Stream Lana Del Rey, Mac Miller, And More Of The Week's New Albums

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This week is an incredibly busy one for releases. While obviously the gangsta Nancy Sinatra herself Lana Del Rey is finally releasing her new album today, as well as the easy-flowing Mac Miller, we’ve had four surprise records this week from the hip-hop world. Migos, Rich Homie Quan, Chief Keef, and Young Thug all dropped tapes. And Future and Drake could release their collaboration at any moment.

And that’s not even accounting for new stuff from Battles, Metric, Baio, Ought, Telekinesis, Robert DeLong, and more. Here’s what you need to hear this week.

Lana Del Rey – Honeymoon

2014’s Ultraviolence was an unlikely breakthrough for the baroque pop singer. She’s long had her own fans, but an EDM remix of “Summertime Sadness” and her contribution to The Great Gatsby soundtrack “Young and Beautiful” largely raised her profile. On her new album, Honeymoon, it’s not entirely a back-to-basics formula, but it’s a merging of her new sound and her major label debut Born to Die.

“High By the Beach,” the album’s main single, is the perfect weave of these two ideas: Still forlorn and wanting, but with a bounce and groove that keeps your pulse up a bit. Now, don’t be led astray here, the album is still constituted with slow and low beats that breeze rather than gust with ornate 1960s Brill Building vibes, but the idea is to captivate and not sedate. And of course, there’s a cover of the classic blues song “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood.” If there ever was a mission statement for Lana, it’s “I’m just a soul whose intentions are good. Oh Lord, please don’t let me be misunderstood.”

Mac Miller – GO:OD AM

For his major label debut, Mac Miller could finally rest easy. Much of his independent career has been spent proving himself to the rap world at large that he’s not a fluke with a huge base of internet support. But he’s been putting in work for years now with his gliding flow and incredible ear for beats — some of which are produced by the man himself. GO:OD AM serves as a flag in the sand after going through label hell, as well as some personal demons, and Mac sounds as strong as he ever has here: “100 Grandkids” and “Brand Name” are both tracks that touch on this struggle. There’s also a wide range of guest spots from Little Dragon to Chief Keef to Lil B.

Battles – La Di Da Di

The experimental dudes in Battles are back for another round of dizzying and arresting rock. Anyone familiar with the band can tell you the complex and rich audio tapestries the New York group weaves are truly unlike any other, and La Di Da Di is another fine round of synesthetic goodness. We heard the frenetic “FF Bada” earlier this month, and it’s quite the perfect introduction to the masterful and tight use of control featured on this album. La Di Da Di feels like a record you would return to again and again just to peel back the rich soundscapes.