New Music Friday: NPR’s Top 8 Albums Out June 14

It’s a packed release week, starting with Western Stars, Bruce Springsteen’s lush and loving ode to mid-’60s orchestral pop. The metal band Baroness ventures into prog-rock territory with its most ambitiously artful release to date, while British spoken word artist Kate Tempest takes listeners on a head-spinning journey into the heart of modern anxiety. All of those, plus the most joyful album to date from Bill Callahan, DMV rapper Goldink and more. Host Robin Hilton is joined by NPR Music’s Lars Gotrich, Lauren Onkey, Sidney Madden, Stephen Thompson and Tom Huizenga as they share their picks for the best albums dropping on June 14.

Featured Albums:

1. Baroness: Gold & Grey
   Featured Songs: “Borderline” and “Sevens”
2. Bruce Springsteen: Western Stars
   Featured Song: “The Wayfarer”
3. Kate Tempest: The Books of Traps and Lessons
   Featured Song: “Keep Moving Don’t Move”
4. Bill Callahan: Shepherd in a Sheepskin Vest
   Featured Song: “What Comes After Certainty”
5. Calexico + Iron & Wine: Years to Burn
   Featured Songs: “Father Mountain” and “Outside El Paso”
6. House and Land: Across the Field
   Featured Song: “Two Sisters”
7. John Luther Adams: Become Desert
   Featured Song: “Become Desert”
8. Goldlink: Disaspora
   Featured Song: “Yard”

Other notable releases for June 14: Another Sky: Life Was Coming in Through the Blinds; Bad Books: III; Cigarette: Light Blues; Dressy Bessy: Fast Faster Disaster; Julia Shapiro: Perfect Version; Kaleidoscope: After the Futures; Keb’ Mo’: Oklahoma; Luxury: Trophies; Madonna: Madame X.

Copyright 2019 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.