NPR Music - New Music Friday: The best albums out Jan. 23

Episode Date: January 23, 2026

Lucinda Williams. Julian Lage. The debut from rising Americana star Kashus Culpepper. Stephen Thompson from NPR Music chats with Jessie Scott from WMOT in Nashville about the best new albums out Friday, Jan. 23.The Starting 5(00:00) Intro: Cat Power, 'Redux' EP(02:14) Lucinda Williams, 'World's Gone Wrong'(07:36) Carolina Chocolate Drops, 'Genuine Negro Jig' (15th Anniversary Edition)(15:19) Kashus Culpepper, 'Act I'(20:00) The Lowest Pair, 'Always As Young As We'll Ever Be'(25:29) Julian Lage, 'Scenes From Above'The Lightning Round- Ari Lennox, 'Vacancy'- Sammy Brue, 'The Journals'- V/A, 'Naive Melodies'- Della Mae, 'Magic Accident'Sample the albums via our New Music Friday playlist on NPR.org.CreditsHost: Stephen ThompsonGuest: Jessie Scott, WMOTAudio Producer: Noah CaldwellDigital Producer: Dora LeviteEditors: Otis Hart, Elle MannionExecutive Producer: Suraya MohamedSee pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Try me. Happy Friday, everyone from NPR Music. It's New Music Friday. I'm Stephen Thompson here with Jesse Scott from WMOT in Nashville. Welcome back to the show, Jesse. Thank you. So good to be here. It is a pleasure.

So the music we are hearing is part of a reissue campaign. Cat Power put out a classic album called The Greatest 20 years ago. Now it's being reissued with a three-song EP called Redo. where she's kind of revisiting that classic sound, including with a cover of nothing compares to you by Prince, as popularized by Shnade O'Connor. Jesse, what do you think? It's such a trip.

I'm particularly fond of Try Me. Anybody that redos, 1958, James Brown, and the famous flames in power ballad style is a worthy entry. and you've got to pay particular attention to the piano. It sounds like it banged off the ionosphere way back a couple of decades ago. I love this. Cat Power has kind of been working with these great session musicians for ages.

In fact, the cover of Nothing compares to you that's on this EP is a tribute to Tini Hodges, a guitarist who played on the original album The Greatest. And so she's, you know, as you said, pinging off the ionosphere, just like blurring the boundaries of space and time, you know, playing with a lot of these classic vintage, beautiful sounds and setting that gorgeous voice against it. That's Cat Power. She's got a new EP called Redux as part of a reissue campaign for the classic 2006 album, The Greatest. Well, first up, as far as official albums we're going to be talking about on this week's show, Lucinda Will. Williams is back with a new album called World's Gone Wrong. You get up every morning to go to work.

He sells cars and she's a nurse. Working long hours is the devil's curse. Things are getting tight, but it could be worse. She tries hard to ignore the news. Nothing makes sense If she gets confused Between what is false And what is true

And she worries They won't get through The dark days Looking for comfort And a song Lucinda Williams Back with ten topical songs that she wrote last year

This is the rockinous band That Lucinda has had together in quite a while, twain guitars, and Lucinda has amazing guests on this record, including Mavis Staples and Nora Jones on back up on two of the songs. Yeah, I mean, it's interesting. I feel like there's been this canard going around for a really, really long time, that there's no protest music anymore. Where's all the protest music? All this stuff is going on in the world, all this conflict, and, you know, nobody's, nobody's writing, protest music. And it's like, first of all, I'd like you to introduce you to Jesse Wells.

Second of, second of all, lots of people are doing protest music. It's not necessarily as widely disseminated as protest music has been, perhaps in previous generations. But this is a protest album through and through. I mean, this is, everything's messed up in album form. And she's not kidding around. You know, I mean, first of all, obviously, as you mentioned, bringing in Mavis Staples in the song So Much Trouble in the World, which is kind of built on this dub arrangement that I wouldn't have necessarily expected from Lucinda Williams. But there's also just a lot of this gnarled, righteous fury. I mean, the song that we played up front, The World's Gone Wrong, you've got just like

these Neil Young-esque kind of gnarled guitars and screaming organs. These songs are about a broken world, but even in a song called The World's Gone Wrong, by one of our weariest singers alive today, there's still a reminder in this song to experience a little bit of joy once in a while. I dare say Lou has always been in touch kind of with everyday people and really represents the poetry of everyday life, of, you know, common existence. And I think that in her narrative always are those little joyous touchstones, you know, of smell the roses kind of thing and just remind you to live your life today.

We have today. One of the songs that I adore on this is how much did you get for your soul? Seriously. Which, you know, has a devastating takedown. Protest narrative, but doesn't name names. And also has kind of a jingle, jangle, 60s garage band vibe. The devil is a master salesman.

You weren't so hard. There's another There's another track, Sing Unburied Sing, which, you know, the song is just built on a very familiar riff. I couldn't quite place what the riff reminds me of, but the fire of this song brings up this kind of communal energy. There's a rollicking spirit to a lot of these arrangements. And, you know, sometimes when I think of kind of late period Lucinda Williams,

I sometimes kind of associate her with dirges a little bit and where her weariness kind of is the sound of someone who has kind of been ground down by the world. And lyrically that comes up on this record, but sonically it is alive and kicking. That is World's Gone Wrong by Lucinda Williams. Next up, another band knows its way around a little protest music. Carolina Chocolate Drops is back with a 15th anniversary edition of one of its classic records.

It's called Genuine Negro Jig. I wish I had a nickel. I wish I had me a pretty girl. You've not called mine. Don't get trouble in your mind. Don't get trouble in your mind. Don't get trouble in your mind. Don't get trouble in your mind.

You know, they so. wrote the book for awareness of African American contributions to Roots Music and continue to do. So Dom Flemens has applied that

in his solo career. Rianne Givis has soared with her commitment to finding the way to tell the story through music, whether it's ragtime, whether it's jigs, whether it's field hollers, and

gospel-infused, you know, the music that came out of the Mojo Triangle, which is arguably an area from Memphis to Nashville to New Orleans, is what informs Americana to begin with. And certainly, Rianning Giddens is a masterful purveyor of these sonics. And it's great to have new tracks from the Carolina Chocolate Drops. Absolutely. And, you know, one of the joys about these reissues, you know, this takes the original record, adds, you know, several kind of remastered, remixed songs, adds seven totally previously unreleased songs to the mix. But part of the joy is just being reminded, hey, break out this record. This thing came out, I mean, it's the 15th anniversary edition. Truth be told, it's really kind of the 16th anniversary edition. But who cares? You know,

I just loved kind of going back and revisiting that absolutely essential, glorious cover of Blue Cantrell's Hit Em Up style, you know, which is taking this, you know, this, this kind of revenge-minded R&B anthem, but like turning it into something that sounds ageless, something that, you know, like treating it as if it is passed from front porch to front porch and like finding this total timeless vibrancy, you know, as much as it's in a way kind of a novelty song, it is just glorious. Hey ladies When your man

Want to get Buckwild Just go back and hit him up style Get your hands on his cash And spend it to the last time For all the hard times When you go then everything goes From the crib to the ride in the close So you better let him know that if he

I adore City of Refuge A just sweet gospel Story and Ratteler which has some Cajun flavor And I love that they mine all these different flavors in their music. It's certainly not a one-dimensional record, and it is joyous and raucous at times even. You know, it's interesting because obviously they've added a number of songs to the end of this record, kind of created this expanded edition.

And those pieces are not as polished as the kind of the core album that we got back in 2010, but there's still just fire and rage and joy. and kind of velocity to these performances. You know, you mentioned here Rattler. There's a cover of Jack a Diamonds, you know, that like is tapping into just this kind of primal blues music. And, you know, man, I love that these musicians individually have continued to make essential music. But there is something about hearing them together. Jack of diamonds, jack a diamond, of old you robbed by your pockets of silver and gold.

Jack of diamonds, jack of diamonds, jacked diamonds, of old you are by your pockets of silver and gold. They burst on the scene and their voice together was so important and singular as well as they've continued. Their paths have been incredibly important to remind us that what we were doing initially at Americana Radio was very country rock. And for us over the years to have expanded our horizons as the tent grew and more and more people were welcomed into the fold. of it, you know, this is essential listening. This is so important historically and it's so artistically satisfying that it's a must. Absolutely. It expands our view of the present and of the past and of the future. And what a gift that is. That's the Carolina chocolate drops. Their new reissue of Genuine Negro Jig, a 15th anniversary edition with seven previously unreleased songs

and several other tracks, really, if you haven't dug into this record in a while, go back. You're going to be so glad you did. We've got a bunch more records out today, January 23rd, that we're going to talk about in depth. But first, let's take a quick break. From NPR Music, it's New Music Friday. I'm Stephen Thompson here with Jesse Scott from WMOT in Nashville. Jesse, tell us what's going on at the station. Well, we are coming up on our 10th anniversary.

of WMOT Roots Radio. That'll happen in September. And it has just been such an incredible ride. We could not have foretold how many more people would come making music out of Nashville and how joyous it would be with all kinds of new faces

and all kinds of new voices in the mix. And we, of course, as a radio station, he had to kind of be on the perch overlooking the next. of all of this. And it's just been remarkable. I'm so proud of how cooperative everybody is with one another. And the kind of music that's being made across the board is remarkable. And for those that say there is no new music, you need to listen. Get me started. Get me started on this. All the good music stopped when I turned 20. Not really. Not how it goes.

Not how it goes. You're just not listening. Nice. Well, and people can listen at WMOT.org. Mm-hmm. And we have an app. Wonderful. Yeah, download that WMOT app. All right, next up, we have got the singer Cassius Culpepper. Cassius Cole Pepper's new album is called Act One. Well, you can dress me up in diamonds, and you can give me all your go. But I'm still neat that water, babe. Put a roost down in my soul. Can I name this the album of the year? Is it too soon? Well, let's see. It's out January 23rd.

We've heard probably one 500th of 1% of the music that is coming out in 2026. I don't care. Why not? I mean, it's dynamite. I'm going to give you that. Tell us about this record. Tell us about this guy. Well, so Cassius Culpeper is from Alabama.

and he kind of sums up what the Americana movement is all about as he brings country, soul, blues, folk, rock together and spins it and creates something really iconic with it, never far from his southern roots and willing to explore all kinds of different tonalities and intensities. He's not afraid of any of it, and he brings it all together, and the songs are amazing. Yeah, the songs are amazing and also really genre-wise, so sonically expansive.

You know, you have kind of that classic country rock mission statement in the song Southern Man, where he brings in Marcus King, the great blues guitarist, to come in and do, you know, kind of a ripping guitar solo. And, you know, that kind of statement of purpose is the kind of thing that, you know, you expect, you know, from like a young country singer. but you also have these forays into blues, into folk music, into, you know, that kind of, there's a track called Out of My Mind, you know, which is kind of hitting that Teddy Swims, Jelly Roll, kind of bellowing sweet spot. But then kind of late, there's this kind of Mumfordy, stomping clap banjo breakdown. And you just have this feeling like it is this survey of Southern Roots music that goes so big and is so, unafraid to take detours, knowing that listeners are going to follow him wherever he goes. Well, of course, the other standout is Broken Wingbird. Oh, beautiful song. Strips it down totally.

And Sierra Farrell joins in on that song. A lovely, foky slice in the tradition, sonically, of angel flying too close to the ground. There's just so much richness on this record. Like I say, it's my number one. the moment. It may be in my top 10 by the time the year is done, but I just want to go on record and say, this is something beautiful. That is Act 1 by Cassius Culpepper, one of the bunch of great records out today, January 23rd. Next up, we've got a duo called The Lowest Pair. The Lowest Pair is back with their first album in

six years. It's called Always As Young as We'll Ever Be. be. Now the name's why. Hard to make it to the other side. You said you built bread. Still the river. I'm the certain sea. Now, the name comes from John Hartford from a poem. Yeah.

And these are iconic voices. They're both so sonically interesting. Yeah. Kendall Winter from Olympia, Washington, Palmer T. Lee of Minneapolis. They've been making records together since 2014. And these two have been floating around for a while now. And I think it's so interesting, Jesse, how different their voices are and how well those voices blend together. You know, she's got this soft, high, plaintive coup. She reminds me a little bit of Anaeus Mitchell in the way she sings.

He's kind of got that kind of grittier, more rustic, grounded kind of folk music sound. And together, you know, their voices are tethered together in these really, really interesting ways. Check out diamonds. It's lush Power Pop Americana, and it retains the roots feel, but it definitely brings it forward in such a rich way. We can get above the clouds if we keep climbing up this mountain. It's just a little further up.

Searching for diamonds in this road. We can get above the clouds. If we keep climbing up this mound, There's also a song called Tiny Rebellions, you know, this big, stormy, rambling epic. You know, it's more than six minutes long, you know, definitely, you know, longer than a lot of this band's songs. And it really sums up, you know, a lot of ideas about living in the world today, about getting through hard times and kind of finding yourself on the other side. And it really lets them kind of let loose and go big. I particularly love

I particularly love quantum physics. I mean, how many songs carry such weighty titles as they sing of particles and energy? And, you know, they make it celestial, but also boots on the ground. I heard quantum physicists say this is just as solid. He was Italian.

It's fine. He said we know the antelope. It's interesting, by the Antelopeia. By the Antelope, late to the line. It's interesting, you know, this is the lowest Paris first album in six years, and it really feels like they've built up things to say, right? Like, you mentioned kind of going big thematically. Even the title, always as young as we'll ever be,

is kind of that kind of gritty philosophy that I think works really, really beautifully well, especially when it's dispensed by these voices. the way these voices blend. Another one that I wanted to mention, the song that opens this album is called Give It All Away. And, you know, it's this beautiful

message about letting go and sharing and unburdening yourself. And you just get a sense that these two have spent a lot of time in the making of this record thinking about their world and thinking about what they want to say. By now I wonder how the seasons all seem to take us by surprise.

Calculated chaos. I'm still sweating in collard scotting sky. The lowest pair. Their new album is called Always As Young as We'll Ever Be. We've got one more record we want to talk about in depth, as well as a lightning round of some of our other favorite albums out today, January 23rd. But first, we're going to take a quick break. From NPR Music, it's New Music Friday.

I'm Stephen Thompson here with Jesse Scott of WMOT in Nashville. Before we get to a lightning round of some of our other favorite records out today, we wanted to talk about a new record by Julian Lodge. It's called Scenes From Above. So Julian Lodge is kind of a jazz guitar god. You know, he's a former child prodigy famously performed at the Grammys when he was 12 years old. He's now 38 in that time. He has worked on dozens of albums.

He's put out tons of records under his own name and in kind of featuring. collaborations with other artists. He's also played as a sideman with Gary Burton, John Zorn, just to give you a sense of the extreme range that this guy is working in within jazz. Gary Burton to John Zorn is a big range. You know, his own music is just gorgeous, right? It's really elegant and timeless. And of course, personally, being a huge John Martin fan, I was hoping that solid air would be a cover. It was not, but it was moody and elegant and stark, jazzy, and the other thing, too, that I love. A couple of other songs, Opel, which is Mal and Colley, Tucking Drum, a bit more percussive.

And I loved Ocala for its resonance and easy vibe. This is a record you could listen to anywhere on your front porch while you're taking a bath. It's something to soothe the savage beast. It's really lovely. You mentioned the song Opal, which opens this record. And as I was hearing it, I was like, oh, yeah, this is, you know, just great vibes, right? Cool, atmospheric vibes. This almost liquid guitar sound, and I'm finding myself kind of being soothed by it.

As this record progresses, this is not wallpaper. This is not hanging back and you lose track of it in your life and you're paying your bills and you don't even realize there's music playing. This is not that kind of record. It still manages to find so much creativity and so much expansiveness. Right after Opel, there's a track called Red Elm, and it's more jittery, it's more exploratory. It's taking kind of that baseline, really cool guitar sound,

and it's finding ways to explore beyond that. It's very cool. I thank you for turning me on. It's always a joy to hear something from someone you've never heard of before. Oh, wow. Not in my wheelhouse. You know, it's funny, our wheelhouses are always so much bigger than we think they are. Well, they always get bigger, too, which is so great.

And that's part of the joy of getting to do this show, and I hope of listening to this show, is like, even if, you know, I don't think of myself as a jazz guy first and foremost, but I'll sit down with these records and really spend some time with them. And then you're like, man, I need to listen to more jazz. I need to listen to more blues. I need to listen to more. You know, and you just realize that there are so many brilliant musicians making incredible stuff. And, you know, if you open yourself up to it, you're just going to find so many more joys in life. I wanted to mention, Jesse, do you remember the song from this record, Nightshade that kind of

pops up about halfway through and just kind of blows out into this kind of massive anthemic, like seven and a half minute centerpiece on this record? I kept going back to that track again and again. Yeah, I mean, this is the kind of record that you put on and you leave it on. It plays in its entirety. If you have it on vinyl, you flip it over and listen to the second side. That is scenes from above by the guitarist Julian Lodge. Now, Jesse, we could not possibly get already.

We are already at the point in the year where it's like, oh, my God, we couldn't possibly get to everything that's great that's out today. Again, it is January 23rd. we've only just begun. Wait until we get into March with how many great new records come out every week. Absolutely. All right, I'm going to kick off our lightning round. The R&B star Ari Lennox

has become a staple of other people's recordings. She's worked extensively with Jay Cole, Summer Walker, and others. Ari Lennox last released a solo album in 2022 when her album Age Sex location became a sleeper hit. She's been dropping loose singles ever since and now a full-length follow-up

is finally here. As those singles suggest, it's full of timeless, steamy, soaring soul. Ari Lennox's new record is titled Vacancy. Sammy Brew sets the journals out. He sat at the knee of mentor Justin Towns, Earl, to create this album, writing, finishing, or reimagining, never before recorded songs taken from Earl's journals.

And trusted to Sammy by Justin's widow. Now, Sammy Brew is just 21 years old. Wow. He's been doing it since he was 13. And this is quite an expose of Sammy Brew's talents. This is a lovely record worth your time. We miss Justin Townsend, Cyril, so much. It's really wonderful to have his words still live in yet another incarnation.

That's Sammy Brew and his new album, The Journals. I talk to God. Sometimes I regret, but I beat the eyes. This guitar is all I got left. Lord, I'm ready now, ready now. Lord, can take me now, take me now. The music of Talking Heads was heavily influenced by Black Music, and now a new tribute album finds the flow of influence moving in the opposite direction.

The artists on naive melodies reinterpret talking songs through the prism of jazz, soul, dub, Afrobeat, and other sounds. You can hear classic songs interpreted by the likes of Bilal, Aja Monnet, Georgia Ann Moldrow, and more. And as those names suggest, you're going to hear some pretty inventive interpretation. That album, once again, is called Naive Melodies. Delamé's been around since 2009, all-female Bluegrass Band out of Boston. Personnel changes have ensued through the years, but they are tight and powerful as ever. Their vocals are incredible. Their harmonies are magical. This is well worth your time. That is Magic Accident from Delamay.

And that is our show for this week. Thank you, Jesse Scott, for taking time out of your week at WMOT in Nashville. Thank you, Stephen, for asking. It's always a pleasure. If you enjoyed this week's show, we always appreciate a positive review on Apple or Spotify or whatever app you're listening to right now. This episode was produced by Noah Caldwell and edited by Otis Hart and El Manion. The executive producer of NPR music is Soraya Mohamed. We'll be back next week to discuss more new music with Andrea Castillo of KVNF in Western Colorado. Until then, take a moment to be well, always lift with your knees, and treat yourself to lots of great music.