New Music Friday: The best albums out March 20

Welcome to New Music Friday, NPR Music's podcast dedicated to sharing the best albums out each week. We listen to dozens of new releases in advance, identify the ones we think you need to hear, and highlight our favorite five in a brisk mix of clips, context and commentary.

The podcast is normally hosted by NPR Music's Stephen Thompson, but this week NPR Music editor and critic Hazel Cills steps in to steer the ship alongside our guest, Francesca Harding of KCRW where she's on air Tuesday evenings from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. PT.

Scroll down to see which albums we discussed this week and links to our New Music Friday playlists, where you can hear singles from each album. Then scroll down to see the long list and Dora's Corner, where NPR Music production assistant Dora Levite shares her favorite albums that didn't make the podcast.

The Starting 5

🎵 Alex Isley, When the City Sleeps (Warner)

• Recommended If You Like: Snoh Aalegra, Ari Lennox

🎵 underscores, U (Mom + Pop)

• RIYL: 100 gecs, Oklou

🎵 ZENA, Temesgen (Brownswood)

• RIYL: aja monet, Momoko Gill

🎵 Grace Ives, Girlfriend (True Panther / Capitol)

• RIYL: Saya Gray, SASAMI

🎵 Suitor, Saw You Out With The Weeds (Feel It)

• RIYL: Horsegirl, Sweeping Promises

New Music Friday is a feature of NPR's All Songs Considered podcast. Hear the discussion on the NPR App, Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

The Lightning Round

Five more albums we wish we could have discussed on the podcast, recommended by NPR Music's staff:

⚡ Ali & Charif Megarbane, Tirakat (Habibi Funk) —Francesca Harding

⚡ Naomi Scott, F.I.G (ALTER Music) —Hazel Cills

⚡ Samara Cyn, Detour EP (Vanta / Disney) —Rodney Carmichael

⚡ Immanuel Wilkins Quartet, Live at the Village Vanguard, Vol. 1 (Blue Note) —Ann Powers

⚡ Luke Combs, The Way I Am (Sony Nashville) —Stephen Thompson

Listen to each album's best songs on our New Music Friday playlists on Spotify and Apple, or wherever you stream music.

Dora's Corner

Dora Levite is New Music Friday's production assistant, an occasional All Songs Considered guest, and 17 years old according to her Spotify wrapped. Below are her picks for the best albums not featured on the show.

💿 Girl Scout, Brink (AWAL)

💿 V/A, Red Xerox: Chicago Youth Beat 2020-2025 (Desert Island)

💿 more eaze, sentence structure in the country (Thrill Jockey)

The Long List

Rock/Alt/Indie

• mclusky, I Sure Am Getting Sick of this Bowling Alley EP (Ipecac)
• St. Vincent, Live in London! (Virgin)
• Anna Calvi, Is This All There Is EP (Domino)
• Otracami, Runoff (Figure & Ground)
• Ringing, another cycle in the cosmic wash (Julia's War Recordings x Signal//Noise Records)
• Asian Glow, Arin Cot (DIY)
• Witch Post, Butterfly EP (Partisan)
• Avalon Emerson & the Charm, Written Into Changes (Dead Oceans)
• Band of Horses, Everything All The Time (20th Anniversary Edition) (Sub Pop)
• Black Beach, Mail Thief (Best Brother)
• Footballhead, Weight of The Truth (Tiny Engines)
• Gladie, No Need To Be Lonely (Get Better)
• John Hollier & The Rêverie, Rainmaker (Thirty Tigers)
• Joshua Burnside, It's Not Going To Be Okay (Nettwerk)
• Manchester Orchestra, Union Chapel, London, England (Loma Vista)
• Masahiro Takahashi, In Another (Telephone Explosion)
• Mizery, Mizery (Flatspot)
• Robert Lester Folsom, Music and Dreams (Mexican Summer)
• Rocketship, A Certain Smile, A Certain Sadness (30th anniversary reissue) (Slumberland)
• Sleep Paralysis, A Visitor's Soundtrack (Feel It)
• Son Little, CITYFOLK (ANTI-)
• The Undercover Dream Lovers, atomic house (SoundOn)
• Vero, Razor Tongue (PNKSLM)
• Vial, HELLHOUND (Trout Hole)
• Hurray for the Riff Raff, Live Forever (Nonesuch)

Classical

• Challem, Dyade (Wesee)

Country/Folk/Americana

• Aubrie Sellers, Attachment Theory (Casual Media Partners)
• Leah Blevins, All Dressed Up (Easy Eye)
• Morgan Evans, Steel Town (Virgin)
• Spencer Thomas, Cynical Vision (Strolling Bones)
• The Montvales, Path of Totality (Free Dirt)
• Ellie O'Neill, Time of Fallow (St. Itch)

Electronic/Out There

• Whitney Johnson, Lia Kohl, and Macie Stewart, BODY SOUND (International Anthem)
• Green-House, Hinterlands (Ghostly International)
• Xylitol, Blumenfantasie (Planet Mu)
• Colleen Libres, antes del final (Thrill Jockey)
• Imaad Wasif, Superconsciousness (Voidist)
• Isa Gordon, 8Men (Lost Map)
• Kangding Ray, Sirāt - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (INVADA)
• Ladytron, Paradises (Nettwerk)
• Leila Bordreuil & Kali Malone, Music for Intersecting Planes (Ideologic Organ)
• Solitary Dancer, Crown Shyness (Y-3000)
• Water is the Sun, Ritual Fever (Trome / Tocco Magico)
• Dylan Brady (100 gecs), Needle Guy (Dog Show / Atlantic)
• Yraki, Tendrils (Goodness)

Global

• CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso, Free Spirits (5020)
• Nubiyan Twist, Chasing Shadows (Strut)
• Neves E Silva, Ladeiras De Santa Teresa (Far Out)

Jazz

• Adam O'Farrill, ELEPHANT (Out of Your Head)
• Marilyn Crispell, Anders Jormin, Memento (ECM)

Pop

• Alessia Cara, Love or Lack Thereof (Def Jam)
• Girl Group, Little Sticky Pictures EP (Polydor)
• Hannah Storm, It Will Never Be The Right Time (Petroleum)
• *FLUTTERS AWAY*, Operelly (DIY)

R&B/Soul

• Ego Ella May, Good Intentions (DIY)

Rap/Hip-Hop

• Central Cee, All Roads Lead Home EP (Columbia Records)
• Mike Will Made-It, R3SET (Giant Music)
• BigXthaPlug & 600 Ent - 6WA (UnitedMasters)

_{Credits
Host: Stephen Thompson • Guest: Francesca Harding, KCRW • Audio: Noah Caldwell • Producer: Elle Mannion • Production Assistant: Dora Levite • Editor: Otis Hart • Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed • Executive Director: Sonali Mehta}