Here’s a rundown of new releases, including new albums and EPs on DSPs and physical releases in record shops this week.
Nialler9 keeps a rolling list of Irish album releases for 2025.
New Albums and Releases
New Albums
CMAT – Euro-Country
The third album in three years from Ireland’s global pop star makes good on that initially cheeky promise of her nascent career. CMAT is now genuinely one of the finest songwriters and live performers operating in a global context, with Euro-Country reflecting Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson’s own brand of cheeky, hearty countrified pop singalong anthems, writing with supreme confidence about her lack of self-confidence, self-examining with a poignancy, self-awareness, melancholia and pop culture awareness – “I’m just a barmaid with no lines who lives on Coronation Street (‘Coronation St’)”
Not much has changed musically sure, but there’s a gliding level-up gallop to these songs that is best encapsulated by the title track, which has quickly inserted itself on the mantle as the best song inspired by the ravaged wake of the Celtic Tiger on Ireland’s people, a country, in keeping with her lyrical themes – she has called “the most toxic boyfriend i’ve ever had”.
Blood Orange – Essex Honey
Essex Honey was written, produced, and recorded by Hynes and is said to be is a soundtrack created from a dreamscape of his journey working through grief. It is also an album about growing up in Essex (outside London) and the way music has inspired, healed, and interwoven itself through Hynes’ life.
It features collaborations with Lorde, Caroline Polachek, Daniel Cesar, Mustafa, Turnstile’s Brendan Yates, Tariq Al-Sabir, author Zadie Smith – singing on an album for the first time – Ian Isiah, Tirzah, Eva Tolkin, The Durutti Column, Wet’s Kelly Zutrau, actors Naomi Scott and Amandala Stenberg, and Liam Benzvi.
Dev was recently in Dublin to host listening parties of the record.
Jehnny Beth – You Heartbreaker, You
Former frontwoman of English rock band Savages releases the follow-up to her 2020 debut solo album To Love Is To Live. You Heartbreaker, You.
This is modern electronic punk with a jagged edge.
“We’re living in a dark time, full of drama and barbarous tragedy. It became clear to me that, in these times, we either learn how to scream really well, or we learn how to whisper.”
The Beths – Straight Line Was a Lie
New Zealand indie band’s fourth album is their first for new label ANTI.
“Linear progression is an illusion,” lead singer and songwriter Elizabeth Stokes says of the album. “What life really is is maintenance. And finding meaning in the maintenance.”
Myd – Mydnight
Hayley Williams – Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party
Hayley Williams released a surprise dump collection of 17 singles earlier this month, and here’s the album proper, over 18 songs produced by Daniel James, with the Paramore singer playing a variety of instruments, along with long-time collaborators Brian Robert Jones and Joey Howard, and contributions from Jim-E Stack.
The album was independently released by Williams.
Saul Williams meets Carlos Niño & Friends
Saul Williams meets Carlos Niño & Friends at TreePeople was recorded live underneath black walnut and oak trees in Coldwater Canyon Park, Los Angeles, on December 18, 2024. The performance, which was organized by Noah Klein of Living Earth on the grounds of longstanding conservationist organization TreePeople, was the first of its kind for Williams and Niño, who have been friends since the late 1990s.
For the occasion, Niño assembled and directed an ensemble of frequent collaborators including Nate Mercereau (Guitar Synthesizer, Live Sampling with Midi Guitar, Sample Sources), Aaron Shaw (Flute, Soprano Saxophone with Pedals, Tenor Saxophone), Andres Renteria (Bells, Congas, Egyptian Rattle Drum, Hand Drums, Percussion), Maia (Flute, Vibraphone, Voice), Francesca Heart (Computer, Conch Shell, Sound Design), and Kamasi Washington (Tenor Saxophone).
The Hives – The Hives Forever Forever The Hives
Those pesky Swedish rockers are back at it again after their recent rejuvenation into album releasing in 2023.
Also released this week
- IDLES & Rob Simonsen – Caught Stealing (Darren Aronofsky Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
- Joey Bada$$ – Lonely At The Top
- M’ADAM – Before We Die
- Nova Twins – Parasites & Butterflies
- Sabrina Carpenter – Man’s Best Friend
- Skepta & Fred again.. – Skepta .. Fred EP
- Westside Gunn – HEELS HAVE EYES 2
- Erykah Badu & The Alchemist – Abi & Alan (Postponed)
Niall Byrne is the founder of the most-influential Irish music site Nialler9, where he has been writing about music since 2005. He is the co-host of the Nialler9 Podcast and has written for the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Cara Magazine, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, co-founder of Lumo Club, event curator, Indie Sleaze club promoter, and producer of gigs and monthly listening parties & events in Dublin.
