New Music Friday: 13th Floor New Album Picks: July 14, 2023

New Music Friday is here once more! And as always we present, for your consideration, five brand new albums, released today, that deserve your undivided attention.

1. Seth Haapu – Whai Ora (Kehua Music) Just in time for Matariki. Co-produced by UMO’s Kody Nielson. Seth says, “The spirit of this record is oranga (wellbeing) achieved through the interconnectedness of all things. It recognises that balance and harmony in relationships lifts wellbeing. This record is a symbol of healing and a way to naturalise holistic healing located within te ao Māori.”

2. Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real – Sticks and Stones (6 Ace/Thirty Tigers) Willie’s kid strikes again. Here’s what Lukas has to say about it: “This album is about celebrating the human connection, joy and excitement. We went from quiet and introspective on ‘A Few Stars Apart’ to something big and fun to really showcase the band’s talent and performance. You can listen to the album ‘Sticks And Stones’ from start to finish and get the songs to dance to and then the quiet, poignant songs. To me, this album is the perfect setlist.”

3. Kool & The Gang – People Just Wanna Have Fun (Astana) Robert ‘Kool’ Bell has been fronting the band since 1964. “You’ve got the funk, the jazzier tracks; we have a few ballads on there,” says Bell. “Then there are songs that cross over to a pop sort of thing. We go from the ‘70s, the ‘80s, right into now. It’s old school, it’s new school — we kinda captured it all here. With all our music over the years, people have had fun. So I’d say this album just about sums it all up.”

4. Duane Betts – Wild & Precious Life  (Royal Potato Family) His debut solo album, Duane wrote many of his new songs in the presence of his 80-year-old-father, Dickey Betts, at home in Florida. In a press release, Duane offered, “We’re here for such a short period of time. We see people come and people go—people we love and people we miss. We’ve all lost loved ones, yet we’re still here. You really have to take advantage of your time and make the most of it.”

5. Birdy – Portraits (Warner) Its the fifth studio album from the 26-year-old Brit. Portraits sees Birdy take a liberated leap into the unknown – her timeless songwriting style now infused with a fresh, exuberant rush of energy and inventive, off-kilter production flourishes. It’s the sound of a creative stepping into a new world and, thrillingly, finding her true voice.