Another week, another slate of releases to draw your eyes and ears to. Our writers are back to shout out some new projects, and even though sometimes January can be a bit slow or meager, we've still got some real goodies.

Ba bam!

Ari Lennox – Vacancy [Interscope Records]

R&B artist Ari Lennox is back with her third studio album, Vacancy. A project that's been brewing for three years, her latest project begins with "Robbin' In DC", a dreamy, soulful track whose crisp trumpet solo and silky vocals already set the tone for the record's lush feel. Vacancy is playful, sensual, and modern — it's got a bit of dancehall, lounge pop, reggae, and hip-hop to spice up the gliding R&B — and each song still centers Lennox's expressive and powerful performance. Plus, the singles were undeniably catchy: "Twin Flame", produced by Tommy “TBHits” Brown and Leather Jacket, sets intimacy to a glittery, bouncy pop beat and exciting harmonies. Plus, if you’re itching for more of Lennox’s impressive singing, I’d tune into her live Vacancy sessions, which are nothing short of stunning. – Victoria Borlando

Lucinda Williams – World's Gone Wrong [Thirty Tigers]

On World’s Gone Wrong, her 16th studio album, Lucinda Williams writes from a place of urgency and upset, confronting the social and political decline of her homeland under Donald Trump and his maggoty clown car of useful idiots. Williams sings of “two-faced masters tricking lost souls” and apathy that “will blind you, until it’s way too late,” speaking to not only the peril of the administration’s actions but the compound danger of complacency. There’s nothing aloof or indifferent about Williams’ raw and rootsy approach here; subtlety is no longer an option. The inclusion of Bob Marley’s “So Much Trouble in the World”, featuring indefatigable civil rights legend Mavis Staples, is certainly pointed, while the Norah Jones-starring “We’ve Come Too Far to Turn Around” brings the temperature down, offering resolve and a closing dash of hope. – Alan Pedder

Megadeth – Megadeth [BLKIIBLK/Frontiers]

Well, folks, it's a big day in the world of metal: one of thrash's big four has decided to give us their very last. The self-titled album from Megadeth definitively ends their career, with a one-two punch at the end of the running order: "The Last Note" — nailing the coffin of Dave Mustaine’s rip-roaring enterprise — and, as a bonus track, a cover of Metallica's "Ride the Lightning", which Mustaine co-wrote during his infamous tenure in the band during their early days. The remaining nine tracks, including singles such as "I Don't Care" and "Let There Be Shred", round out Megadeth's final offering. – Tyler Roland

PVA – No More Like This [It's All For Fun]

Have you ever heard about the “everyone is beautiful and no one is horny” theory? Well, PVA are here to prove it wrong. The South London trio, who released their debut on Ninja Tune back in 2022, are now back and more sensual than ever. They had been drinking from the same electronic post-punk fountain that’s fueling acts like Model/Actriz and Boy Harsher, but No More Like This finds the band dabbling more on softer genres, like trip hop and, ever so slightly, soul music. The resulting sounds make singer Ella Harris’ whispery, spoken-word vocals even more goosebumps-inducing. The persistent references to sweating, dancing, anger, and love make this soft album a visceral experience, if you just pay attention. – Amanda Cavalcanti

Searows - Death in the Business of Whaling [Last Recordings On Earth]

Searows, the bedroom pop-meets-indie folk project of Alec Duckart, returns today with his sophomore record, Death In The Business Of Whaling. It starts off in the caverns of a whale's belly, with the singer crawling out of an emotional rock bottom with a plucky banjo, a touch of violins and percussion, a momentous guitar melody, and his misty, haunting vocals. Much of the record grooves to a gothic folk beat, with "Photograph of a Cyclone" going full country with the big band sound, mid-tempo rhythm, and scenic lyrics depicting barren wastelands, outlaws, and the spiritual quality of the earth. But there's an added, droning twist in some corners, playing into Searows' knack for gothic romance and cold isolation. "Dearly Missed" starts out with a grunge guitar that sounds like it was recored two rooms away from his microphone; "In Violet" chugs with a mechanical whirr before the moody acoustic guitar kicks in. Much swims under the surface of Searows' dark, visceral, and nautical project; dive in! – Victoria Borlando

Tessa Rose Jackson – The Lighthouse [Tiny Tiger]

The Lighthouse is the first major statement from Dutch-English singer/songwriter and composer Tessa Rose Jackson after gravitating back to using her real name in place of the alias she created (and released three albums under) – Someone. And by “major statement” I don’t mean that it reinvents the contemporary folk genre in any spectacular way, but what it does do – and very well at that – is to express a vivid worldview that feels carefully considered, rewarding a more intimate listen with dynamic structures and a blazing emotional weight. – Alan Pedder

VA – Naive Melodies [BBE]

Talking Heads’ versatility is hardly news, but this new BBE compilation, Naive Melodies, really takes it into new territory. In it, we get 18 inventive new versions of the legendary band’s tracks from boundary-pushing artists from all over the world. Ghanian singer Florence Adooni raises the level of Afrobeat infusion in Remain in Light’s “Crosseyed and Painless”, while Brazilian musician Rogê turns Little Creatures’ “Road to Nowhere” into a warm, charismatic samba. It’s a lovely revisitation of one of the most iconic discographies in rock music. – Amanda Cavalcanti