5 new albums you should listen to this week

Looking for something new to put on? These five albums all arrived on 23 October, and there’s plenty to spend time with this weekend: soul, hip-hop, house and a welcome return from one of Senegal’s great bands.

Michael Kiwanuka: FUDGE

Kiwanuka takes the lead on production for his fifth album, written alongside Small Changes and recorded in Southampton and Frome. His label describes a record made away from the pressure of a big studio, with Dom Monks and strings collaborator Rosie Danvers helping him finish it. If you love his songwriting, here’s a chance to hear him follow his own instincts behind the desk too.

Anderson .Paak & Cordae: Heavy Is The Crown

The chemistry that made “RNP” such a good pairing gets a whole album to play out. Across eleven tracks, .Paak and Cordae move between comic storytelling, gratitude and the messier parts of family life. Apple Music highlights their back-and-forth on “58th Floor”; start there if you want to hear how much fun these two can have sharing a mic.

Jazzy: Peace & Patience

After a run of club hits, the Dublin singer’s debut album puts her own story at the centre. Family and friends are the first people you hear on the record, before the house track “My People” begins. Apple Music’s notes also point to an Afropop influence on “Fantasy”. Chris Lorenzo joins her on “Invisible”. Put this one on when the weekend needs a lift.

John Legend: Muse

Pharrell Williams produces Legend’s latest, a collaboration sparked by the singer’s appearance on Clipse’s “The Birds Don’t Sing”. The record brings funk, gospel and Afrobeat into the mix, with Clipse returning the favour on “Bodies On The Floor”. It’s an inviting pick if you’re curious about where Pharrell can take a voice you already know so well.

Orchestra Baobab: Made in Senegal

The band recorded every track in Dakar, according to Strut. Their previous studio album came out in 2017. Relatives of earlier members have joined the lineup, which also includes musicians who have played with Baobab for years. The record combines fresh compositions with new versions of older songs, drawing on Senegalese traditions and Afro-Cuban music. Give this one an uninterrupted hour, especially if Pirates Choice already has a place in your collection.