In an era of splintered attention spans and art compressed down to memes, some musicians are still determined to make albums that are full-length statements, presenting songs that converse with and buttress one another. Melanie Martinez’s new “Hades” confronts a 2026 dystopia that’s both societal and personal. Courtney Barnett’s “Creature of Habit” squares off against writer’s block by — what else? — writing about it. Robyn’s “Sexistential” insists that motherhood and maturity don’t mean the end of pleasure. And after many preview singles, Raye’s new album, “This Music May Contain Hope.,” riffles through pop eras all the way back to big-band swing as she counsels self-determination and stubborn optimism to push past naysaying and heartbreak. There are also strong new albums this week from Snail Mail, José Gonzalez, Flea, Ashley Monroe, the New Pornographers and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, along with plenty of non-album songs. Here are some of this week’s notable new tracks.
(Listen on Spotify or Apple Music.)
What’s New
Paul McCartney, ‘Days We Left Behind’
“The Boys of Dungeon Lane,” to be released May 29, will be Paul McCartney’s first solo album since 2020; it’s named after a Liverpool street in the neighborhood where he grew up. In “Days We Left Behind,” a cozy ballad carried by acoustic guitar and piano, he sings about places and memories as both fragile and lasting; he mentions Forthlin Road, the street where he lived and wrote early songs with John Lennon. “Nothing stays the same,” he muses, but he also insists, “No one can erase the days we left behind.” His voice is shakier than it once was, only making things more poignant.
▶ Listen on Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube
Melanie Martinez, ‘Uncanny Valley’
Throughout “Hades,” Melanie Martinez deals with the effects of greed, ignorance and unbridled technology. In “Uncanny Valley,” she knows that her physical reality can never live up to internet beauty filters. She keeps her voice contained and matter-of-fact, backed by a throbbing bass line and varied, human drumming as she argues for imperfect flesh versus digital images: “Trends they come and go, but humans have their flaws.”
▶ Listen on Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube
Miley Cyrus, ‘Younger You’
“Younger You” arrives with Miley Cyrus’s “Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special,” which revisits the fictional pop star that made her an actual pop star. Credited to six songwriters including Cyrus, it’s a folky, fingerpicking ballad addressed to an older self. It reminds her, “We used to be happy just because” and asks, with more curiosity than reproach, “Do you love who you’ve become?”