Music fans have a diverse slate of new releases to explore this Friday, July 17. From the return of trip-hop innovator Tricky to the vinyl reissue of Robyn’s Complete Body Talk, this week’s new music spans experimental electronic, rock, and indie debuts from the U.K., Australia, and Sweden. Every Friday, 88Nine music director Erin Wolf and Lilliput Records co-owner Tanner Musgrove discuss these new albums on their program, On Vinyl, which airs on the 88Nine airwaves at 1 p.m.
Tricky Returns with 15th Studio Album Different When It’s Silent
Tricky’s 15th Studio Album: Different When It’s Silent
After not releasing an album in six years, the trip-hop innovator Tricky has returned with his 15th project, Different When It’s Silent. While Tricky had been active under various aliases such as Theis Thaws and Lonely Guest during his time away, he initially viewed these new tracks as a secondary endeavor. According to the artist, when his manager, Alan McGee, heard the bones of the tracks, he saw a rose by any other name. Tricky recalled, In my mind it was another side project,
but McGee countered: Mate, this is a Tricky album.
The album is described as a stark, collagist sound that blends blues, hip-hop, punk, and electro. It serves as a consolidation of the artist’s signature style, emphasizing the contrast between these genres. The record is available via Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal, Amazon Music, Bandcamp, and Rough Trade.
Nia Archives and Yard Act Showcase U.K. Soundscapes
Nia Archives and Yard Act: U.K. Soundscapes
The U.K. music scene provides two of the releases this week. Nia Archives, the British musician, DJ, producer and filmmaker, has released Emotional Junglist. She noted that she dropped the tempo a bit and was influenced by ’90s electronica, Bjork, and Madonna’s Ray of Light era, though the record also features mainstream pop and rock moments. The release features collaborations with Sampha and Jorja Smith and is available in multiple vinyl variants, including a standard black, a black-and-white marble version, a smoke-and-shell picture disc, and an apparently sold-out Bad World Exclusive
that is sand/crushed sea-shell filled.
Meanwhile, the rock quartet Yard Act has returned with their third full-length album, You’re Gonna Need a Little Music. Departing from their previous laptop-centric production methods, the band recorded this project by playing together in a single room. Frontman James Smith, known for his stage presence, brings a post/dance-punk energy to the tracks, including the intense lead single, “Redeemer.” The album is out on ATO and available on red smoke and standard black vinyl.
Swapmeet and Robyn Lead Debut Arrivals and Vinyl Reissues
Debut Arrivals and Vinyl Reissues
The Australian-based band Swapmeet is making an international splash with their debut album, Mount Zero. After meeting as teenagers in the early 2020s and gaining recognition at the South Australian Music Awards in 2024—where they earned “Best Song” and “Best Release”—the group became the first international signee to the L.A.-based indie label Winspear Records. Their sound is being compared to indie artists like Julia Jacklin and Stella Donnelly. The record is available on brown or standard black vinyl.
For fans of pop history, this Friday also marks the vinyl release of Robyn’s Complete Body Talk. Originally compiled in 2010 from two mini-albums, Body Talk Part 1 and Body Talk Part 2, the collection has become a staple for electropop enthusiasts. The new double-LP set is pressed on Coke bottle clear vinyl, offering a physical compilation of the tracks in a single package.
Lenny Kaye Releases Solo Debut Goin’ Local via Yep Roc
Lenny Kaye’s Solo Debut
At age 79, Patti Smith Group’s Lenny Kaye has released his debut solo album, Goin’ Local, via Yep Roc. The project follows his memoir, Lightning Striking: Ten Transformative Moments in Rock and Roll. Kaye recruited a network of musicians for the record, including jazz pianist Matthew Shipp, Railroad Earth’s Tim Carbone, the Jayhawks’ John Jackson, and David Mansfield. Reflecting on the process, Kaye said in a press release, I’ve always loved the local, its intimacy and camaraderie,
adding, I feel that the truest ‘Goin’ Local’ is the privilege to go inside my own head and hear how I sound to me.
The album also features a co-write from Patti Smith on the song “Solstice.”
Where to Find the New Releases
Listeners can access these titles through various digital and physical formats. Most of these albums are available for purchase at independent record shops or via streaming platforms including Apple Music, Spotify, and Tidal.
