pedro The Lion: Phoenix
   Featured Song: "Quietest Friend"
5. James Blake: Assume Form
   Featured Song: "Can't Believe The Way We Flow"
6. Buke And Gase: Scholars
   Featured Song: "Pink Boots"
7. Frances Cone: Late Riser
   Featured Song: "Unravelling"

Other Notable Releases For Jan. 18: Crane Like The Bird: Crane Like The Bird; Future: The Wizrd; Juliana Hatfield: Weird; Malibu Ken: Malibu Ken; Mike Posner: A Real Good Kid; Sharon Van Etten: Remind Me Tomorrow; Tender: Fear Of Falling Asleep; The Twilight Sad: It Won't Be Like This All The Time

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