New Music Friday: 13th Floor New Album Picks: April 25, 2025
It’s Anzac Day here in New Zealand…so once you’ve paid your respects, sooth your soul with some new music. We recommend new releases by Will Johnson, Robin Trower, Lisa Crawley and more.
The 13th Floor’s Marty Duda picks these five new releases for your consideration:
- Will Johnson – Diamond City (Keeled Scales) A member of Jason Isbell’s 400 Unit, this is Johnson’s 10th solo album. Written in 2023, just before he became a permanent member of Jason Isbell’s band, the album is a collection of solo home recordings and also an implicit monument to his friends and family. The singer traces its minimalist format to his wife Jessie Johnson’s longtime enthusiasm for the rawer versions of his songs, and to a conversation he had more than a decade ago. “I’ve wanted to make a four-track record going back to when David Bazan (Pedro the Lion) would listen to my demos and say, ‘When are you going to make a record like this?’” the songwriter explains. Click here to read the 13th Floor Album Review.
2. Robin Trower – Come And Find Me (Provogue) The former Procol Harum guitarist is still crossing that Bridge Of Sighs. Trower once explained that each new album is a snapshot of his situation and worldview at that moment. As such, Come And Find Me is the best way to know the guitarist better in 2025, and this new record is clearly not the work of a lofty rock star but an engaged participant in the real world, with relatable loves, hates, hopes and fears. “Musically, there’s a strong R&B flavour behind it, but it’s obviously rock ‘n’ roll,” he explains. “Lyrically, I think the world has become a lot darker in the last ten or twenty years. But there’s always hope. There’s more good people in the world than there are bad.” Click here to read the 13th Floor Album Review
3. Lisa Crawley – New Girl Syndrome EP (Self) NZ-born, LA-based singer-songwriter Lisa Crawley releases this 4-song collection that Lisa describes as “familiar yet fresh, combining nostalgic chord progressions with catchy melodies; with a variety of instrumentation including everything from clarinets, omnichords, pedal steel combined with the more conventional piano, drums, bass and guitars.” Watch this space for a 13th Floor Singles Session with Lisa…coming soon!
4. Coco Jones – Why Not More? (Def Jam) A dynamic and genre-defying exploration of soul, R&B, and pop, balancing infectious hooks with introspective moments, never shying away from themes of self-worth, love, and empowerment. Coco’s
5. Deerhoof – Noble And Godlike In Ruin (Joyful Noise) For the more adventurous we present for your approval…the experimental band’s 20th album! Noble and Godlike in Ruin will include several tracks addressing sociopolitical issues that have troubled the public sphere. As explained by Greg Saunier, Deerhoof’s drummer and co-vocalist, the single, Immigrant Songs, serves as a sequel to Exit Only, which previously dealt with themes of immigration through personal narratives.
Honorable mentions go to new releases by:
Willie Nelson, Stereophonics, Billy Idol, Amy Irving and Sunflower Bean
